Elevator access for this station had been proposed for the late 2010s. However, the installation of elevators was delayed due to a column replacement project above this section of the Fourth Avenue Line. Both the column replacement and the elevator installation required temporary lane closures on Fourth Avenue, a major artery. An elevator contract was supposed to be awarded in November 2016, but was pushed back to July 2018. A $55.2 million contract for the installation of three elevators at the 59th Street station was awarded in late 2018. Substantial completion was expected in July 2020, but the project was delayed and the elevators opened on November 6, 2020.