Elevator and escalator outages

Every MTA elevator and escalator outage, with each change to it, since October 2026.

Rows: 325
Size: 15.9 KB
Covers: October 2026 onward
Updated: Daily
Source: MTA elevator and escalator feed
License: CC BY 4.0

Fileshttps://data.transitlab.nyc/v1/elevator_outages/year=YYYY/month=MM/YYYY-MM.parquetOne file a month. In the database as transitlab.elevator_outages.

Rows and size from catalog.json, 2026-10-06.

What a row is

One change to one outage: it started, its details changed (say, a new estimated return), or it ended. event = 'removed' means the outage left the MTA’s list, which usually means the machine is back. event otherwise works as for bus positions.

Query it

-- Elevators on accessible routes that went out of service in the last week, and for how long
WITH spans AS (
  SELECT equipment, station, lines, outage_start,
         min(observed_at) AS first_seen,
         max(observed_at) FILTER (WHERE event = 'removed') AS back
  FROM transitlab.elevator_outages
  WHERE equipment_type = 'EL' AND ada AND NOT is_upcoming
  GROUP BY ALL
)
SELECT *, date_diff('hour', first_seen, coalesce(back, now())) AS hours
FROM spans
WHERE first_seen >= now() - INTERVAL 7 DAY
ORDER BY hours DESC;

Columns

row_idvarchar

Stable ID of the row. If a row appears twice, keep one.

observed_attimestamp

When we fetched the feed snapshot this row came from (UTC).

eventvarchar

baseline, added, changed or removed. See reading change events.

equipmentvarchar

MTA equipment number, e.g. EL123.

stationvarchar

Station name.

boroughvarchar

Borough.

linesvarchar

Lines that stop there.

equipment_typevarchar

EL (elevator) or ES (escalator).

servingvarchar

What it connects, e.g. street to mezzanine.

adaboolean

True if it is on the station's accessible route.

outage_startvarchar

When the outage began, as the MTA gives it.

estimated_returnvarchar

When the MTA expects it back, as given.

reasonvarchar

Reason, e.g. Repair.

is_upcomingboolean

True for planned outages not yet begun.

is_maintenanceboolean

True for maintenance outages.

content_hashvarchar

Changes whenever the outage record changes.

Good to know

Planned outages appear early, with is_upcoming true, before they start.
outage_start and estimated_return are text as the MTA gives them; parse them with strptime if you need times.
Elevators and escalators lists every machine, out of service or not.