By Katie Sittig-Boyd
Staff Writer

After two years of closure due to undergoing construction, the newly renovated Government Center T station reopened for service on Monday, March 21.

Although the station underwent cosmetic changes, including the installation of a glassier, sleeker look, the primary motivation behind the construction was to ensure that the station complied with the Americans with Disabilities Act by establishing wheelchair accessibility within the station.

After the renovation, the station now includes two elevators, one each for the Blue Line and the Green Line, both of which the station services. These platforms are also sloped, which improves accessibility, according to MBTA General Manager Frank DePaola.

Prior to closing, the Government Center station was the most heavily used station lacking in accessibility, according to T usage data.

Presently, 71 percent of T subway stations as well as 76 percent of commuter rail stations are accessible, and the agency asserts that its elevators are operational upwards of 99 percent of the time. Additionally, the T’s buses are accessible, according to the MBTA.

Going forward, there are still several stations remaining which are not accessible, including Hynes, Symphony, and Boylston, and efforts may be directed toward renovating those stations in coming years.

Laura Brelsford, the MBTA’s assistant general manager of system-wide accessibility, said that accessibility and station repair work often go hand in hand, during a presentation to the T’s board last year.