Accessibility Improvements

• (Former) Access Advisory Committee to the T (AACT)
• Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL)
• Daniels-Finegold vs. MBTA Plaintiffs
• Disability Policy Consortium (DPC)
• Greater Boston Legal Services (GBLS)
• Massachusetts Office on Disability (MOD)
• Mass Senior Action Council (MSAC)
• Massachusetts Institute for Technology (MIT)
• Riders’ Transportation Access Group (R-TAG)
• Transportation for Massachusetts (T4MA)
• WalkBoston

In 2017 and 2018, we collected data on all bus stops to identify accessibility barriers, such as unusable curb ramps and narrow or uneven sidewalks. We found that 84% of stops had at least one barrier within the stop or on the path to the nearest crosswalk. For example:

• 20% had sidewalks narrower than four feet wide for the full length of the stop
• 6% had sidewalks narrower than 36 inches
• 18% had landing pads too narrow to allow a bus ramp to easily deploy
• 14% were located near crossings with missing curb ramps

To identify priorities for each stop, we grouped them into four categories:

• Critical (3%): These stops were fundamentally inaccessible, with no curb ramp or access to or from the stop—riders using wheeled mobility devices had no choice but to board or exit from the street
• High priority (9%): These stops had two or more significant access barriers within or between the stop and the nearest crossing
• Medium priority (75%): These stops had one significant access barrier
• Low priority (13%): These stops had negligible or no barriers

Please note that if any obstacles are present at a bus stop, our operators are trained to stop the bus at a nearby accessible location.

We identified 280 critical stops. 99 of which were permanently closed due to extremely low ridership, and roughly 181 that needed complete reconstruction to be made accessible.

By mid-2023, construction on 102 stops has been completed. The remaining 29 critical stops are either under design or will be addressed as part of upcoming municipal projects. Progress has been temporarily paused at the remaining 50 stops while issues related to property abutters and/or easements are negotiated and resolved.

We have also made progress on addressing the high-priority stops:

• As of mid-2023, approximately 141 high-priority stops had been reconstructed or were under construction, and another 150 are under design.
• Additional stops will undergo continuous review as other infrastructure upgrades move forward. Accessibility improvements are one of the many components of the Better Bus Project.

It’s important to note that the vast majority of MBTA bus stops are located on municipal or privately owned sidewalks. That’s why our plan also includes sharing the data we’ve collected with cities and towns, so they can help remove remaining access barriers from stops across the network.

The Green Line is the oldest branch of the T, and one of the most challenging parts of the system to make fully accessible. Some street-level stations are along major roadways, and renovating platforms for accessibility at these locations requires significant collaboration with the City of Boston and other stakeholders.
 
Minor-to-moderate barriers also exist, such as heavy station doors and broken sidewalks.

Although all Orange Line stations are accessible, minor-to-moderate accessibility barriers still exist, such as heavy station doors and broken sidewalks.

• Construct new, secondary elevators at key locations and modernize select existing elevators
• Resolve minor-to-moderate barriers throughout the system

Since Wollaston station reopened in August 2019, all Red Line stations have been accessible. However, minor-to-moderate accessibility barriers still exist, such as heavy doors and broken sidewalks.

• Construct new, secondary elevators at key locations and modernize select existing elevators
• Resolve minor-to-moderate barriers throughout the system

Bowdoin is the only inaccessible station on the Blue Line. Though the other 11 Blue Line stations are accessible, minor-to-moderate accessibility barriers still exist, such as heavy station doors and broken sidewalks.

• Construct new, secondary elevators at key locations and modernize select existing elevators
• Resolve minor-to-moderate barriers throughout the system

Valley Road is the only inaccessible station on the Mattapan Line. Although, a number of minor-to-moderate barriers exist throughout all the stations on the line, including deteriorating sidewalks and curb ramps. 

We are in the process of procuring a design firm with the goal of rebuilding the Mattapan Line to make it more reliable and fully accessible. Once we receive the Type 10 cars being manufactured for the Green Line, several existing Green Line cars will replace existing Mattapan trolleys.

Commuter Rail trains are accessed via full-high and mini-high platforms that allow for level boarding. Just over 30 stations do not have raised platforms and are inaccessible.

• Renovate highest priority stations to provide level boarding and full accessibility
• Repair mini-high platforms as needed and install all missing tactile warnings system-wide