On Monday afternoon, elected officials and accessibility advocates convened in Natick to celebrate the grand opening of the new, fully-accessible Natick Center station on the Framingham-Worcester Line.
Before the new platforms opened last month, Natick Center had been among the MBTA's busiest stations that didn't meet Americans with Disabilities Act standards for accessibility.
Dr. Jennifer Harnish, executive director of the Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired and a Natick resident, spoke about her satisfaction with the new accessibility features of the new station, including audible announcements for arriving trains, elevators, better lighting, and tactile warning strips along the edge of the new platforms.
"I'm just so thrilled that I'll be able to continue using public transit, to be active not just as a worker in the community, but as a parent, (and) as a child of parents who are no longer able to drive," said Harnish.
Other features of the new station include sheltered bike parking (pictured below) and a new bike and pedestrian bridge over the tracks between Main Street and Washington Street.
The project took more than five and a half years to complete, with a budget of $40 million. The original construction plan called for the project to be finished by 2022, but the Covid-19 pandemic delayed work considerably.
Rail trail connection, third track coming later
The project will eventually include a direct connection from the end of the outbound platform (on the north side of the tracks) to the Cochituate Rail Trail.
However, that short connection is still under construction, and won't be open for a few more months, according to MBTA officials.
In the interim, pedestrians and bicyclists can access the trail via Mechanic Street, off Main Street two blocks north of the station.
The new station's design also makes space between the inbound and outbound tracks for the addition of a third express track, which could be necessary for future service improvements on the crowded Framingham-Worcester Line.
