MBTA Accessibility
summary
A redesign of the Massachusetts Bay Transport Authority’s (MBTA) train-loading platforms, promoting use by low-mobility populations.
the gap
People with low mobility have trouble crossing the gap between the platform and the train car. The gap may not look like much to those who are able-bodied. But to wheelchairs, scooters, walkers, and other mobility devices, it is daunting and dangerous.
The current solution requires people to use a large metal grate as a ramp in order to cross the gap. However, there are a number of issues preventing people from easily accessing the ramps.
why is getting a ramp to cross the gap so difficult?
finding help
Contacting an MBTA official when in a station can be difficult or impossible. Some stations do not have officials readily available or in easily accessible locations. Those that do can sometimes be hard to find.
planning ahead
Contacting an official before arriving at the station solves the above problem, but it means you have to plan trips beforehand. Just hopping on the T is not an option- time and effort are required to ensure safe travel.
can’t bring your own
There is the option to carry a ramp oneself. Given the weight and size of these ramps, this is not feasible for most. Furthermore, many low-mobility people may need help to lay the ramp down on the ground.
broken technology
Most train doors have buttons on the outside to notify the conductor that someone needs assistance. Sometimes, however, these buttons don’t work, and the limited-mobility person is left stranded.
approaching the conductor
Lastly, you can approach the front of the train, and hope the conductor notices you and is willing to help. This can occasionally be difficult, and isn’t really a solution.
initial solution
My initial solution was a button on the outside of train doors, which when pressed, would allow a ramp to fold over onto the platform. The MBTA currently uses this technology in their buses, and could be easy to transfer over. This approach presented a number of problems, however, which ultimately led me to search for other solutions. The first problem I noted was that, since a number of train door buttons already don’t work, and aren’t maintained, then couldn’t the same thing occur with this approach?
Another problem with this idea is the space on the train required for the ramp to come down. Within the train, the folding section of the ramp would have to remain vacated at all times. In peak transit, this is rarely possible, and would require monitoring, which is not feasible at every train car. Ultimately, I had to find some other way to solve the gap problem.
the second idea
For my second iteration, I thought of a single access point for low-mobility people to board the train at the push of a button. This area could be placed near the front of the train and easily monitored by the conductor. Furthermore, the commuter rail already has similar boarding platforms in place. When considering where this solution could fail, however, I again found a few major flaws. Most significantly, the major issue with this approach (which also applies to my original design) is that not all low-mobility people have the ability to push a button. It was a flawed assumption that I made in both this and my previous design.
While this alone was enough to discount this approach, I also noted a few other problems. This platform would cause a line if multiple people needed to use it. In a tightly-packed situation, it would be unlikely that multiple people with mobility devices could fit on one train car, which would force some to wait for the next train. Lastly, this approach would require low-mobility people to go the far ends of the station, possibly the opposite ones from elevators. Forcing people who have difficulty moving to the far ends of the station is not a fair or good solution.
the final design
After a few more iterations, I finally ended up with a final solution, pictured above. As the train pulls into the station, ramps will extend from the platform to meet the base of the train doors. This approach solves the problems raised by the previous solutions, and allows everyone to get on and off with ease. With a ramp extending to every door, low-mobility people could enter/exit whatever train car they desire. Furthermore, individual cars would not have to be monitored by a conductor or other official.
For safety, these ramps would have weight sensors, so that they do not retract if someone is on them. The most significant reason that this solution is ideal, is that it allows low-mobility people all the affordances of transit without extra difficulties that able-bodied people don’t have to endure. This design allows all parties of all abilities to have equivalent experiences.
next steps
While a solution to the gap problem is significant, this project would not be effective if nobody knew that it was happening. So, as part of the project, I created a few designs for an advertising campaign to raise awareness of the newly-accessible MBTA stations. For the campaign, I chose to display ads on MBTA buses and commuter rail ad spaces. I decided on these spaces because they are the currently-accessible methods of transportation, which low-mobility people may be taking because the train system is not completely accessible.
For the design, I chose to prominently display the new modified international symbol of access on a darker blue background to reinforce the ideas of progress and trust. I coupled these with a slogan of inclusion, along with a short, simple description of the solution and what it offers. I then photoshopped the ads into the locations where they would be displayed.
