MBTA accessibility
Encyclopedia
Physical accessibility
on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
(MBTA or "the T") system is incomplete but improving, with accessibility on all buses (including the Silver Line
), all Orange Line
stations, all but 2 Red Line
stations, and all but 2 Blue Line
stations. As is true for most mass transit systems, much of the Boston subway and commuter rail
lines were built before wheelchair
access was a requirement
. The Boston system underwent significant expansion in the 1980s and 1990s, and all the new facilities are ADA
compliant. The MBTA has also refurbished many stations, and these too are accessible. More improvements are in progress or expected as part of planned construction.
In addition, on April 4, 2006 the MBTA announced the settlement of a class-action lawsuit, Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA, under which "the T will undertake major improvements in equipment, facilities and services that promise to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities while improving service for all T passengers. ...approximately $310 million in funds will be programmed into the T's Capital Investment Program to improve services and infrastructure."
Accessibility on the T generally means that some combination of elevators and wheelchair ramps connect the street and station platform. The MBTA provides recorded elevator, wheelchair lift and escalator status updates by telephone: 1-617-222-2828 or 1-800-392-6100; in case of questions that are not answered by the recorded telephone service, customer service representatives are available at 617-222-3200.
See individual station articles for more information.
s but a few have island platform
s. The latter make it easier for wheelchair passengers to reverse direction, either because they missed a stop, or because the elevator on one side of a station is out of service. Some of these stations are not accessible to wheelchair users wishing to leave or enter them. Center island MBTA subway stations are:
Blue Line
Green Line
Orange Line
Red Line
The T also has paratransit
program, called The Ride which provides lift-equipped vans to transport people who cannot use general public transportation because of a physical, cognitive or mental disability, including those who use wheelchairs.
are allowed on the T during all hours of operation, but must be kept under control at all times. No certification is required, nor is the animal expected to wear a special harness, scarf or other identifying markings."
Most, but not all, train stations have yellow detectable warning strips with truncated domes running in a two-foot (60 cm) band along the edge of the platforms.
Buses and trains are supposed to have either recorded announcements or driver announcements of station stops, but these announcements are often muffled, inaudible, or omitted, particularly on the Green Line and buses. The Red Line's "01800" series of trains have become infamous for their tendency to announce incorrect stops.
The MBTA says it has reviewed its web site, http://www.mbta.com, using "the United States Section 508 guidelines and WCAG
double AA guidelines, ... and made all required accommodations to help ensure that the site is accessible by users who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers or other input mechanisms."
Accessibility
Accessibility is a general term used to describe the degree to which a product, device, service, or environment is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity...
on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, often referred to as the MBTA or simply The T, is the public operator of most bus, subway, commuter rail and ferry systems in the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. Officially a "body politic and corporate, and a political subdivision" of the...
(MBTA or "the T") system is incomplete but improving, with accessibility on all buses (including the Silver Line
Silver Line (MBTA)
The Silver Line is the only bus rapid transit line currently operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority . It operates in two sections; the first runs from Dudley Square in Roxbury to downtown Boston, Massachusetts and South Station, mostly via Washington Street, with buses...
), all Orange Line
Orange Line (MBTA)
The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
stations, all but 2 Red Line
Red Line (MBTA)
The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
stations, and all but 2 Blue Line
Blue Line (MBTA)
The Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Downtown, East Boston and the North Shore. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
stations. As is true for most mass transit systems, much of the Boston subway and commuter rail
MBTA Commuter Rail
The MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
lines were built before wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
access was a requirement
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
. The Boston system underwent significant expansion in the 1980s and 1990s, and all the new facilities are ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
compliant. The MBTA has also refurbished many stations, and these too are accessible. More improvements are in progress or expected as part of planned construction.
In addition, on April 4, 2006 the MBTA announced the settlement of a class-action lawsuit, Joanne Daniels-Finegold, et al. v. MBTA, under which "the T will undertake major improvements in equipment, facilities and services that promise to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities while improving service for all T passengers. ...approximately $310 million in funds will be programmed into the T's Capital Investment Program to improve services and infrastructure."
