181st Street station (IND Eighth Avenue Line)
Elevator modifications
### Elevator modifications

#### 1930s to 1990s

From 1932 until 1957, pedestrians had to pay a fare to use the elevators. Though the elevators were intended for subway riders, local residents paid the subway fare to avoid climbing about eight stories up Fort Washington Hill. On September 5, 1957, the [New York City Transit Authority](/wiki/New_York_City_Transit_Authority "New York City Transit Authority") (NYCTA) began allowing free public access to the elevators at the 181st and [190th Street](/wiki/190th_Street_station "190th Street station") stations. Bills were proposed in the [New York State Legislature](/wiki/New_York_State_Legislature "New York State Legislature") to put the elevators out of fare control, but these failed in committee. The NYCTA agreed once [Joseph Zaretzki](/wiki/Joseph_Zaretzki "Joseph Zaretzki"), the local State Senator, requested the change.

During the 1970s, the NYCTA attempted to eliminate the elevator attendants at this station once the elevators become automatic, but was not able to do so as a state law was passed by the urging of local politicians that required them to stay on the job. For four months during 1999, the station was closed while repairs were made to the elevators.

#### 2000s to present

Several of the elevators in the station are staffed by elevator attendants, who are also employed at four other [deep\-level](/wiki/Deep_level_underground "Deep level underground") stations in Washington Heights. The elevator attendants are intended to reassure passengers, as the elevators are the only entrance to the platforms, and passengers often wait for the elevators with an attendant. The attendants at the five stations are primarily maintenance and cleaning workers who suffered injuries that made it hard for them to continue doing their original jobs. Riders of the 181st Street station have connected with the station's elevator attendants. For instance, in 2000, one elevator attendant put up images of popular jazz musicians while playing jazz music. The [Metropolitan Transportation Authority](/wiki/Metropolitan_Transportation_Authority "Metropolitan Transportation Authority") (MTA) ordered the posters removed, but 300 residents protested their removal. The elevator attendants have been known to attempt to cheer up commuters by playing music. A 2003 *New York Times* article stated that one operator played [calypso music](/wiki/Calypso_music "Calypso music") and [merengue music](/wiki/Merengue_music "Merengue music") from a portable CD player, and that "on occasion a dour\-faced occupant will execute a brief tap or samba step on the way out".

In July 2003, to reduce costs, the MTA announced that as part of its 2004 budget it would eliminate 22 elevator operator positions at the 181st Street station and four others in Washington Heights, leaving one full\-time operator per station. The agency had intended to remove all the attendants at these stops, but kept one in each station after many riders protested. In addition, the MTA began operating all elevators at all times; prior to the change, each elevator only operated if it was staffed by an elevator operator. The change took effect on January 20, 2004, and was expected to save $1\.15 million () a year.

In November 2007, the MTA proposed savings cuts to help reduce the agency's deficit. As part of the plan, all elevator operators at 181st Street, along with those in four other stations in Washington Heights, would have been cut. MTA employees had joined riders in worrying about an increase in crime as a result of the cuts after an elevator operator at [181st Street on the Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line](/wiki/181st_Street_station_%28IRT_Broadway%E2%80%93Seventh_Avenue_Line%29 "181st Street station (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)") helped save a stabbed passenger. The move was intended to save $1\.7 million a year. However, on December 7, 2007, the MTA announced that it would not remove the remaining elevator operators at these stations, due to pushback from elected officials and residents from the area. In October 2018, the MTA once again proposed removing the elevator operators at the five stations, but this was reversed after dissent from the Transport Workers' Union. The MTA again suggested reassigning elevator operators to station\-cleaner positions in June 2023, prompting local politicians to sue to prevent the operators' reassignments.

The station's elevators closed for replacement on August 3, 2019, and reopened almost exactly a year later on August 2, 2020\. The elevators that were replaced had been in service since the early 1930s, while the new elevators contained wider doors to allow for faster passenger entry and exit. During the replacement, the station remained open via the exits to 181st Street and Overlook Terrace.

As part of the MTA's 2020–2024 Capital Program, the 181st Street station was selected to receive elevators between the platforms and mezzanine as part of a process to expand the [New York City Subway system's accessibility](/wiki/Accessibility_of_the_Metropolitan_Transportation_Authority "Accessibility of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority"). By February 2021, funding had been committed to accessibility renovations at the 181st Street station. In December 2021, the MTA awarded a contract for the installation of elevators at eight stations, including the 181st Street station. , work on the ADA\-accessible elevators was scheduled to begin in September 2022; at the time, the project was scheduled to be completed in June 2023\. The platform elevators were eventually opened on December 7, 2023\.


How did one elevator attendant try to cheer up commuters in 2000?