Kenmore Square
In June, my friends and I read the Boston Globe article, ‘Arlington T station reopens with disabled access’ By Noah Bierman/ Boston Globe/ June 2, 2009; it was all about the renovations being done by Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority to improve ACCESS at Kenmore Square. Specifically we read they were adding “three elevators, ramps, a digital sign board, public restrooms, and other upgrades”. We read that the renovations would be complete towards the end of the year; so recently after my doctor’s appointment at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center my friends and I traveled to Kenmore Square to see the improvements first hand.
I’ve always loved Kenmore Square, home of the Boston Red Sox and big CITGO sign, but always heard it was very inaccessible for persons in a wheelchair taking the MBTA here.
Upon arriving in Kenmore Square, we didn’t see any handicap parking spaces on the street; we only found street parking with city meters. Having a handicap placard for my van we could park at a city meter parking space for free.
Once out of our van, we found the only way I could access the sidewalk was to wheel in the middle of the busy street about a half block to the closest pedestrian crosswalk where there is wheelchair access to the sidewalk. I often have to wheel along busy streets in Boston to get my chair safely on a sidewalk because the city of Boston does NOT have enough wheelchair accessible cut-outs on their sidewalks:<(
Once safely on the brick sidewalk, I found it plenty wide enough and fairly easy to wheel on the bricks. As we were about to cross the street at a pedestrian sidewalk, we were pleased to see there is a map with Braille for the blind to read; and the crosswalk made of brick which provides contrast and is easy to see if you are visually impaired like me. I like it because the brick will always stand out and not fade as painted white lines do.
There is cut-out wheelchair access to the sidewalk at both ends. In front of the curb-cuts of the pedestrian crosswalks are mats with raised bumps which are detectable guidance systems for the blind/visually impaired.
The most impressive change I noticed was the beautiful glass archway which will protect you from inclement weather if you’re waiting for public transportation!
The signage for the different buses is big and easy to read. My friends and I stopped at a MBTA information booth and I was surprised to find the service counter is too high for me seated in my wheelchair. I would think with all the renovations they would have made it a wheelchair accessible height. Because it was too high for me, a kind female employee came to the other side to speak with me. I asked her about the renovations and improvements on access.
She told me that at the end of the bus terminal is an elevator which is still under construction. After all the work is complete, Kenmore Square will have three Access elevators to the MBTA trains; two elevators are located at the end of Kenmore Square and this elevator under construction is in the middle. These elevators are spacious and wide enough to turn my chair while in it. There are escalators also in this area which of course are not wheelchair accessible.
I think it’s wonderful that the Kenmore Square renovations have provided wheelchair access via elevator to the tracks and the bus terminal. Kenmore Square is a fun place to visit whether you’re coming to a Boston Red Sox game or for dinner at one of the many restaurants or a drink at one of the bars. My friends and I will definitely visit Kenmore Square more often now!
I give Kenmore Square FOUR STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn the Fifth Star they would need to place some designated handicap parking spaces on the street located close to the access slopes to the sidewalk; and lower the service counter at the MBTA information booth.
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