$686 Million to Fix America's Inaccessible Train Stations — And the Next Round Opens Now

Nearly a thousand rail transit stations in the United States cannot be used by someone in a wheelchair. Over three decades after the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, 981 of America's 3,726 rail stations lack full ADA compliance. In cities like New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Boston — cities that built their subway systems a century ago — nearly half of all stations remain inaccessible. Getting on a train should not require the ability to climb stairs, but for millions of Americans, it does.

The Federal Transit Administration is now putting serious money toward fixing that. The All Stations Accessibility Program — ASAP — has $686 million available for FY 2026, with applications due May 1, 2026. This is the program's latest round under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which authorized $1.75 billion through 2026 specifically for making legacy rail stations accessible.

If your transit agency operates pre-1990 rail infrastructure with ADA compliance gaps, this is the single largest dedicated funding source available. And based on the inaugural round, there is a clear pattern in what wins.

What the First Round Tells Us

The inaugural ASAP awards, announced in early 2025, distributed $686 million across 15 projects in 11 transit systems. The allocation reveals FTA's priorities with remarkable clarity.

New York's MTA received the largest share: $254 million for four subway stations in Brooklyn and the Bronx — Myrtle Avenue, Norwood Avenue, Avenue I, and Burnside Avenue. The scope is comprehensive: elevator installation, platform gap reduction, tactile warning strips, fare gate modifications, and handrail improvements. New York's subway, where only about a quarter of stations have elevators, represents the most concentrated accessibility failure in the country.

Chicago's CTA received $118 million for three stations built more than 50 years ago — Irving Park, Belmont, and Pulaski. The work includes elevators, ramp upgrades, enhanced signage, and station rehabilitation. Metra, the regional commuter rail authority, received an additional $66.6 million for two suburban stations.

Boston's MBTA received $66.6 million for Symphony Station, a Green Line stop constructed in 1941 that was the last inaccessible underground station in downtown Boston. The project includes elevator installation, platform-level boarding modifications, and vertical circulation improvements.

SEPTA in Philadelphia received $56 million for six stations across the Market-Frankford and Broad Street lines — early 20th-century infrastructure that has never been fully retrofitted for wheelchair access.

NJ Transit received $34.1 million across multiple projects: $18.2 million for Pascack Valley Line stations, $14.5 million for Bradley Beach station, and $1.4 million for design studies at Chatham and Orange stations.

Smaller but telling awards went to Pittsburgh Regional Transit ($28.4 million for four Red Line stations with level boarding platforms), Connecticut DOT ($29.6 million for three Metro-North Waterbury Branch stations), Seattle ($15 million for the Seattle Center Monorail Station), Greater Cleveland RTA ($8 million for the East 79th Street light-rail station, a structure dating to the 1920s), Maryland DOT ($7.1 million for Martin Airport station planning), and PATH ($1.6 million for a study of four Hudson River crossing stations).

Reading Between the Lines

Several patterns emerge from the first round that should inform every new application.

Elevator installation dominates. In nearly every awarded project, the core accessibility improvement is adding elevators to stations that were built before vertical access was a design requirement. If your station lacks elevators, that is the anchor of your application. FTA has made clear that vertical circulation is the single most impactful accessibility investment.

Planning-only awards are viable but small. PATH received $1.6 million and Maryland DOT received $7.1 million for studies and planning. FTA accepts applications for design and engineering work that will lead to future construction. This is important for agencies that are not yet shovel-ready: you can enter the ASAP pipeline with a planning grant and return for construction funding in a future round.

The demand far exceeds the supply. The inaugural round received $905 million in requests against $686 million available. FTA funded about 75% of what was requested, but many applications were not funded. This is a competitive program, not formula funding. The quality of your application matters.

Legacy systems get priority. Every major award went to transit infrastructure built before 1990. This is by design — ASAP was created specifically for legacy systems where ADA compliance was never part of the original construction. Newer systems that were built to ADA standards but have since fallen out of compliance may be eligible, but they will compete at a disadvantage against century-old subway stations that have never had an elevator.

Geographic diversity matters. Awards spanned the Northeast, Midwest, Pacific Northwest, and mid-Atlantic. FTA distributed funding across regions rather than concentrating it in the largest cities. Smaller transit agencies in Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Connecticut competed successfully against the mega-agencies.

Who Is Eligible

ASAP eligibility is limited to entities that operate rail fixed guideway public transportation systems — which means subway, light rail, commuter rail, and similar rail-based transit. Bus-only agencies are not eligible. The system must have been in revenue service before the effective date of the ADA, meaning the station was built or substantially modified before January 26, 1992.