Accessibility on the T generally means that some combination of elevators and wheelchair ramps connect the street and station platform. The MBTA provides recorded elevator, wheelchair lift and escalator status updates by telephone: 1-617-222-2828 or 1-800-392-6100; in case of questions that are not answered by the recorded telephone service, customer service representatives are available at 617-222-3200.
Subways
- All stations on the Orange LineOrange Line (MBTA)The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
and Red LineRed Line (MBTA)The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
are accessible and all have high level platforms on the same level as train car doors, except for WollastonWollaston (MBTA station)Wollaston is a station on the Red Line of the MBTA subway at the intersection of Beale Street and Newport Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts. It serves Quincy's Wollaston neighborhood. There is an on-site 550 space parking lot...
on the Red Line proper and Valley RoadValley Road (MBTA station)Valley Road is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located on Valley Road off Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. Valley Road consists of two side platforms which serve the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line's two tracks. The station...
on the Mattapan LineAshmont-Mattapan High Speed LineThe Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line or also known as the "M-Line" in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts is considered to be part of the MBTA's Red Line, even though it uses different equipment and passengers have to change at Ashmont. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery, the line opened on...
(see below). Porter is not accessible for a year (March 2011-est. March 2012) due to elevator maintenance.
- Stations on the Blue LineBlue Line (MBTA)The Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Downtown, East Boston and the North Shore. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
are wheelchair accessible except for Government CenterGovernment Center (MBTA station)Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.-History:...
and BowdoinBowdoin (MBTA station)Bowdoin of the MBTA, is a station on the Blue Line, serving Bowdoin Square in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is currently the downtown terminus of the line, although it may close if the line is extended or after Government Center is rebuilt.-History:...
. Reconstruction of the State Street station started in 2005, including the addition of accessibility on the Bowdoin-bound (inbound) platform. As of April 2011 the project is complete and both platforms are now accessible, with only cosmetic work remaining. All Blue Line stations have high level platforms which should be on the same level as train car doors, although in a few stations, the actual alignment between the floor of the train and the station platform may be sufficiently mismatched that a wheelchair user will need to ask the train crew for assistance.
- Bowdoin was originally scheduled to be closed permanently in 2008, but has been kept open due to lack of funds for an additional entrance to Government Center that would have removed some of the need for Bowdoin. As of 2011, design work is ongoing for a complete rebuild of Government Center station, including complete wheelchair access to all platforms. Bowdoin will remain open during the Government Center rebuild, but likely will be closed permanently afterwards. For more details, see the article on Government CenterGovernment Center (MBTA station)Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.-History:...
and the Red Line Blue Line Connector project described there.
- The Green LineGreen Line (MBTA)The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
runs trolley cars, and only newer vehicles (MBTA Type 8, also called "Breda") have low-floor, wheelchair accessible entrances; these entrances are only wheelchair accessible at the minority of stations that have matching raised platforms, although a few stations that lack such platforms have been equipped with portable lifts or wayside ramps.
- The low-floor wheelchair access is by means of a bridge plateBridge plateBridge plates are used on some low-floor light rail vehicles to provide for wheelchair access. The bridge plate extends from the vehicle to the platform, which must be raised to close to the level of the floor of the vehicle so that the wheelchair need not travel over an excessively steep ramp...
that extends from the vehicle to the platform (which requires that the platform have been upgraded to match). This is much less demanding upon the operator and requires much less time than use of the portable lifts. However, it is often necessary to remind the driver of the need for the ramp to be extended when a wheelchair passenger has reached the desired destination; the blue button with the universal disabled symbol located inside near the door is for this purpose.
