By Gus Saltonstall
The escalators at the 59th Street-Columbus Circle station are at least partially back in service after a closure that lasted more than a year.
On Tuesday morning, at least one of the two escalators at the Upper West Side train station was reopened to riders.
The two escalators had been out of service since the summer of 2024 due to structural damage involving the ceiling above the equipment, which was first constructed in the 1950s.
The outage meant that locals who used the station each week Monday through Friday have had to add an extra 440 stairs a week to their commute, as previously outlined by CBS. The Columbus Circle station has nearly 50,000 people use the stop each weekday, according to data from the MTA.
The station services the 1, A, B, C, and D lines.
The MTA’s dedicated “Elevator & Escalator Status” page previously stated that the escalators at the West 59th Street station would reopen by November 30, but the location no longer appears on the website, indicating that the escalators are back in operation.
It also means that the escalators are back up and running in time for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade on November 27, when hundreds of thousands of people will visit the neighborhood to watch the procession.
Please let us know in the comments if you happen to visit the station in the coming days, and see both escalators up and running.
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Work at the speed of government.
The subway escalator in Jackson Heights / 74th street station breaks down occasionally but it’s usually fixed in less than 24 hours.
The work was being done by the building owner, not the MTA.
Ah, if only the working escalators had come back as rapidly as the East Wing of the WH went away….
?? So is one escalator in service, or both?
Bets on how soon one or both will be out of service?
MTA also shut down the elevator there.
What is the story behind the grates that are being installed on subway platforms? Also, why are they only on half of each platform?
I assume you mean gates. They are designed to provide physical support to stand near the platform but are open where the train’s doors land. On the numbered lines, all the subway cars have their doors in the same position. On the lettered lines, there are still two types of cars and their doors do not land in the same spots so they need much more open (no gate) space to allow for all door placement. The gates only exist between where the doors open because they are immobile. Again, if you want to stand next to the platform, position yourself at one of the gates and you will be much more difficult to push off the platform.
I figured that. But why are they only on half of the platforms?
A year and a half to open half an escalator. Terrible.
It was necessary to be extra cautious given the large number of New Yorkers who might be trapped on an escalator if it suddenly stopped running.
It’s actually been way longer than summer of 24 that these escalators have been out of service. The MTA website repeatedly posted completion dates that never happened. There are simply no excuses except incompetence.
As noted above, the work was being done by the building owner, not the MTA.
Great to hear after recently experiencing the commute-hour squeeze up the east-side stairwell; a very crowded space to share with everyone apparently late for work.
For what it’s worth, according to Deutsche Bank Center, the escalators weren’t the main problem. What slowed the progress so much was structural damage to the ceiling above that area ~ water had infiltrated the concrete slab above the escalators. Glad they took an extra minute if it ensured that problem was solved!
Escalators are vital for many, but most people should do the stairs. There was a time when no one needed a gym membership because of all the walking and stairs.
Thanks. Can you come inspect my refrigerator to be sure that I’m eating the way you think I should be eating, too?
was there tonight and it was still closed off…. ?