eInsights - August 2010

Massachusetts Mom Advocates for $2M to Upgrade Neighborhood Train Station

When Jean Batty and her husband relocated their three children to Winchester, Massachusetts in 2007, they chose a beautiful home in part because of the ease of public transportation and the excellent local school system. Nestled about 20 minutes outside of Boston, Winchester offered just want they wanted with one unknown exception – their nearby commuter rail stations did not offer accessibility for their then 2 ½ -year-old son, Theo, who lives with Spina Bifida and uses a wheelchair. The stay-at-home mom, and then future Chair of the local Disability Access Commission, decided to take action for change at the Wedgemere Train Station by working with local, state, and national leaders to work on making the platform to accessible.

Working with the Massachusetts transit authority
It was painful for Jean to watch the commuter rail go by every day knowing that her son could not ride it because the steep boarding steps would prove too much to conquer. She began to research her options in changing the platform accessibility at Wedgemere. In 2008, she met a strong ally in Gary Talbot, Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) Assistant General Manager, System-Wide Accessibility.

Gary informed Jean of the challenges of changing the current system and that in order to do so, she would need an approval letter from the Federal Transportation Administration (FTA). Since Wedgemere was not considered a key station (not as heavily used as other stations) there was no legal requirement for the MBTA to make it accessible. If the MBTA elected to make the station accessible, the FTA would require full installation of high platforms - platforms that allow for level boarding at all train doors and run the entire length of the platform. Unfortunately, these cost about $7-10M and were not technically feasible at all stations.

Undeterred by this expensive and overwhelming option, Jean soldiered on. With local support from politicians, the MBTA, and the members of her local Disability Access Commission, she lobbied for an alternative solution. Learning that mini-high platforms, similar to those of the 90’s, would be more cost efficient, she advocated for this accessibility method. While not an ideal solution because they provided only one ramp to a mini-high platform that serves one door on two cars, she determined that they would provide functionality at a much lower cost.

Now equipped with a viable solution, she kicked her advocacy skills into higher gear.

Key political figures
In pursuit of FTA approval, Jean began a comprehensive campaign by calling on members of Congress and others who worked on disability and transportation to listen to her story. She targeted leaders at different political levels and subsequently worked with Congressman Ed Markey, MA Secretary of Transportation Jeffrey Mullan, Governor Duval Patrick’s office, and Senators John Kerry and Edward M. Kennedy. A perfect mix of passion and skill culminated at every turn as their surprising eagerness to help spurred her on.

After numerous phone calls, emails, meetings, and daunting speeches (a task that she dislikes), MBTA received approval from the FTA in July 2009 to install the mini-high platforms. Not resting on her laurels, she immediately began pursuit of funding utilizing these key players.

The hard work paid off
To Jean’s delight, $7M in funds became available due to a cancelled transportation (ferry) project. This meant that she was steps closer to making the station’s upgrade a reality.

In 2009, at a Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting, Massachusetts State Representative Jason Lewis argued passionately for $2M for the project. That night the board voted and approved the funding for the project. Jean and her team were beyond elated. Governor Patrick’s office gave final approval soon after, with groundbreaking scheduled for this fall.

Putting a face on the problem
When asked what the pivotal moment was in the whole process, she recalled making a video of Theo at the train station attempting to get to a Red Sox baseball game, one of the family’s beloved pastimes. When she submitted it to a local contest, the overwhelming response reassured her that it could put a face on the problem.

Watch the Video

Jean’s final thoughts on advocacy
This victorious advocate refers to herself as the squeaky wheel on the local, state, and federal levels. She asserted, “First you need to get permission, then you go after the money whether it’s an earmark or stimulus funds. We were lucky because federal stimulus money became available. It meant a lot of networking with a lot of people in different positions, and you just keep going until you get what you want.”

This grassroots campaign came at the expense of giving up a little privacy, but it was worth it. It got like minds together, and they made it work. Gary Talbot likes to point out that although it required the power of many voices; it started with just one and is proof that one voice can make a difference.