MBTA plans to close accessibility gaps on nearly all Green Line stops

Almost all of the MBTA's Green Line stops will meet accessibility standards within the next five years under plans outlined by transit officials Tuesday. Part of that work includes closing and consolidating some stations.

By 2031, 68 of the Green Line’s 70 stops are set to meet accessibility standards for riders with disabilities, up from the current 45 — or 64% — said Desiree Patrice, Chief of Integrated Transit Programs at the T. Overall, 83% of MBTA stations are currently deemed accessible, she said.

“This represents one of the most ambitious accessibility infrastructure programs the MBTA has undertaken in history,” Patrice said during a forum the T held Tuesday.

Plans include upgrades at Symphony Station, which has not undergone significant modernization since it opened almost 85 years ago, Patrice said. Upgrades are expected to be completed by fall 2030 and include four new redundant elevators, raised platforms for accessible boarding, accessible bathrooms and wayfinding assistance.

On the C Branch, nine stations are set to be modernized including Englewood Avenue, Dean Road, Tappan Street, Fairbanks Street, Brandon Hall, Summit Avenue, Saint Paul Street, Kent Street and Hawes Street.

Fairbanks Street and Brandon Hall stations are proposed to be combined into one and Kent Street station will be closed, according to a report on the MBTA’s accessibility initiatives filed May 8. Construction is expected to begin this spring and wrap up by the end of the year.

Another nine stations on the B Branch will get accessibility upgrades: Blandford Street, Packard’s Corner, Griggs Street, Allston Street, Warren Street, South Street, Sutherland Road, Chiswick Road and Chestnut Hill Avenue.

South Street and Chestnut Hill Avenue stations are set to be consolidated into one. That’s also the case for Allston Street and Warren Street stations because of their close proximity and the inability to create an accessible platform at Warren Street as a result of the station’s “non-compliant gradient,” according to the report. Construction is set to begin in summer 2027 and the project is expected to be completed in fall 2028.

Four E Branch stations — Back-of-the-Hill, Fenwood Road, Mission Park and Riverway — that don’t have dedicated platforms are set to get raised platforms. Also, because of the stations’ proximity, it’s expected that one or two may be consolidated, according to the report.

Heath Street station is also set to be rebuilt to accommodate two new Type 10 trainsets, according to the report. The project’s design is set to be completed by summer 2027 and the MBTA expects to start procuring construction bids in fall 2027.

On the D Branch, four stations — Beaconsfield, Chestnut Hill, Eliot and Waban — are in their second and final phase of improvements but are now considered “generally accessible,” according to the report.