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MBTA outlines multi‑year plan to make Green Line nearly fully accessible, starting with Symphony rebuild
Summary
The MBTA detailed a multi‑year Green Line accessibility program that aims to raise systemwide Green Line accessibility from roughly 64% to nearly 97% by 2031, including a major reconstruction at Symphony station with four redundant elevators and raised platforms.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority unveiled a multi‑year program to overhaul Green Line stations and expand elevator redundancy across the system, agency staff said at a public accessibility meeting.
Desiree Patrice, chief of the Integrated Transit Programs Team, said the MBTA plans to make 23 of 25 currently inaccessible Green Line stations accessible over the next five years and build four redundant elevators and accessible restrooms at Symphony station. "Construction is expected to be completed by fall of 2030 with portions of the station reopening sooner," Patrice said.
Why it matters: the Green Line serves tens of thousands of riders daily and long stretches of inaccessibility can prevent people who use mobility devices, older adults, and others from making routine trips. Patrice framed the program as "one of the most ambitious accessibility infrastructure programs the MBTA has undertaken in history," and said the agency expects systemwide Green Line accessibility to rise from approximately 64% today to nearly 97% by 2031.
The agency gave a timeline for phased work: C‑branch and B‑branch platform upgrades scheduled to deliver multiple accessible stations by 2027–2028, design work for the E‑branch in 2028–2029, and heavy‑rail projects to add elevator redundancy and platform improvements at Jackson Square, Central Square and Downtown Crossing. Patrice said Columbus Avenue at an identified heavy‑rail station will become fully accessible for the first time in spring 2028.
MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng framed the effort as building on recent settlement agreements and long‑running advocacy: "We've been focused on making sure our system is safe, reliable and available to everyone who needs to and wants to use it," Eng said, acknowledging the Daniels‑Finegold settlement and other oversight mechanisms.
The presentation included funding and project sequencing but did not list a single consolidated budget total for all Green Line projects. MBTA staff said they will continue to brief RTAG and other rider groups as projects move into design and construction.
Next steps: staff invited riders to targeted Symphony‑station meetings and promised continued updates through the agency's semiannual accessibility initiative reports and public meeting pages.
