With a little more than a quarter of the subway system currently accessible, the MTA and the city are teaming up to encourage developers to build more elevators. They want to do it with changes to the zoning code.

The plan has two parts. First, a rule change would require developers adjacent to a subway station to first meet with the MTA before finalizing their plans to see if the project may need to save space for a future elevator.

Second, they want to increase an existing incentive for developers to add elevators, by letting them add 20 percent more space.

Kathy Wylde, CEO for the Partnership for New York City, says this can work if the MTA streamlines its approval process; if not, it will be difficult to demand more from developers already facing an uncertain economic future. The plan requires city council and the city planning commission's approval.