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Dear Riders,
 
 We hope this email finds you well. As the last few days of summer fly by, we appreciate your taking time to read our September newsletter.  Continue on to learn more about:

• Path of travel improvements at Park Street & Stony Brook
• United States Access Board finalizes PROWAG guidelines
• Get elevator alerts sent straight to your phone
• The Charlie Card Store moves back to Downtown Crossing
• Perkins School for the Blind -  Annual fundraiser
• White Cane Awareness Day at the Boston Statehouse
• RTAG General Meeting

Path of Travel Improvements at Park Street & Stony Brook Stations
  

Path of travel upgrades have recently been completed at Park Street and Stony Brook Stations. This work is part of the MBTA’s Plan for Accessible Transit Infrastructure (PATI), an effort that included identifying all of the meaningful accessibility barriers throughout our system and developing methods for prioritizing improvements. Barriers within the path of travel (broken sidewalks, curb ramps, crossings) are a core component of PATI. The improvements at Park Street and Stony Brook follow similar improvements made at JFK/UMass, Fields Corner, Savin Hill, and Malden Center last year. Path of travel upgrades at and near Back Bay Station are underway and will be completed this fall with more stations to follow. Check out a couple examples of the recent improvements below.
 
 
 Park Street Station
 
 Before:

 
 After:

 
 
Stony Brook Station
 
 Before:
 
 After:

 
  

United States Access Board Update

Did you know the United States Access Board published the final Pedestrian Rights of Way (PROW) guidelines in August 2023? The final guidelines are available at www.access-board.gov. Former Assistant General Manager of System-Wide Accessibility, Gary Talbot, and current Deputy Director of Inclusive Design & Engineering, Christopher Hart, were heavily involved in the guidelines during their appointments to the Board. The final guidelines describe the minimum accessibility requirements for sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and shared-use paths.
 
 Stay tuned for upcoming PROW webinars as well as US DOT & US DOJ adoption of the guidelines as official standards. 

Did You Know? You Can Get Elevator Alerts Sent Straight to Your Phone

Stay informed of all of the latest updates to plan your journey. Sign up for T-Alerts.

The Charlie Card Store is Moving Back to its Downtown Crossing Location 

Beginning September 5th, the CharlieCard Store reopened at 7 Chauncy Street in Downtown Crossing.
 
The CharlieCard Store is located at 7 Chauncy St, Boston, MA. You’ll find the store on the concourse between the Red and Orange lines at Downtown Crossing Station.
 
There are two accessible entrances with elevators and escalators. One is located within the Roche Bros. supermarket at 8 Summer St, Boston, MA. Another is located within the 101 Arch Street building at 32 Summer St, Boston, MA.
 
Learn More

Everybody In! Walk/Move for Perkins - It's not too late to sign up
 
 The 3rd Annual Everybody In! Walk/Move for Perkins fundraiser will be held on Saturday, September 30, 2023. The event's 3.7-mile walk begins at the historic Perkins School for the Blind campus, continues alongside the Charles River and through the Watertown Braille Trail, and then loops back to the starting line at Perkins.
 
After the walk, enjoy a festival of family-friendly activities, music, food, and more! Visit the Everybody In! Walk/Move for Perkins website to register, join a team, donate, and share.
 
 All are welcome to join SWA's Team #TAccess! Choose our team name from the dropdown menu of all teams after registering for the event.

Save the date - White Cane Day Celebration.
  

Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is excited to announce our annual White Cane Day celebration will be held in person for the first time in four years. The event was held virtually for the last three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  

Date: Friday, October 13, 2023
 Time: 11 AM to 1 PM.
 Location: Massachusetts State House – Great Hall, 24 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108
RSVP Required
  

For people who are blind/have low vision, the white cane is an essential tool to help people navigate and travel independently and safely.

On October 15, 1964, White Cane Day became a national observation in the United States to celebrate the abilities and achievements of people who are blind/have low vision. White Cane Day also brings awareness to drivers to identify and yield to pedestrians using a white cane or dog guide.
  

The Governor issues a proclamation every year to commemorate the observance of White Cane Day in Massachusetts.
  

We will announce the winners of the 3^rd Annual Meg Robertson Mobility Award, which recognizes people who demonstrate mobility skills at their level and incorporate the white cane into their lives to increase independence.
  

If you require an ADA accommodation, please submit the online request form or contact MCB's ADA Coordinator, Shauntay M. King, at (617) 894-4352 or Shauntay.M.King@mass.gov at least two weeks prior to the event. Every effort will be made to provide reasonable accommodations.

 Please stop by our MBTA System-Wide Accessibility table. We will be joined by the Community Engagement Team & the Mobility Center Team.

RTAG General Meeting

 Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023
Time: 3:00 PM–5:00 PM
Location: via Zoom
 
 This month’s Agenda:

1. Welcome & Zoom Directions
2. RTAG Co-Chair Update – Elizabeth Foster
3. SWA Updates - Laura Brelsford, AGM of System-Wide Accessibility 
   1. Accessibility-Related Marketing Campaign
4. Feedback Session for SWA
5. The RIDE Updates - Michele Stiehler - Chief of Paratransit Services 
   1. Self-service texting update
   2. Software procurement update
   3. More information on the status of UZURV and CURB
   4. RIDE eligibility reminders
6. Feedback Session for the RIDE
7. Closing Remarks

 Register in advance for the RTAG General Meeting
 
 The Riders' Transportation Access Group (RTAG) is a customer organization with a mission to advise the MBTA on transportation issues that affect people with disabilities and older adults. Please join us for our upcoming general meeting.
 All RTAG meetings are accessible to people with disabilities and people with limited English proficiency. Real-time captioning (CART) and an American Sign Language (ASL) interpreter will be provided for this meeting. Other accessibility accommodations and language services will be provided free of charge, upon request, as available.
 
To request a reasonable accommodation or language services, please email rtagboston@bostoncil.org or call Kat at 978-893-8100 at least two weeks before the meeting.
 
Sign up for the R-TAG newsletter

Safe & Accessible Travels,
 
 The Department of System-Wide Accessibility  

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