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Why no elevators or escalators at T stop catering to people with heavy luggage?
By adamg on Thu, 07/08/2010 - 8:19am
Fabulously Out There just doesn't get the Government Center T stop:
... [Tuesday], in 100 degrees weather I helped a couple carry their suitcases down (on that note: all you big guys who are occupying the free weight section at Planet Fitness every day and were walking by them, thanks for nothing, assholes). They were on their way to visit their grandkids and were both easily in their late 70s. It was hot as Hades in that t-station and there is no way to get down to the blue line level. There IS an escalator to get down to the green line level, thank you GOD. Oh wait, that one doesn't always work ...
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Comments
Well they do have plans to
Well they do have plans to install elevators some day:
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/defa...
I think the work was put off for quite a few years while the city debated what was going to be done with City Hall Plaza. The lack of cash is probably what's holding it up now.
Government Center
This is not to excuse the MBTA, but Goverment Center is suppoed to be overhauled (page 2):
http://www.mbta.com/uploadedFiles/documents/Access...
Rebuild
The T isn't going to do anything with the Government Center stop until it starts and completes the rebuild. This rebuild will be finished in the 2020 to 2050 time range. Knowing the T, even that may be optimistic.
http://www.mbta.com/about_the_mbta/t_projects/defa...
State Street
This is true of the State street stop as well where there is no elevator (to my knowledge) when switching to the Orange Line inbound from the Blue line. This is a huge stop for tourists and locals alike heading to and from the airport with large piles of luggage. I know they're in the middle of overhauling the station, but you think since it's one of the first stations tourists experience, perhaps they'd hurry it up a little!? I know from personal experience, getting back to the city really late the last thing I want to do is carry my suitcase up and down stairs. Ugh.
MBTA Elevators
Don't get your hopes hope about the elevators. I spent a weekend with some out-of-town friends carting the brood around in strollers. Twice we tried using the elevators rather than schlepping strollers up and down stairs and both times were confronted with a useless intercom system that apparently provides a direct connection to an adult from Peanuts who "wah-wah's" at you for a bit and then nothing happens.
Thank god they threatened the structural integrity of the buildings around the T stations for this worthless bit of ADA compliance. Jobs creation, I say!
South Station
As far as I can tell you can take an escalator from the red line up to South Station but you'll have to use the stairs to get from the station down to the Alewife platform. It's just the T's way of telling us how much they like it when their riders leave town but if you decide to come back, well, go f*** yourself.
South Station does have elevators, though
so it is ADA-compliant.
Ya...
Why would you take the stairs down to the Alewife platform when the elevator is right in front of you once you get past the gates?
The problem is that MBTA management
has never been able to grasp the concept that you can actually install modern escalators and elevators into existing subway stations without having to demolish the whole station first.
It's just another example of "image before service".