Get your Charlie Card and Go!

Riding the T with a mobility scooter is easy and amazing.  At least that was my experience in the trip I took from the Arlington station to the MFA stop on the Green Line.  I will admit to being nervous about trying it and kept putting it off, but my friend and I wanted to spend part of our trip to Boston at the Museum of Fine Arts and the best way to get there is the Green Line.

Down we went in the elevator.  At the turnstile a “T” employee in a red jacket was there to help us purchase our Charlie card and then instructed us on how to get to the track. The MFA is on the Heath Line so we waited for a few trains to pass before ours came into the station.  The first two cars had stairs and I sat there thinking “how is this going to work?,” but the next car was almost level to the ground. 

Push the Button to signal the conductor you want to get on.

Here is a link to a training video for using the Green Line trains: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRO-ybGh69E

I signaled to the conductor that this was the train we wanted and off the train he came with a key in his hand.  At the door of the train he put the key Into a keyhole and the next thing I knew a ramp was sliding out from under the car floor.  When it was fully extended, he motioned to me to ride on.

Waiting for the Ramp to Fully Extend

Just inside the doors there is a clearly marked area for wheelchair/stroller and scooter parking.  Donna got on behind me as the conductor asked us what stop we wanted and a minute later the train was in motion. 

The circular button on the ouside of the car is mimicked on the insde next to where I was parked. As we approached the MFA stop I pushed it and while it light up, there was no sound, but at the MFA stop the conductor came to the door, put the key in the hole, out came the ramp and off I rode.  It could not have been easier.

We had intended to take the Red Line to Harvard Square later in the day, but because of the cold and the fear of my battery loosing power, we stayed near our hotel. Hopefully, we will get back to Boston in the fall and will try the Red Line then.

Copley Street Inbound Stop with Elevator

After leaving the museum I had time for a quick second stop at the Boston Public Library but it was time for Donna to head home. We said our goodbyes on the train, and I drove off, got on the elevator, drove through the turnstiles and headed up to the street on my own. The elevator above is just off to the left of the new, modern wing of the library. At the information desk there I asked for directions to the John Singer Sargent room on the third floor and because of renovations, I was instructed to meet a security guard at the “gold door” elevator in the original building who would escort me upstairs.

He arrived at the elevator just as I was driving up, opened the elevator door and off we went. More about that in the Boston Public Library blog.

Accessibility:

I’d heard and then read a lot about the improvements the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority has done upgrading the entire system to be fully accessible. Almost every stop has elevators. It was most impressive and puts the New York City transit system to shame. If you do make a trip to Boston here is the link to their website. I can’t wait to put it to a bigger test soon! https://www.mbta.com/