Boston Disability Board Nominates New Officers, Hears Franklin Park Accessibility Plans

BOSTON — January 8, 2025 — Boston's Disability Commission Advisory Board opens 2025 with Franklin Park accessibility updates and officer nominations. Lauren Bryant, senior project manager with Boston Parks, outlined six active projects at Franklin Park funded by $28 million from the Winthrop Square garage sale, including traffic calming on Circuit Drive, a dog facility study, and the Overlook ruins restoration, where current access slopes run between 16 and 25 percent grade, well above 521 CMR limits. Disability Commissioner Christa McCosh announced that federal Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines took effect January 17 and that City Hall's aging escalators will be replaced by a new four-stop elevator rather than repaired. The board closed nominations for its February officer election with a unanimous slate: Jerry Boyd for chair, Olivia Richard for vice chair, Paul Caron for secretary, and Tara Felfar for treasurer. The outgoing chair, who has led the board since 2022, announced she is stepping down, citing her daughters, and will remain a board member. Andrea also noted that the Boston Housing Authority faces a capital maintenance backlog of $1.5 billion against roughly $30 million in annual state and federal repair funding.