- Low-floor Type 8 vehicles are now running on the D branch of the Green Line (starting in December 2008), after a track upgrade to accommodate them without danger of derailment. With this upgrade, low-floor streetcar service is available on all branches of the Green Line, and all 2-car trains are supposed to contain at least one low-floor streetcar, although as noted above, this is actually usable for wheelchair access only at a minority of stations; single-car trains may still lack low-floor access, and in actual practice, occasional 2-car all-high-floor trains do run in service.
- Access to the older high-floor vehicles requires either a portable lift or a wayside ramp equipped with a bridge that can be lowered into the vehicle through one of the doors. Use of the portable lifts to load and unload wheelchair-using passengers requires considerable physical effort from the operator (usually the driver) and may require several minutes.
- The MattapanAshmont-Mattapan High Speed LineThe Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line or also known as the "M-Line" in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts is considered to be part of the MBTA's Red Line, even though it uses different equipment and passengers have to change at Ashmont. The only MBTA line to run through a cemetery, the line opened on...
portion of the Red Line run runs older, high floor PCC trolley cars. Wheelchair ramps with hinged metal bridges have been installed at each station except for Valley RoadValley Road (MBTA station)Valley Road is a station on MBTA's Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located on Valley Road off Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. Valley Road consists of two side platforms which serve the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line's two tracks. The station...
, which has a long staircase from the platform to street level, which makes the platform itself inaccessible for wheelchair users.
Commuter rail
- Of those MBTA commuter railMBTA Commuter RailThe MBTA Commuter Rail serves as the regional rail arm of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in the United States. It is operated under contract by the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad Company a joint partnership of Veolia Transportation, Bombardier Transportation and Alternate...
stations that have wheelchair access, most only have a short elevated platform that serves one or two cars. The short elevated platforms are located at the end of the station away from Boston. A few commuter rail stations do have full length high platforms. These include:- LynnLynn (MBTA station)Lynn is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. It is also a major transfer point for a number of bus lines. A parking garage is integrated into the train and bus station structure....
- North StationNorth Station (Boston)North Station is a major transportation hub located at Causeway and Nashua Streets in Boston, Massachusetts. It is one of the city's two terminals for Amtrak and MBTA commuter trains, the other being South Station...
- Providence
- Route 128Route 128 (MBTA station)Route 128 is a station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Providence/Stoughton MBTA Commuter Rail line, with inbound service to Back Bay and South Station in Boston and outbound service towards either Stoughton or TF Green Airport. It is also known as "University Park" station...
- South StationSouth Station (Boston)South Station, New England's second-largest transportation center , located at the intersection of Atlantic Avenue and Summer Street in Dewey Square, Boston, Massachusetts, is the largest train station and intercity bus terminal in Greater Boston, a prominent train station in the northeastern...
- All Greenbush Line stationsGreenbush LineThe Greenbush Line is a branch of the MBTA Commuter Rail system. The line restores service along the New Haven Railroad's Greenbush Branch, from downtown Boston, Massachusetts through the towns of Braintree, Weymouth, Hingham, Cohasset, and Scituate on the South Shore of Boston...
- Back BayBack Bay (MBTA station)Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
(all tracks except those serving the Framingham/Worcester line, which only have short elevated platforms) - Worcester
- Anderson RTCAnderson Regional Transportation CenterAnderson Regional Transportation Center is a train and bus station located at 100 Atlantic Ave., off Commerce Way in Woburn, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. It can be accessed from Exit 37C off Interstate 93 or the Washington Street exit off Interstate 95/Route 128. It opened on April 28, 2001,...
- NewburyportNewburyport (MBTA station)Newburyport is a passenger rail station on MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. The station is the terminus of the Newburyport Branch of the line...
- RowleyRowley (MBTA station)Rowley is the penultimate passenger rail station along the Newburyport Branch of MBTA Commuter Rail's Newburyport/Rockport Line. The official address is given by MBTA as 70 Railroad Avenue, although it's actually located north of Railroad Avenue between Depot Way and Oyster Pond Road...
- LawrenceLawrence (MBTA station)Lawrence Station is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Lawrence, Massachusetts. The station is located at the Senator Patricia McGovern Transportation Center on 211 Merrimack Street in the city's Gateway District...
