Milton asks governor to stop demo of broken staircase
A state senator and town officials are making a lastminute pitch to the governor to prevent the MBTA from demolishing a broken staircase that leads to a trolley station platform in Milton, saying that repairs should be made instead.
This follows more than a year of advocacy from the town of Milton on the matter, including a lawsuit filed against the MBTA in October, which cited the agency’s failure to fix a pedestrian stairway that had been closed for a decade.
According to state Sen. Walter Timilty, D-Milton, the MBTA plans to demolish the stairs next week, “despite the fact that there are no plans to immediately reconstruct and restore the staircase.”
“The MBTA’s decision to move forward with the demolition as part of the Mattapan Line transformation project illustrates both a stunning disregard for the safety of its riders, and blatant dismissal of their concerns,” he wrote in a Monday letter to Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll.
“The MBTA’s decision to demolish the stairs will transform the staircase from a hazardous eyesore to an open hole in the ground. Doing so will only further exacerbate the safety and accessibility crises at hand.”
Timilty asked the governor to intervene, “to protect the interests and wellbeing of residents of Milton, Dorchester and Mattapan.”
The senator’s letter follows a similar one sent two weeks ago by the Milton Select Board, which implored Healey to “step in immediately” to prevent the demolition. Before the MBTA closed the pedestrian stairway for public safety reasons, it provided a key connection from Adams Street down to the station, which is part of the Mattapan Line.
“The stairs at Milton station have been in disrepair and closed by the MBTA for nearly a decade,” wrote Select Board Chair Arthur Doyle. “The deplorable condition of that long-neglected staircase is not only a safety hazard, but also a blight on the community, an eyesore to residents and visitors and an impediment to commuters.”
Karissa Hand, a Healey spokesperson, said the governor is reviewing the letters sent to her by state and local officials.
“She is committed to ensuring that residents have safe, accessible stations,” Hand said.
An MBTA spokesperson referred the Herald to a Sept. 14 letter sent to the town of Milton by former General Manager Steve Poftak, saying that the agency’s position remains the same.
The letter states that the T is in the process of moving forward with demolition of the staircase, as part of a larger Mattapan Line transformation project that will eventually replace the entire Milton station.
“Unfortunately, the Adams Street staircase cannot be repaired and reopened at this time because it would require extensive repairs to make it fully accessible,” Poftak wrote. “This would impact all station connections and ultimately require a full station replacement.”