MBTA FMCB approves expanded design of Ruggles Station Transportation Project

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
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The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board (FMCB) has voted in favor of amending the Ruggles Station Transportation Project contract with Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc., (VHB) to expand the project’s design and accessibility work.  

The amended contract includes an extension to Dec. 31, 2019, as well.

Approved in March 2012 for $1.5 million, the project contract includes the layout and design of a new 800-foot commuter rail platform at Ruggles Station to service the second track, which is currently inaccessible to passengers.

Representatives say the addition of the new platform will boost capacity and enhance access to the neighboring community including local medical, business and educational centers.

The current physical limitations of the station platform have strained regularly scheduled service, and officials say 30 percent of inbound trains bypass Ruggles Station entirely, an issue that will be remedied by the upcoming project work.

The FMCB approved an additional $1.6 million, which is expected to allow the Ruggles Station project to expand, improving accessibility for commuters. The station is a multi-modal center served by 13 bus routes, seven private bus shuttles, the Orange Line and three commuter rail lines.

Additional paths of travel, enhanced safety measures, further interior and exterior building code-related improvements, east and west access to the station with added canopies and four replaced station elevators are included in the project scope. The amended contract will also allow VHB to complete the design of the added elements and facilitate construction services.

The MBTA says it has also been coordinating with Northeastern University (NEU) throughout the project’s development and design due to NEU’s close proximity to the proposed construction project. The university intends to build a pedestrian bridge above the tracks, providing access from Columbus Avenue to NEU’s main campus and nearby areas.

The project also received a $20 million in a federal Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) VI Grant in October 2014 to bolster its construction efforts.

The project budget includes $10 million from the MBTA Revenue Bond Fund in addition to the $20 million in TIGER Grant funds received. With the completion of the design phase in December 2016, construction is set to be completed from 2017 through 2019.

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