- RugglesRuggles (MBTA station)Ruggles Station is a MBTA subway station on the Orange Line; it is also a MBTA commuter rail station serving the Providence/Stoughton, Franklin, and Needham Lines. It is located at the intersection of Ruggles and Tremont Streets, where the Roxbury neighborhood begins and borders with the nearby...
- Forest HillsForest Hills (MBTA station)Forest Hills Station is a station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in Forest Hills in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts at the intersections of Washington Street, Hyde Park Avenue, South Street, The Arborway and Morton Street.Forest Hills is the southern...
- LowellLowell (MBTA station)Lowell is a rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail system in Lowell, Massachusetts. The station forms part of the Charles A. Gallagher Transit Terminal, which also incorporates the Robert B. Kennedy Bus Transfer Center.- Terminal and services:...
(about half the platform is raised and the other half is level with the track; the raised section can serve up to 4 cars, although the train usually only pulls up far enough for access to 3 cars from the raised section)
- Lynn
See individual station articles for more information.
Center island stations
Most MBTA subway stations have side platformSide platform
A Side platform is a platform positioned to the side of a pair of tracks at a railway station, a tram stop or a transitway. A pair of side platforms are often provided on a dual track line with a single side platform being sufficient for a single track line...
s but a few have island platform
Island platform
An island platform is a station layout arrangement where a single platform is positioned between two tracks within a railway station, tram stop or transitway interchange...
s. The latter make it easier for wheelchair passengers to reverse direction, either because they missed a stop, or because the elevator on one side of a station is out of service. Some of these stations are not accessible to wheelchair users wishing to leave or enter them. Center island MBTA subway stations are:
Blue LineBlue Line (MBTA)The Blue Line is one of four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority serving Downtown, East Boston and the North Shore. It runs from northeast to southwest, extending from Wonderland station in Revere, Massachusetts to Bowdoin station near Beacon Hill in Boston...
- BowdoinBowdoin (MBTA station)Bowdoin of the MBTA, is a station on the Blue Line, serving Bowdoin Square in Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is currently the downtown terminus of the line, although it may close if the line is extended or after Government Center is rebuilt.-History:...
(currently, no elevator access is available to or from this platform, so wheelchair users can only use it to transfer between inbound and outbound trains; this station will never be modernized; it was scheduled to be closed permanently once the MBTA started to run 6-car trains on the Blue Line in 2008, but the closing has been delayed due to lack of funds to add another entrance to Government Center) - Government CenterGovernment Center (MBTA station)Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.-History:...
(currently, no elevator access is available to or from this platform, so wheelchair users can only use it to transfer between inbound and outbound trains; this station is scheduled to be rebuilt to include handicapped-accessibility within the next few years; the rebuild was originally supposed to add an entrance that would have reduced the need for Bowdoin, but no funds have been available for this addition)
Green LineGreen Line (MBTA)The Green Line is a streetcar system run by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority in the Boston, Massachusetts area of the United States. It is the oldest line of Boston's subway, which is known locally as the 'T'. The Green Line runs underground downtown and on the surface in outlying...
- North Station (inbound track: in this case, the island platform is between the Green Line and Orange LineOrange Line (MBTA)The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
inbound tracks; elevators provide access to the outbound tracks of both lines) - HaymarketHaymarket (MBTA station)Haymarket is a MBTA station on the Green and Orange lines, located at the corner of Congress and New Sudbury Street. Transfer between the Green and Orange Lines is possible here, although the adjacent North Station may be more convenient for some cross-platform transfers.Originally, the Orange...
- Government CenterGovernment Center (MBTA station)Government Center is an MBTA subway station and a transfer point between the Green Line and the Blue Line. It is located at the intersection of Tremont, Court and Cambridge Streets in the Government Center area of Boston.-History:...
