Brooklyn’s Borough Hall station is now fully ADA accessible after more than two years of construction that stitched together step-free routes between the street, mezzanine and the 2, 3, 4 and 5 platforms. The 100-year-old hub did not just get elevators: crews carried out heavy structural repairs, rebuilt platforms, restored tilework and added a new mosaic along the corridor that ties the lines together. Riders using wheelchairs, pushing strollers or hauling luggage should feel Downtown Brooklyn transfers get a lot less punishing.
Three elevators and how they work
According to the Brooklyn Eagle, the overhaul includes one elevator that runs from Joralemon Street to the mezzanine, plus two more that connect the mezzanine to the platforms, creating a continuous step-free path through the station. MTA Construction & Development President Jamie Torres-Springer told the Eagle, "This is a project that's bringing full accessibility to a major Brooklyn hub." The outlet also reports that officials described the work as a $106 million project.
Timeline, scope and MTA records
Per the MTA capital program report, the Borough Hall ADA and renewal package (project ID 11097) kicked off in late 2022 as a bundled design-build effort. The agency notes that the schedule had to be adjusted along the way because of complex structural and systems work under Joralemon Street. In the same documents, the MTA lists a baseline budget in the mid-hundreds of millions and spells out a scope that includes platform replacement, steel girder repairs and waterproofing to keep the station in shape for decades. Project materials identify Judlau as the prime contractor.
Art and restored tilework
The facelift did not forget the station’s historic bones. Crews restored original tile panels and installed a 110-foot mosaic by ruby onyinyechi amanze titled "May Your Road Be Light And Fun" in the transfer passageway, an installation described in detail by Hyperallergic. The bright ceramic piece runs alongside the carefully revived original mosaics and refreshed finishes meant to boost both the look and the perceived safety of this busy Downtown Brooklyn corridor.
What it means for Brooklyn riders
Across Brooklyn, there are 169 subway stations, and 43 of them are currently accessible, with 17 of those opening since 2020 and about a dozen more projects now under construction, the MTA said in comments reported by the Brooklyn Eagle. Industry reporting puts the citywide tally at roughly 160 fully accessible stations as the MTA leans into bundled ADA upgrades and taps congestion-pricing revenue; Mass Transit has covered the agency’s recent RFPs and that broader count. For Downtown Brooklyn commuters, Borough Hall’s new step-free setup should cut transfer friction and make the surrounding courts, government buildings and offices a bit easier to reach.
