Boston Disability Board Hears MBTA Elevator Plans, Opens 2024 Officer Nominations

BOSTON -- January 17, 2024, Boston's Disability Commission Advisory Board opened 2024 with a three-part MBTA elevator briefing and pre-election officer nominations. MBTA Director of Systemwide Accessibility Laura Grillsford led a team presenting on system-wide uptime data, the Downtown Crossing Phase 2 accessible Red-Orange Line connection, the final capital requirement under a 2006 federal settlement, with construction targeted to begin September 2024 and finish October 2027, and Jackson Square Station improvements scheduled to begin this spring and wrap by spring 2026. Quality Management Director Mark Moelk reported that elevator downtime in 2022 was five times greater than in 2021, dropping system average to 98.1 percent against a 99.4 percent target. Chair Wesley Ireland flagged Governor Maura Healey's proposed $375 million in state budget cuts, including $290 million from MassHealth and roughly $55 million from developmental services programs. The board accepted nominations for all four officer slots, Ireland for chair, Paul Caron for vice chair, Carl for secretary, and Juan Carlos Ramirez for treasurer, with a vote set for February 21.