The escalator at the East Broadway F station, on Rutgers Street just south of East Broadway, has been restored to the delight of many neighborhood residents.
The lower east side neighborhood is also home to many elderly residents. The escalator, which serves thousands of residents, has been out of service since August 2012.
A grassroots organization of subway and bus riders, Riders Alliance, collected more than 500 petition signatures urging the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to conduct immediate repairs to the escalator.
“This much-needed repair will help more than 13,000 people who use the East Broadway subway station on an average weekday,” said Executive Director of Riders Alliance, John Raskin, according to a release.
The community is said to be largely underserved by public transportation, making elderly resident heavily reliant on the escalator.
Officials including State Senator Daniel Squadron, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver, Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, and others announced the completed repairs on Monday afternoon.
“Thank you to the MTA for finally heeding our calls and the community for standing together to make sure we were heard,” Squadron said in the release.
