NEW YORK - The 181st Street "A" train station in Washington Heights has three brand new elevators.

The three high-capacity elevators replace the original ones that had been in service since the 1930's.

They have wider doors and provide access between the lower mezzanine near the platform and the upper mezzanine at Fort Washington Avenue.

That means passengers no longer have to walk up stairs that are eight stories high or walk seven blocks to the next station.

"Sometimes when you're on Broadway, you just cut through here to get off on Washington. but we have to walk all the way around these long blocks and up the hill," said one passenger.

"I feel very happy. It makes the commute a lot easier. The elevators are nice. They're clean. Everything looks so well renovated," noted another excited passenger.

"Very happy that they opened on time because i was worried especially for the older people that couldn't travel that often. and especially this neighborhood it's a lot of elderly people that cannot travel a lot. i could travel but i'm glad that i don't have to make a long walk traveling anymore," added a third passenger.

The work began last August and finished on time despite the pandemic.