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Symphony and Wollaston next stations to get elevators
By adamg on Thu, 05/06/2010 - 2:11pm
The Massachusetts Department of Transportation yesterday approved a $3.3-million contract to design elevators and other improvements to Symphony on the Green Line and Wollaston on the Red Line to make them more accessible to the disabled.
The 18-month contract with SEA Consultants will also include studying the possibility of installing elevators at Hynes on the Green Line. In addition to figuring out how and where to install elevators, SEA will design related elements at Symphony and Wollaston, such as accessible paths between the elevators and platforms and better signage and warning systems. Wollaston will also get a new drainage system to reduce the odds of flooding in the station lobby. Part of the contract also includes designing new restrooms for employees at the stations.
In a separate vote, the MassDOT board yesterday restored funding to design new elevator systems at Harvard, Park Street and Central stations. The T is required to improve elevator access at these stations as part of a 2006 lawsuit settlement with the Boston Center for Independent Living.
At Harvard, the project will require the T to purchase some land for the elevators. At Park Street, the city of Boston has to grant an easement to allow work under the Common.
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Comments
Awesome!
that is terrific news. it'll be great to have elevators at Symphony
Symphony makes a lot of sense
Symphony is really a good call for elevator access. Aside from serving several cultural institutions (Symphony Hall, the Huntington, NEC, Mother Church), I'm pretty sure one of the high-rise apartments in the area caters to residents who use wheelchairs. Not entirely sure what the deal is, but if you work in the area, you realize there is high number of individuals in wheelchairs around.
But gosh, how they are they going to retrofit those in? It may require duel elevators since the Outbound/Inbound sides aren't connected and would be tough to connect. But while the Inbound stop seems to have room to house an elevator, the Outbound side is right up against a historic building on either side of the street. After the Copley debacle, I can't imagine the BSO feeling very at ease with them tearing up the street a couple feet from Symphony Hall. At least the Organ's on the other side of the building this time.
Why Symphony and not Hynes?
I understand the need for access at Symphony, but surely there's even more need at much busier Hynes station up the road?
Symphony is just two short blocks from the fully accessible Mass. Ave. station on the parallel Orange LIne.
Hynes
take a good look around Hynes Station next time you are there. where could they possibly put ADA-sized elevators at that station? there's just no room. the T would have to buy property from an abutter on Newbury Street. can you imagine how much that would cost?
Use the closed Boylston Street entrance
that's where I'd try to put such elevators.
Per the MBTA Board of
Per the MBTA Board of Directors agenda, Hynes is included in the engineering contract:
6. Authorization for the execution of MBTA Contract No. A46PS01, Accessibility Upgrades at Symphony, Hynes and Wollaston Stations, with SEA Consultants, for a sum not to exceed $3,323,850.
Right, but not to the extent of Symphony and Wollaston
Hynes gets preliminary plans, basically, while Symphony and Wollaston get something that could be handed over to a construction company.
What MassDOT directors voted on.
Speaking of the closed Boylston Street entrance
Other stations, e.g. Kendall, operate with unstaffed entrances at one end of the platform. There must be a sensible explanation as to why it's not even available as an exit for the convenience for customers heading down Boylston.
Im hoping that the MBTA is
Im hoping that the MBTA is waiting for the proposed construction over that entrance to start, and then force the company to add elevators as part of the deal (and have the entrance be open all the time)
Thats the only reason I can think of for Hynes being the last green line station in line for a redo (not counting the historically protected boylston).
Also, another possible location for an elevator is by the OTHER closed entrance, the bus shelter across the street. Lots of room over there.
There's a closed entrance by
There's a closed entrance by the bus shelter? Wow, would that be awesome to reopen. I wonder how many people get hit while crossing in the middle of Mass Ave between the bus stop and the station entrance.
There's another entrance?
I also haven't seen this entrance. It must be well-covered by now...I'm also curious how it gets down to the next level, what with the highway and all.
As to the Boylston entrance, I still can't figure out why they don't re-open that. If nothing else, it could help alleviate the clusterfrick on Mass. Ave where the throngs waiting for the
1 busten 1 buses that arrive all at once block the entrance on about three inches of sidewalk (as passing runners huff and roll their eyes when passengers don't get out of their way as they wait to board). I could have sworn it was open a year or two ago...anyway, I agree with Ron, it would be an ideal place to add some sort of accessibility (although it wouldn't help in getting down to the platform).The T already owns property
The T already owns property on Newbury, just around the corner from the old Tower Records building. There are two walled up trolley entrances there, now decorated with murals. I have no idea if they would be suitable for creating elevator access, though.