MBTA Green Line/B Line Station Consolidation and Accessibility Improvements

MBTA Green Line/B Line Station Consolidation and Accessibility

Improvements

Public Meeting 10/23/2014

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History of Project

• City of Boston Commonwealth Avenue Improvements: This area of Commonwealth Ave. is under Phase 2A-CAP 2A (COB)

• Upgrade pedestrian accessibility, create dedicated bike lanes, improve left turn lanes, and to beautify the median

• Approached MBTA for review

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MBTA Green Line/B Line Station Consolidation and Accessibility Improvements

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Impacts

• COB Project triggers accessibility at four MBTA stations - BU West, St. Paul, Pleasant, Babcock

• The stations would need to be code-compliant • Necessitate adjustments to COB design - delay• Added design and construction costs for COB • New design and construction costs for MBTA

MBTA requested that the COB project not be progressed until all the issues are vetted

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MBTA

• Feasibility of making the 4 existing stations code- compliant?

• Alternatives?

• Are MBTA goals and needs being met?

• Cost and Funding?

• How to accommodate the COB Project

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MBTA Operational Considerations

• Over the years the MBTA has been reviewing alternatives to consolidate the 4 existing stations in this congested corridor to:– Improve service times

– Increase Green Line reliability

– Further enhance safety

– Provide upgraded service to our patrons

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Code Considerations Code compliance: 780 CMR, 521 CMR (MAAB), & NFPA 130

• Two means of accessible egress from each station platform – minimum egress width of forty-four (44) inches per the state

building code and forty-eight (48) inches for accessibility. • Maximum allowed distance from remote point of a station

platform to Point of Safety is 740 feet based on evacuation times.

• Accessible boarding of the No. 8 cars from all platforms

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Code Impacts for Existing Stations

• All 4 stations would need to be relocated mid-block to provide two means of egress and stay within the maximum allowed distance of 740 feet from a remote point on the platform to the Point of Safety based on evacuation times.

• Need sufficient platform width for egress and to store and deploy mobile lifts

• Not possible for existing stations to meet code

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MBTA Decision

• MBTA explored alternatives

• Reviewed Accessibility and Building Code Compliance, Safety, Green Line Operations, and Engineering

• Compatibility with the COB Project

• Most of the alternatives didn’t meet criteria

• Only one alternative met the criteria

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Preferred OptionScope• Consolidates Babcock and Pleasant Street Stations• Consolidates St Paul and BU West StationsAdvantages• Consolidates four stations down to two stations• Achieves accessibility, improved safety and customer service• Favorable to design and construction• Stations centrally located• Meets code requirements including space for mobile lifts and

to provide 150 feet of canopy on each platform

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Preferred Option (Continued)

Advantages (cont.)• Babcock Inbound platform requires barrier reset to provide

required space for compliance. Space available in COB design • Two means of egress from the station with under four minutes

to a point of safety from either platform with the mid-block platforms

• Two stations have capacity of four stationsDisadvantages• New St. Paul/Amory Outbound platform requires 1’-6” for 225’

from proposed left turn lane, but COB can accommodate. This option meets the criteria

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Benefits

• Achieves accessibility

• Consolidates 4 stations down to 2 - operational benefit

• Provides safety enhancements

• Significant cost savings: design and construction

• Advances COB design• Benefits stakeholders

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Interagency Coordination

• COB Project to precede MBTA project

- MBTA project cannot commence until COB Project is completed

• COB design accommodates MBTA needs

• Close coordination is required in design and construction of both projects

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New Stations

• Two new stations:

– are centrally located

– touch same intersections of the 4 current stations

– have capacity of the 4 current stations

– include added platform width and walkways

– are modern/MBTA standards

• Old stations will be removed and blend-in

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Accessibility

• MBTA’s mission

• Green Line accessibility is a priority

• All platforms will be accessible for No. 8 cars

• First time these stations to have detectible warning strips

• 150 foot Canopy and benches on platforms

• Distances between stations

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Operations

• Benefits of station consolidation

• Travel time improvements

• Green Line reliability

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B Line, current, average spacing 1231 feet

B Line, proposed average spacing 1396 feet

18% 33% 26% 27% 36% 20% 12% 9% 9% 6% 16%43% 29%20% 15%

Station usage compared to line volumes, source CTPS (2010)

18% 33% 26% 27% 36% 20% 20% 14% 16%43% 29%20% 15%

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B Line, current stop spacing

B Line, proposed stop spacing

949ft 760 ft 764 ft 599ft 1926 ft

1476ft 1284ft 2238ft

Safety

• Enhances safety by providing walkways to platforms

• Faster pedestrian unloading of crosswalks

• Improved queuing for trains

• No mid-block crossing

• Pedestrians flow to signalized intersections

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Security and Communications

• Extension of the Fiber Optic based Wide Area Network

– from Kenmore Station to the proposed new stations.

– Incorporate Blandford, BU East, and BU Central Stations to the east and the remainder of the B Line stations to the west in the future.

– dedicated connectivity for all Security and Communications Systems.

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• Video Surveillance System

– Provide CCTV cameras at each station to view platforms and intersections. Video shall be centrally stored, and remotely accessible.

• Emergency Call Box System

– Provide Emergency Call Boxes on each platform to provide customers with direct access to the MBTA.

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• Public Address / Visual Message System

– Provide audio and visual ADA compliant broadcast messages from the OCC. System will be compatible with future Green Line Next Train Announcements.

• Telecommunications

– Provide local telephone service for employees.

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Cost(based on Conceptual Design)

Professional Services $600,000

• Construction of 2 new stations Including Canopies, Security and Communications,

and demo/restoration of old stations

Construction $5,800,000

Flagging, Admin, Inspection,… $2,000,000

Total Project cost $8,400,000

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ScheduleDesign• 30% completed by end of 2014• 100% Design completed by next summerBid Phase• Out to bid, Award and NTP to a Contractor in late 2015 Construction• 12 to 18 months (Will have schedule & cost estimate at 30% design)

• Schedule dependent upon COB Project

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Potential Benefits and Risks

• Coordination with COB Commonwealth Avenue Phase 2A - CAP 2A Project

• Coordination with MHD Superstructure Replacement (B-16-055) Commonwealth Avenue over I-90 & MBTA Project

• Efficiencies to be gained through interagency coordination/cooperation

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Summary

• Accessibility improvements• Operational benefits• Enhanced safety• Design and Construction benefits• Facilitates COB Project• Requires close design/construction

coordination with COB Project• MBTA project to follow COB Project

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Summary (Continued)

• COB Project to set the curb and barrier lines

• The MBTA project could take up to a year to design and 12-18 months to construct

• B Line continues to run during construction

• Greater detail to be shared at 60% design

Goal - To build a better transportation system for all patrons!

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Thank You!-----

Questions?

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MBTA Green Line/B Line Station Consolidation and Accessibility Improvements

Documents

Transcript of MBTA Green Line/B Line Station Consolidation and Accessibility Improvements