(three track island: the platform is a distorted triangle between the southbound and two northbound tracks, of which one is a through track and the other is a turnaround loop that receives southbound trains from Haymarket and sends them back north; as of December 2009, this platform is not wheelchair-accessible, but a rebuild is scheduled to start within the next few years, although currently held up by a lack of funds) - Park StreetPark Street (MBTA station)Park Street is a rapid transit and light rail station of the MBTA subway system in Downtown Boston. One of the four subway hub stations, Park Street is a transfer point between the Green and Red Lines. Park Street is the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network, with an average of 19,836 entries...
(2 islands, one between the two southbound tracks and one between the two northbound tracks, the outer of which also has a side platform, connected to the island platform by an accessible grade crossing; separate elevators are available from the northbound side platform to the Red LineRed Line (MBTA)The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
island platform (see below), and from the northbound island platform to a pedestrian tunnel that has been built solely to connect Green Line passengers from one platform to the other, which is connected to the southbound platform by a third elevator; changing between the Red Line and the southbound Green Line platform without using stairs requires the use of three non-redundant elevators — that is, the failure of any one elevator would make it impossible for a wheelchair user to change from the Red Line to the southbound Green Line platform or vice versa). As of 2011, there is an ongoing construction project at Park to improve reliable wheelchair access at this important station. - KenmoreKenmore (MBTA station)Kenmore is an MBTA light rail station in the Kenmore Square area of Boston, Massachusetts, and serves the Green Line B, C, and D branches...
(2 islands, one between the two outbound tracks and one between the two inbound tracks; reconstruction of Kenmore Station started in 2005 and was completed as 2011; this station has an elevator from the lobby level to each island platform, an elevator from the lobby level to the busway, and an elevator from the lobby level to the east side of Commonwealth Avenue)
Orange LineOrange Line (MBTA)The Orange Line is one of the four subway lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. It extends from Forest Hills in Jamaica Plain, Boston in the south to Oak Grove in Malden, Massachusetts in the north. It meets the Red Line at Downtown Crossing, the Blue Line at State, and the Green...
- all stations between Oak GroveOak Grove (MBTA station)Oak Grove Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in the northern part of Malden, Massachusetts near the intersection of Winter Street and Main Street, and adjacent to the city of Melrose....
and Community CollegeCommunity College (MBTA station)Community College Station is an MBTA station on the Orange Line, located in Charlestown, Massachusetts near the intersection of Rutherford Avenue and Austin Street... - all stations between Back BayBack Bay (MBTA station)Back Bay station, located at 145 Dartmouth Street, between Stuart Street and Columbus Avenue, is a train station in the Back Bay neighborhood of Boston...
and Forest HillsForest Hills (MBTA station)Forest Hills Station is a station on the MBTA Orange Line, located in Forest Hills in the southern part of the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts at the intersections of Washington Street, Hyde Park Avenue, South Street, The Arborway and Morton Street.Forest Hills is the southern...
Red LineRed Line (MBTA)The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the MBTA running roughly north-south through Boston, Massachusetts into neighboring communities. The line begins west of Boston, in Cambridge, Massachusetts at Alewife station, near the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Route 2...
- AlewifeAlewife (MBTA station)Alewife, located at the intersection of Alewife Brook Parkway and Cambridgepark West in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is a local intermodal transportation hub. It is the northern terminus of the MBTA's Red Line, and a bus terminal for several local routes and one intercity route. It opened in 1985.The...
- DavisDavis (MBTA station)Davis Station is located at the intersection of Holland Street, Elm Street, and College Avenue , in Somerville, Massachusetts. It opened on December 8, 1984. Davis Station is named after the Davis family of Massachusetts, a political dynasty whose members, over 220 years, have held at least...
- HarvardHarvard (MBTA station)Harvard is a station on the Red Line of the MBTA subway system in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The third-busiest MBTA subway station, Harvard saw 21,868 entries each weekday in 2010, with only Downtown Crossing and South Station being busier...
