The World on Wheels
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Public Transportation Accessibility Around the World
Updated May 1, 1999
Click links below for each transit agency's web site.
The Massechussetts Bay Transit Authority...more commonly called the "T"...is charged with providing all public transportation in the Boston metro area. The subway system consists of four lines, the Orange, the Red, The Blue, and the Green. Of these, the Red has the most accessible stations and the Green the least. The MTBA publishes an online subway map (see below) that, although accurately depicting accessible stations, is very out of scale. Wheelchair users can use the south end of the Orange line to approximate the same locations as the Green line.
Commuter rail here is good with selected suburban stations modified for accessibility. Most buses, but not all, are accessible. The MBTA also operates accessible ferry service across the bay. Boston has some of the lowest transit fares in the country and also, apart from the commuter rail, some of the worst customer service we've ever seen.
The MBTA has a web site with more information at http://www.mbta.com/
New York Metropolitan Transit Authority
- NEW YORK
The New York subway system has a total of 33 accessible stations throughout the 5 boroughs plus 2 accessible stations on the Staten Island Railroad. Of those stations, only 8 are in Manhattan and require careful planning for wheelchair using passengers.
All buses in New York are wheelchair accessible as is the Staten Island Ferry. Beware of steep ramps on the ferries themselves. Commuter railroads coming into New York are accessible at selected suburban stations. Railroads arrive in Manhattan at either Penn Station or Grand Central. Both are accessible.
New York's MTA has a very extensive web site with some high-quality maps of the system listing accessible stations. I have found that the online version of the subway map lists several more stations as accessible in Manhattan than is really the case. The hard copy version you get at the token booth is very accurate. Pay attention on accessible stations as to exactly which lines are accessbile, and sometimes, which direction is. The commuter rail maps are accurate.
New York Metropolitan Transit Authority
- NORTH CAROLINA
The Piedmont and the Carolinian trains provide accessible commuter service in large portions of the state
North Carolina Railroads
Charlotte Transit, level of accessibility unknown.
Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) operates accessible bus transit for the area.
THE BUS operates accessible buses over most of the island.
More to come, stay tuned...
Do you have info on accessible transit for an area that's not listed above? We'd love to hear about it. Drop us a note in our mailbox and we'll add it to our list.