Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) awarded a contract to Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., to make three subway stations fully ADA accessible. The Lombard-South and Ellsworth-Federal Stations on the Broad Street Line, and the Chinatown Station on the Broad-Ridge Spur will undergo architectural, design and construction-related improvements.
These stations were built decades before the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are currently only accessible via stairs. Thanks in part to federal infrastructure funding, SEPTA says its committed to making all stations on the Broad Street Line and Market-Frankford Line accessible.
“Commencing design allows SEPTA to pursue competitive funding specifically for accessibility improvements at legacy rail stations,” said SEPTA Board Chairman Pasquale T. Deon Sr. “SEPTA continues to work with state and local funding partners to identify additional resources to help leverage and maximize federal dollars to address SEPTA’s capital needs.”
The $5,793,063 contract with Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., will progress the design of Lombard-South, Ellsworth-Federal and Chinatown Stations to 100 percent. Once design is completed, SEPTA can advance on the construction phase. Improvements that will make these stations fully ADA accessible and in a state of good repair include elevator installation, platform renovation, new signage, lighting, security cameras and waterproofing.
“Station accessibility is a core component of SEPTA Forward, the Authority’s Strategic Plan,” said SEPTA General Manager and CEO Leslie S. Richards. “We have made significant progress in upgrading our infrastructure, and we will continue to prioritize enhancements across the system to make SEPTA easier to use and more accessible to all.”
SEPTA has prioritized accessibility on both the Market-Frankford Line and Broad Street Line in its 12-Year Capital Program. SEPTA will also update the timelines for work at other stations on the Broad Street and Market-Frankford Lines with the release of the new capital budget and program in April.
