MBTA invests nearly $30M in improvements at multiple stations

Written by Kyra Senese, Managing Editor
MBTA
The MBTA has been under scrutiny by the FTA for months.
MBTA

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s (MBTA) Fiscal and Management Control Board has awarded a nearly $30 million contract for improvements at four of its major subway stations.

With two subway lines traveling through each of the stations—Downtown Crossing, State, Haymarket, and North Stations—the stations experience the highest passenger volumes of any other station in the MBTA‘s system, officials noted in a statement.

During the planned 16-month construction period, the station improvement programming will entail replacing all existing signage and repair work to ceilings, walls and floors. Additionally, the project will include interior painting, cleaning and refinishing benches, replacing lighting and cleaning in-station artwork.

“As part of our sustained efforts to improve the MBTA customer experience, we are launching another round of investment in our stations,” said MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak. “Alongside massive investments to improve the reliability of MBTA services, we are also making needed improvements to key stations.”

Under a contract with Judlau Contracting, Inc., MBTA said the planned work is part of a strategy to upgrade station condition and wayfinding elements throughout the MBTA system to meet the transportation authority’s reliability and modernization needs.

Wayfinding improvements include the replacement of existing signage and additional signs at stations where they do not currently exist.

The project is set to bring wayfinding resources at each of the four stations into compliance with ADA standards, Limited English Proficiency standards, and new MBTA Wayfinding Standards and Guidelines, which emphasize overall accessibility improvements.

The cleaning and painting enhancements will also result in cleaner, brighter stations in an effort to improve the customer experience.

Replacement work is also scheduled for the flooring at MBTA’s North Station, which includes about 40,000 square feet of flooring. The planned work will also allow for safer travel through the major MBTA hub, officials said.

Under the current project schedule, replacement of the floor space at North Station may affect Orange Line service at that station for up to six weekends. MBTA said it is not expecting additional operational impacts for customers during construction.

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