BOSTON (WHDH/AP) — An inventory of the condition of Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority facilities has found that many stations, garages, and parking lots are in a state of disrepair.
A preliminary review from last year, prepared in advance of filings required by the Federal Transit Agency this year, found that nearly 60 percent of 378 stations and parking facilities scored 2 or less out of a possible 5, meaning they need significant repairs. Seventy-eight those properties had a rating of 1.
Some of the problems include elevators that have been out-of-service for months at the Aquarium stop; ramps patched with plywood in Winchester; crumbling concrete at the Alewife parking garage; and leaking ceilings that leave puddles on subway stop platforms along the Orange Line.
Commuters say the filthy and dilapidated facilities are in need of a major overhaul.
“The one at North Station, all the tiles are broken,” one commuter told 7News. “Someone could trip over it and hurt themselves.”
Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, who rides the T every day, tweeted photos of peeling paint and waterstained ceilings inside one station.
A few pics from my daily @MBTA commute. Just because we’re fighting for functional service levels doesn’t mean commuters should have to tolerate crumbling facilities that threaten health & accessibility. h/t @adamtvaccaro for covering: https://t.co/U0eXW7vgAK pic.twitter.com/pKxS255B3w
— Michelle Wu 吳弭 (@wutrain) September 10, 2018
MBTA General Manager Luis Ramirez says billions of dollars are being invested into the repairing the system, adding that everything is safe.
“While it has a lot of facilities marked for improvements, that doesn’t mean they’re unsafe for use,” he said. “In fact, we do safety inspections and we do periodic reviews of these facilities to make sure they remain safe for public use.”
In order to receive federal funds, the MBTA must start reporting the condition of its stations and garages to the federal transit agency. Over the last year, Ramirez says the authority has been gathering information about the condition of those stations and garages.
“It’s an old system and it’s been around for a long time,” he said. “We’ve got some assets that are 100 years old and some that are 35 years old.
Ramirez says making improvements and upgrades is something that is time-consuming.
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