(actually a hybrid island/side platform station, in which both platforms are on the west side of their respective tracks; platforms are connected by a sequence of two ramps that run downhill from the outbound platform to the lower turnstile area and thence to the inbound platform) - Park StreetPark Street (MBTA station)Park Street is a rapid transit and light rail station of the MBTA subway system in Downtown Boston. One of the four subway hub stations, Park Street is a transfer point between the Green and Red Lines. Park Street is the fourth-busiest station in the MBTA network, with an average of 19,836 entries...
(has both island and side platforms; only the island platform has elevator access; see description under Green Line above) - BroadwayBroadway (MBTA station)Broadway is a station on the Red Line subway at the intersection of Dorchester Avenue and Broadway in South Boston, Massachusetts. It was opened on December 15, 1917. The station has a single island platform to serve the two tracks.-Bus connections:...
- JFK/UMassJFK/UMass (MBTA station)JFK/UMass Station is located at the intersection of Columbia Road and Morrissey Boulevard, in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts.Its facilities include:*a platform on the Boston subway's Red Line for the Ashmont Branch...
(there are separate islands for each branch of the Red line) - Savin HillSavin Hill (MBTA station)Savin Hill Station, which serves the nearby neighborhood of Savin Hill and adjacent areas in Dorchester, is located on 215 Savin Hill Avenue adjacent to Sydney Street in Dorchester, Massachusetts, just outside of downtown Boston and three stops away from the terminus of the Ashmont Branch of the...
(last center island on Ashmont branch) - All stations between North QuincyNorth Quincy (MBTA station)North Quincy is a station on the Red Line subway at East Squantum Street between Hancock Street and Newport Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts, and serves North Quincy High School, the State Street Bank complex, and the North Quincy and Montclair neighborhoods. Its other facilities include bus...
and BraintreeBraintree (MBTA station)Braintree, located at Ivory and Union Streets in Braintree, Massachusetts, is the southernmost station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's Red Line. It also is a stop on the MBTA Commuter Rail Old Colony Lines...
; however, WollastonWollaston (MBTA station)Wollaston is a station on the Red Line of the MBTA subway at the intersection of Beale Street and Newport Avenue in Quincy, Massachusetts. It serves Quincy's Wollaston neighborhood. There is an on-site 550 space parking lot...
is currently not accessible
Buses
All bus service is accessible.The T also has paratransit
Paratransit
Paratransit is an alternative mode of flexible passenger transportation that does not follow fixed routes or schedules. Typically mini-buses are used to provide paratransit service, but also share taxis and jitneys are important providers....
program, called The Ride which provides lift-equipped vans to transport people who cannot use general public transportation because of a physical, cognitive or mental disability, including those who use wheelchairs.
Blind and visually impaired
"Service animalsAssistance dog
An assistance dog is a dog trained to aid or assist a person with a disability. Many are trained by a specific organization, while others are trained by their handler .-Classification:...
are allowed on the T during all hours of operation, but must be kept under control at all times. No certification is required, nor is the animal expected to wear a special harness, scarf or other identifying markings."
Most, but not all, train stations have yellow detectable warning strips with truncated domes running in a two-foot (60 cm) band along the edge of the platforms.
Buses and trains are supposed to have either recorded announcements or driver announcements of station stops, but these announcements are often muffled, inaudible, or omitted, particularly on the Green Line and buses. The Red Line's "01800" series of trains have become infamous for their tendency to announce incorrect stops.
Hearing impaired
The MBTA has a TTY number for "T" information: (617) 222-5146. Many stations have TTY pay phones; the MBTA web site has a list.The MBTA says it has reviewed its web site, http://www.mbta.com, using "the United States Section 508 guidelines and WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines are part of a series of Web accessibility guidelines published by the W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative. They consist of a set of guidelines for making content accessible, primarily for disabled users, but also for all user agents, including highly limited...
double AA guidelines, ... and made all required accommodations to help ensure that the site is accessible by users who rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers or other input mechanisms."