The MBTA recently celebrated significant accessibility upgrades at Franklin Station, ensuring a stair-free experience for all riders. According to MBTA, the improvements include a new mini-high platform, better lighting, and a revamped parking lot, now featuring seven accessible spaces.
Interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng highlighted the milestone, stating "Accessibility is essential for so many that want and need to use public transportation. I am proud of the teams across MBTA for continuing to deliver these projects making it easier for everyone to use Commuter Rail," as mentioned on MBTA. This sentiment echoes the Healey-Driscoll Administration's commitment to a more inclusive transit system across the state.
Enhancing the station's amenities, new electronic message boards with audio, benches, and trash receptacles have also been added. "We also repaved the parking lot and relocated the accessible spaces right next to the ramp, significantly increasing the number of spaces from three to seven," Ryan Coholan, MBTA Chief Operating Officer explained, underscoring the agency's dedication to improved rider accessibility.
MBTA's Assistant General Manager Department of System-Wide Accessibility, Laura Brelsford, also acknowledged the support from the Franklin Commission on Disability. She said as per MBTA website, "We are committed to making all stations accessible and these upgrades at Franklin help bring us one step closer to a system that works for everyone." Following the example of Franklin Station, the design also has been implemented at other stations including Wellesley, West Medford, and Walpole in the past year.
The Franklin Station's upgrades coincide with the opening of the nearby Children's Museum of Franklin, which attracted over 7,000 visitors from across Massachusetts and Rhode Island in its first month. "The fact that we're walking distance from the MBTA stop in what is now an accessible MBTA stop is going to provide accessible learning through play for hundreds of families in this region," Meg Hagan, Co-Founder, Co-Executive Director of the museum, told MBTA.
State Senator Becca Rausch and State Representative Jeffrey Roy have also voiced their support for the improvements, recognizing the station's importance in community connectivity and accessibility for everyone, including families and people with disabilities.
