Columbia and MTA Partner to Improve Accessibility of 125 Street 1 Subway Station
The University has committed $33 million to bring modern elevators, widened escalators, and other improvements to the station.
Columbia University and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) on Friday announced a provisional agreement to undertake station upgrades at the 125th Street 1 subway station in Manhattan.
The upgrades include three modernized elevators, widened escalators, and system improvements at the station, which is directly adjacent to Columbia’s Manhattanville campus.
“Columbia has long supported major capital upgrades to the MTA’s 125th Street station to improve the daily experience for the thousands of New Yorkers who rely on it,” said Columbia University Senior Executive Vice President Robert Kasdin. “Upon final approval by the necessary agencies, Columbia’s investment will support improvements that make it easier for residents, students, and workers to move through the neighborhood. We’re proud to join the MTA, elected officials, and the local community to help advance a project that will benefit everyone who depends on this station.”
“This MTA is passionate about advancing accessibility, and I’m proud of the way we are getting creative to accelerate these projects,” said MTA Chair and CEO Janno Lieber. “Every New Yorker deserves to take advantage of our great subway system. It’s one of the few things that actually makes the city affordable.”
Columbia has committed $33 million in funding to upgrading the station, which serves 6,500 riders daily. The provisional agreement between Columbia and the MTA is subject to final approval by relevant public agencies.
“Columbia has always seen itself as part of the fabric of New York City, and we take seriously the responsibility to invest in our community and the city as a whole,” Kasdin said.
The construction contract is expected to be awarded in 2028. One elevator will connect the mezzanine level to the street, and two additional elevators will connect the northbound and southbound platforms to the mezzanine level. Escalators will also be widened to 40 inches, and crews will perform additional repair work including platform upgrades.
Station upgrades were agreed to as part of the land use approval process granted to Columbia to build its Manhattanville Campus.
“The success of Columbia and the success of the surrounding neighborhoods are closely linked— when one does well, the other does too,” Kasdin said. “That’s what drives investments like this.”