181st St. Train Station Reopens After Year-Long Construction

The 181st St. 1 train station in Washington Heights reopened on Wednesday, Dec. 1, according to a press statement from the MTA, after it was closed in December 2020 due to elevator replacement work. 

The station, roughly three blocks away from Wilf Campus, is used extensively by students from both campuses. Other stations near Wilf Campus include the 181st St. A train and the 191st St. 1 train.

According to the MTA, the replacement work was intended to be undertaken between March 2021 and March 2022. However, due to the completion of elevators at the 191st St. station earlier than scheduled, the project was accelerated to take advantage of lower ridership levels due to the pandemic.

Besides station improvements, the four elevators, over 80 years old, have been replaced and updated with new technology. Additionally, an MTA spokesperson told The Commentator that a previously unused elevator lobby has been opened, providing direct access to the northbound platform.

Students were excited about the news. Noa Berman (SCW ‘23) told The Commentator, “I think it's great to have another station near the uptown campus open.” 

Shai Rosalimsky (SSSB ‘23) said, “By having the station open, I can spend more time on getting to where I need to get to, and less time figuring out how to get there most efficiently.”

Two days after students were informed about the reopening of 181st St.’s reopening, Assistant Dean of Students Sara Asher emailed students that Wilf Campus’ local shuttle would also resume for the first time since the pandemic’s start. It will run Sunday through Thursday from 3 - 11 p.m. Authorized pick-up and drop-off locations include near the 1 train at St. Nicholas Ave. & West 182nd St., near the A train and No. 4 bus at West 184th St. & Overlook Terrace and the George Washington Bridge Bus Terminal at Ft. Washington Ave. & 179th St. Students can inquire about the shuttle by calling security or speaking to security guards. 

The local shuttle at Beren Campus resumed on Nov. 19 after multiple reports of students being accosted on the street. 

A week after that initial email, on Wednesday, Dec. 8, the university emailed students announcing that intercampus shuttle hours would be extended with an extra shuttle from Beren to Wilf at 11:30 p.m. and one from Wilf to Beren at 12:30 a.m.

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Photo Caption: 181st St. Subway Station

Photo Credit: The Commentator