MBTA Quietly Pushes Back $39 Million Central Square Accessibility Work; Riders Say They Never Heard of It

The MBTA has delayed the start of construction on a $39 million project to improve accessibility at Central Square station on the Red Line, Cambridge Day reported Thursday, and disclosed the new schedule on its website only after the publication repeatedly asked about the work.

The project would add two elevators, replace the outbound elevator, update the inbound escalator and refresh the station overall, according to Cambridge Day. It is part of a systemwide accessibility plan the MBTA presented in 2019. The timeline on the project's web page says the design contract was awarded in March 2019.

The schedule has slipped. An October 2023 video update from an MBTA project manager, the only video update on the site, projected completion in mid-2026, Cambridge Day reported. Last week, the project page listed the anticipated construction start as fall 2026 and completion as late 2028, while the MBTA's systemwide accessibility page still described Central Square as "in design stage."

After Cambridge Day emailed the MBTA on Oct. 21, following up on several interview requests and pointing out the outdated information, the website changed. It now lists fall 2026 for "early package/utilities relocation start" and winter 2026-27 for the "station construction date." Late 2028 remains the projected completion. The project's mailing list has not sent any update, according to the report.

The MBTA declined interview requests over the past month and asked for questions by email. Cambridge Day sent 14. The agency did not answer them, responding instead with a statement that the project was "moving forward in phases as construction plans, costs, and schedules are finalized." The statement continued: "The MBTA is allowing more time for contractors to bid on portions of the station work to help secure better pricing. In the meantime, utility work will continue as originally planned."

Among the unanswered questions, as listed by Cambridge Day: why the project is delayed; whether the station will close during construction; whether bus routes above the station will be affected; whether riders should expect delays or service interruptions; whether elevators and escalators will remain available during the work; and whether the $39 million budget announced in 2019 is still enough as construction costs rise nationally.

The City of Cambridge also declined to discuss it. Jeremy Warnick, the city's director of media relations, said officials did not want to talk about the project and referred questions to the MBTA because the city is not in charge, although the MBTA said the city was involved in the design process, according to Cambridge Day.

Riders interviewed at the station had not heard of the project. Monique Baron, 34, a MassArt student who passes through at least three times a week, said accessibility should be "thought of and prioritized." Michelle Bautista, 65, was not surprised she had not heard about it, saying she does not think the MBTA clearly communicates changes. Ana Schon, 24, an MIT student, said the T is generally communicative when projects affect commuters, but she had not heard of this one either.

Meera Rothman, 27, who uses the station most days, said Kendall Square station is more accessible than Central. Greg Reicharde, 34, asked whether the project meant the Red Line would be shut down. Sruthi Adi, 38, who has lived in Cambridge for eight years, pointed to the staircase she uses. "They're not exactly accessible," she said, adding that wind, foot traffic and water can make the stairs hard even for people without disabilities. "There's always something going on," she said. "The Red Line is delayed, the bus route changes … There's always something."

The delay comes as other Red Line improvements are also behind schedule. The MBTA recently confirmed that the arrival of more new Red Line cars has been delayed, the Boston Globe reported, as cited by Cambridge Day.

The MBTA's own project page explains why the work matters. It calls Central Square "one of Cambridge's busiest subway stations," with two underground platform levels, and says the project will bring the station up to current accessibility requirements and "provide extra elevators to ensure access to the station when one is out of service." The listed scope is a new elevator on the inbound platform, a new elevator on the outbound platform, replacement of the existing outbound elevator, and escalator and safety upgrades, with the stated benefit of "more reliable elevator and escalator service."

The report was produced through a partnership between Cambridge Day and the Boston University Department of Journalism's Newsroom Initiative.

Still unknown: the current budget, whether the station or its elevators will be closed during construction, and when the MBTA will send its first update to the project mailing list.