New York City Insider: U.S. Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement on the Reopening of Elevators at 181 St Station.

 

Press Release: For Immediate Release:  December 1, 2021

Representative Adriano Espaillat Statement on the Reopening of Elevators at 181 St Station. 181 St Replacement Completed Ahead of Original Timeline, Includes Replacement of Four Elevators and Provides Direct Access to Northbound Platform. NEW YORK, NY – Today, Representative Adriano Espaillat (NY-13) issued the following statement on the completion of the elevator replacement project at the 181 St 1 station in his district:  “I commend the MTA on today’s announcement to reopen the 181 Street 1 Station following completion of elevator replacements that was not only completely successfully, but ahead of the anticipated timeframe to provide upgraded services and direct access to our residents,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). “The station sits at the center of an important transit hub adjacent to the vibrant 181st St. commercial district, a number of bus connections to the Bronx, and a number of schools. The MTA worked closely with my office and other local leaders to make certain that alternative transit services were available for residents and our neighbors who regularly use the station.” The 181 St 1 Station project included the full replacement of four elevators at the station, providing direct access to the northbound platform. Also included in this project was the installation of a new LiftNet system that will improve incident response time and a battery back-up system that will allow customers to exit the station by elevators, even during a power outage. A new CCTV camera system was installed, including two CCTV cameras per elevator along with a new fire alarm system.  The completion at 181 St signals the end of the broader elevator replacement work at five separate “deep” stations in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan. For many customers, the elevators are utilized both for accessing the subway as well as more easily traversing the neighborhood’s unique, steep topography.  “This was a vital project that will greatly benefit the Washington Heights community for years to come,” said Craig Cipriano, NYC Transit Interim President. “Reliable access and high functioning elevators to our deeper stations is critical to serving the riders of this community. The fact that we were able to complete work in a shorter period is a big win all around.”  The 181 St station opened in 1906 and is listed on the U.S. Register of Historic Places. Elevators in the station reach a depth of 122 feet below ground. The station was closed during construction. Alternate bus service was provided throughout the duration of the project in close consultation with community leaders and elected officials.  The Authority previously completed elevator replacements on the 1 line at 168 St in 2019 and most recently 191 St on the 1 line. The replacement work at 181 St was originally slated to begin in March 2021 but was accelerated to a December 2020 start following the early completion of the replacement efforts at 191 St.  On the A line replacements were completed at the 181 St station and two of the three elevators at 190 St are in service, with the final elevator expected to be put in service next week. Representative Espaillat is the first Dominican American to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives and his congressional district includes Harlem, East Harlem, West Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Washington Heights, Inwood, Marble Hill and the north-west Bronx. First elected to Congress in 2016, Representative Espaillat is serving his third term in Congress. Representative Espaillat currently serves as a member of the influential U.S. House Committee on Appropriations responsible for funding the federal government’s vital activities. He is also a member of the House Committee on Education and Labor and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), where he serves in a leadership role as the Second Vice Chair and is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, where he serves as Deputy Whip. Representative Espaillat also currently serves as a Senior Whip of the Democratic Caucus. To find out more about Rep. Espaillat, visit online at https://espaillat.house.gov/.