MBTA: Improving Accessibility

Posted by Gary Talbot

MBTA Assistant General Manager, System-Wide Accessibility

When it comes to providing accessible service, the MBTA has a lot to feel good about.

Since entering into a landmark settlement agreement with the Boston Center for Independent Living (BCIL) in 2006, significant improvements to accessibility have been made.  To name just a few:

Over 300 new low-floor buses are now in service; elevator uptime has consistently exceeded 99%; dual-mode signs have been placed in stations and on some vehicles; trainings for all staff have been enhanced; and emergency evacuation equipment, specifically designed for customers with disabilities, have been purchased.

And this is truly just the beginning.  We fully recognize that there is tremendous work ahead.  Luckily, executive management support for accessibility initiatives has never been stronger and, along with your
continued support and engagement, we will have every opportunity to build on our recent successes and achieve our goal of becoming the global benchmark for accessible and inclusive public transportation.

Please visit our website and learn more about MBTA's commitment to accessible transportation. 

Comments

[John Mc]

So tell my why one of those huge manual wheelchair lifts is blocking the platform at Arlington, even after we spend $83 mil to put elevators in the station, raise the platforms, and have $100 mil of low floor cars running in the system?
=============================================MBTA Responds: Great question. The piece of equipment you’re describing is called a mobile lift and was designed in order to enable customers using wheeled mobility devices (wheelchairs, scooters, etc.) to board the high-floor Green Line train cars. While many train sets running on the Green Line today include one new low-floor train car, some do not. Therefore, mobile lifts are still required at Green Line stations to ensure that all customers have access to our vehicles.