The Federal Transportation Administration (FTA) of the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) has awarded $686 million in grants to improve access to rail stations. The grant is made through the All Station Accessibility Program (ASAP) established by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
The program builds on an existing initiative of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) and is endorsed by Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-Illinois). Modifying or rearranging station components or facilities for passengers.
More than 30 years after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, accessibility to any particular transit system, especially the entire transit system built before 1990, remains a major hurdle. According to information from the National Transit Database (NTD), 981 train stations out of a total of 3,726 train stations do not have access to his ADA.
USDOT and FTA officials recognize that the 28 stations that will be upgraded with this first round of grants are not a big deal, but they are not just about fairness in transportation services, but also in improving accessibility. He points out that this is an important step.
“Every day, millions of people take public transit to work, shop for groceries and see loved ones. But 30 years have passed since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed. Even today, hundreds of transit stations are inaccessible to travelers with disabilities,” said U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. “The All Stations Accessibility Program is trying to change that by adding things like wheelchair ramps and elevators.”
The FTA says it has received $905 million in funding requests after issuing a $343 million funding opportunity notice in July 2022. Due to high interest, the FTA has awarded both the He’s 2022 and He’s 2023 grants.
“We have made great strides in improving accessibility since the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed, but there is still much work to be done,” said FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez. “This includes modernizing rail systems in some of the most transport-oriented cities. The ASAP program will provide the funding needed to address these overdue improvements. wants to make transportation systems accessible to people with disabilities and those who need additional assistance, with the same ease of use and reliability as everyone else.”
where the funds were awarded
In the US, approximately 26% of all train stations do not have ADA access (using 2021 NTD data). Traditional rail systems have a much higher percentage of stations without ADA access, with nearly 49% of rail stations on the network in New York, New Jersey, Chicago, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Boston without ADA access.
Grants awarded through the ASAP program will support station upgrades in many of these regions with a high percentage of non-ADA compliant stations.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) has been awarded $252.5 million to make the Myrtle Avenue, Norwood Avenue, and Avenue I subway stations in Brooklyn and the Burnside Avenue subway station in the Bronx fully ADA accessible. I was.
Over $185 million was awarded to CTA and Metra. CTA will use the $118.5 million grant to modernize Irving Park, Belmont, and Pulaski stations, upgrade elevators, ramps, improve station signage, and make other station enhancements. Metra was awarded two grants. $29 million to improve the 95th Street–Chicago State University station and $37.6 million to improve the 59/60th Streets station on the Metra Electric Line to improve accessibility and improve Chicago Accommodate new passengers from the university. Extended.
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Department of Transportation provides full ADA access to the 11th Street Subway Station on the Market-Frankford Line and the Chinatown, Erie, Fairmount Upper, Fairmount Lower, and Snyder Stations on the Broad Street Subway Line. Awarded over $56 million to make it possible.
New Jersey Transit was awarded a total of $34.1 million for three projects. This includes $18.2 million to replace low-level platforms with higher platforms, construction of fully accessible ramps, installation of tactile warning strips, additional accessible parking spaces, comprehensive wayfinding technology, Includes communication system upgrades. Anderson St Hackensack and New Bridge Landing stations on the Pascack Valley Line. He received $14.5 million to improve accessibility at the Bradley Beach station on the North Jersey Coast Line and $1.4 million to research and design new platforms for Chatham and Orange stations on the Morristown Line.
The Connecticut Department of Transportation will use a $29.6 million grant to convert three stations on the Metro-North Railroad’s Waterbury Branch commuter rail line.
Pittsburgh Regional Transit (PRT) was awarded $28.4 million to build elevated platforms for boarding on flat ground, Shelters, ramps, accessible signs and hearing aids on boarding platforms.
The City of Seattle, Washington received $15 million to install ramps and other modernization works to make the 19602 Seattle Center Monorail station fully ADA accessible.
An $8 million grant received by the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority enabled the 1920s-built East 79 Street Light Rail Station to be built into You will have full ADA access. Stairs, an upgraded emergency call box, and a non-slip walking surface.
The Maryland Department of Transportation/Maryland Department of Transportation will use the $7.1 million grant to develop future renovation plans and complete environmental work for the Martin Airport Station on the Penn Commuter Rail.
A $1.6 million grant from the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation will allow the agency to survey four stations and assess the upgrades and changes needed to bring them up to ADA standards. Currently, the Christopher Street, 9th Street, 14th Street, and 23rd Street Stations do not have elevators to access the Mezzanine Area or the station platform.
