A state senator and city officers are making a last-minute pitch to the governor to stop the MBTA from demolishing a damaged staircase that results in a trolley station platform in Milton, saying that repairs must be made as a substitute.
This follows greater than a yr of advocacy from the city of Milton on the matter, together with a lawsuit filed in opposition to the MBTA in October, which cited the company’s failure to repair a pedestrian stairway that had been closed for a decade.
According to state Sen. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, the MBTA plans to demolish the steps subsequent week, “despite the fact that there are no plans to immediately reconstruct and restore the staircase.”
“The MBTA’s decision to move forward with the demolition as part of the Mattapan Line transformation project illustrates both a stunning disregard for the safety of its riders, and blatant dismissal of their concerns,” he wrote in a Monday letter to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
“The MBTA’s decision to demolish the stairs will transform the staircase from a hazardous eyesore to an open hole in the ground. Doing so will only further exacerbate the safety and accessibility crises at hand.”
Timilty requested the governor to intervene, “to protect the interests and well-being of residents of Milton, Dorchester and Mattapan.”
The senator’s letter follows the same one despatched two weeks in the past by the Milton Select Board, which implored Healey to “step in immediately” to stop the demolition.
Before the MBTA closed the pedestrian stairway for public security causes, it offered a key connection from Adams Street right down to the station, which is a part of the Mattapan Line.
“The stairs at Milton station have been in disrepair and closed by the MBTA for nearly a decade,” wrote Select Board Chair Arthur Doyle. “The deplorable condition of that long-neglected staircase is not only a safety hazard, but also a blight on the community, an eyesore to residents and visitors and an impediment to commuters.”
Karissa Hand, a Healey spokesperson, mentioned the governor is reviewing the letters despatched to her by state and native officers.
“She is committed to ensuring that residents have safe, accessible stations,” Hand mentioned.
An MBTA spokesperson referred the Herald to a Sept. 14 letter despatched to the city of Milton by former General Manager Steve Poftak, saying that the company’s place stays the identical.
The letter states that the T is within the strategy of shifting ahead with demolition of the staircase, as half of a bigger Mattapan Line transformation mission that can ultimately substitute the complete Milton station.
“Unfortunately, the Adams Street staircase cannot be repaired and reopened at this time because it would require extensive repairs to make it fully accessible,” Poftak wrote. “This would impact all station connections and ultimately require a full station replacement.”
Source: www.bostonherald.com”