Escalator outage at NYC's Columbus Circle subway stop expected to last until November

Two escalators at the Columbus Circle subway stop in Manhattan have been out of service for almost a year and likely won't reopen until the end of 2025.

The 59th Street-Columbus Circle station is one of the most popular stops for the 3.6 million people who officials say ride the New York City subway daily, so it's a surprise to many that its main escalators have been out of commission since the summer of 2024, forcing an overflow of subway riders to the stairs.  

CBS News New York first reported on the outage last year.

Repairs needed to ceiling above escalators, officials say

The MTA says the escalators are part of a privately maintained entrance operated by the Deutsche Bank Center.

Officials with the Deutsche Bank Center said the escalators are not the issue; it's structural damage to the ceiling above, which dates back to the original 1950s subway entrance.

"Over the decades, water infiltrated that concrete slab and we are in the process of replacing it," a Deutsche Bank Center spokesperson said in a statement.

Deutsche Bank Center officials say they have weekly meetings with the MTA about this problem and they hope to complete the most critical work by the end of the year.  

Back in October, Interim MTA President Demetrious Crichlow told CBS News New York the agency planned to "keep their feet to the fire."

"It reflects poorly on us," he said at the time.

New York City Transit did not issue a statement when asked for this story.

"It's just the worst"

New Yorkers who spoke to CBS News New York say climbing those three flights of stairs is the most dreaded part of their commute.

"I think that they should really get that together," Harlem resident Teshia Carlisle said.

"It's a pain in the buttocks," Bronx resident Dale Smith said.

There is an elevator, but commuters like Paul Gregory, who walks with a cane, says it's constantly overcrowded.

"Having to wait as long as one does for this elevator ... very inconvenient," he said.

Sara Lynch, 75, says it's been an ongoing struggle for her.

"It's just the worst because I need a knee replacement. It's very difficult," she said.

New Yorkers want the MTA to make sure Deutsche Bank Center actually completes the repairs.

"The MTA should pressure them ... It's access for everybody," Upper West Side resident Deborah Assael said.

For commuters who climb those stairs five days a week, it adds up to 440 stairs every week, or walking almost a quarter of a mile.