The broken doors on the Orange Line

SC McKinley writes the MBTA to complain about all the broken doors on what is now the T's oldest fleet of trains. What's merely an inconvenience for most of us means serious issues for people in wheelchairs (and remember: All Orange Line stops are allegedly handicap accessible, at least, as long as the elevators are working) and for parents with strollers. Here's her letter:

I writing to inform you of several broken exit doors on the Orange Line and their impact on my family's daily commute and the commute of those passengers who are in wheelchairs.

As you may or may not be aware several of the Orange Line subway cars exit doors only "half-work" meaning that the bi-directional doors only open on one side. The doors, which each measure ~24", are not ADA complaint (32") and as such, if only the left or right side of the door opens, a standard wheelchair cannot exit. This is most troublesome on the Orange Line because exits are not consistently on the same side of the train so a passenger who boards at Massachusetts Avenue (on the left side) and who exits at New England Medical (on the right side) during rush hour can get stuck on the train and not be able to exit.

This has happened with regularity since we started taking the Orange Line in December, and most recently has happened *4 times in the past 7 business days*. My husband and I take our two young sons to school on the Orange Line, boarding at Massachusetts Avenue and exiting at New England Medical Center. Our stroller is fully ADA complaint (29") and was bought specifically so we could fit through standard doorways and maneuver in the urban environment.

I'm sure can imagine the peril and stress that we as parents experience when we board the Orange Line and then learn that we cannot exit because the closest door only opens on one side. If you are about to suggest that use an alternate exit, let me assure you that the crowded trains make it that option impossible. Therefore, we are forced to off-load two young (1 and 3 years old) children to a platform while one parent folds the stroller. This is extremely dangerous for my children, especially as attendants beep and try to close doors not realizing our situation. On one or two occasions kind passengers have helped us offload. However, there have been times when we have considered pulling the emergency button to ensure the safe offloading of our children. We are thankful that we are able-bodied and manage to de-train. However, I am sensitive to those who use wheelchairs and who have to stay on the train because they can't exit.

According to your own Customer Bill of Rights passengers have the right to accessible service. The current state of the Orange Line does not meet that expectation so I'm sure you agree that this is an urgent matter requiring * immediate * attention. At the very least - and today - the MBTA can post signs on non-working doors that inform boarding passengers that a particular opposite-side door doesn't work. In addition attendants could warn passengers in strollers, wheelchairs, etc. if they are about to board a car with broken opposite-side doors. Personally, I'd rather miss a train and wait for another than put my children in danger.

UPDATE: The T not only responded, it did something about the problem.