Eligible applicants include:

• State and local government transit authorities (the most common applicant type)
• State DOTs that operate or fund rail transit
• Public agencies responsible for rail transit operations

Notably, private rail operators are generally not eligible unless they operate as part of a public transit system. Amtrak stations, freight rail facilities, and intercity rail are outside the program's scope.

What FTA Will Fund

The scope of eligible activities is broader than most applicants realize. ASAP covers capital projects to upgrade rail station accessibility, including:

• Elevators and escalators — the cornerstone investment for most projects
• Ramps and accessible pathways — including connections between station platforms and street level
• Platform modifications — raising platforms, reducing platform-to-train gaps, and installing level boarding systems
• Tactile warning strips and detectable surfaces — Braille signage, truncated domes at platform edges
• Accessible fare collection — widening fare gates, adding accessible turnstiles, upgrading ticket machines
• Wayfinding and communication systems — visual and audio announcements, digital signage, hearing loops
• Accessible parking and drop-off areas — reconfiguring station access points
• Station lighting and safety improvements — when directly connected to accessibility upgrades

Planning, design, and engineering costs are eligible, either as standalone projects or as components of larger construction applications. Environmental review costs can also be included.

The Match Requirement

ASAP grants cover up to 80% of eligible project costs, requiring a 20% local match. This is standard for FTA capital grants and consistent with most federal transit programs. The local match can come from state funds, local appropriations, or other non-federal sources. In-kind contributions may be eligible but should be documented carefully.

For the planning-only applications, the 80/20 split still applies. A $2 million design study would require $400,000 in local match.

Some transit agencies have found creative approaches to the match requirement. State-level accessibility mandates — like New York's commitment to making all subway stations accessible by 2055 — can provide political support for dedicating state capital funds as local match. Agencies that can demonstrate committed state or local funding for their accessibility programs are stronger applicants.

How to Win: Application Strategy

Based on the first round results and the program's evaluation criteria, here is what distinguishes competitive applications.

Lead with the accessibility gap. Quantify how many of your stations are non-compliant. Describe the specific barriers: no elevator, platform gaps too wide for wheelchairs, no detectable warning surfaces, no accessible fare gates. Use data from your ADA transition plan if you have one. If you do not have an ADA transition plan, that is itself an argument for a planning grant.

Show the ridership impact. FTA evaluates projects partly on how many people benefit. A station serving 15,000 daily riders that lacks elevators is a stronger candidate than a station serving 500. But do not ignore low-ridership stations entirely — FTA also considers equity, and a station in a low-income neighborhood with high disability rates can make a powerful case even at modest ridership.

Demonstrate project readiness. The inaugural round heavily favored projects with completed design work, environmental clearances, or at minimum a clear construction timeline. If your project is not shovel-ready, explain exactly where it stands in the design pipeline and what it would take to reach construction. A three-year timeline from award to groundbreaking is reasonable. A ten-year timeline is not competitive.

Connect to the community. FTA looks for evidence of community engagement — public meetings, disability advisory committee input, partnerships with disability advocacy organizations. The strongest applications describe how the local disability community was involved in identifying priority stations and designing solutions.

Address operations and maintenance. Elevators break. This is a known problem in transit systems worldwide, and FTA is aware that installing an elevator that is out of service 30% of the time does not solve the accessibility problem. Discuss your maintenance plan, your staffing for elevator monitoring, and your track record with existing accessible infrastructure.

The Broader Stakes

The All Stations Accessibility Program exists because the market failed. Private investment will not make a 1920s subway station accessible. The revenue from additional riders who gain access does not cover the construction cost of an elevator shaft through 40 feet of bedrock. This is a problem that only public funding can solve, and for 30 years, public funding was inadequate.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law changed the calculus by creating a dedicated program with $1.75 billion in authorization. ASAP is not a one-time pot of money — it represents a sustained federal commitment to transit accessibility that will likely continue beyond its current authorization. Agencies that build relationships with FTA through early rounds will be well-positioned for future funding, regardless of which administration occupies the White House.

For transit agencies that have not yet applied, the FY 2026 round is the opportunity. Applications close May 1, 2026, and proposals must be submitted through Grants.gov. The Federal Register notice published March 2 provides the complete application requirements. For questions, contact the FTA Office of Program Management at (202) 366-2053.

The 981 inaccessible stations in America represent a civil rights failure that has persisted for a generation. The money to fix them is now on the table. The question is which agencies will move fast enough to claim it — and tools like Granted can help transit agencies identify this and other infrastructure funding opportunities before deadlines close.