FTA awards $232.8 million to make aging transit stations more accessible

The Federal Transit Administration selected eight transit accessibility projects in five states for a total of $232.827 million, giving agencies federal funding to address barriers at older rail and trolley stations.

Announced September 10, 2026, the awards will support work such as elevators, raised platforms, passenger-crossing improvements and platform rehabilitation. The projects are intended to improve access for wheelchair users, seniors, passengers with strollers and other riders who cannot reliably use stairs or uneven platforms.

Where the money is going

The FTA project list includes two California projects: $2.424 million for San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency improvements on the N Judah line and $14.147 million for an Americans with Disabilities Act improvement project at San Francisco’s 22nd Street Station.

In Illinois, Metra received three awards totaling $68.192 million. The grants include $23.5 million for Hubbard Woods Station, $17.752 million for the 111th Street station at Pullman National Park and $26.94 million for Olympia Fields Station.

The Maryland Transit Administration received $48.064 million for accessibility and infrastructure improvements at MARC stations. The FTA identified platform and passenger-crossing work at Martin State Airport Station and Metropolitan Grove Station.

The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority received $20 million to rehabilitate platforms at seven Green Line light-rail stations. GCRTA said the work will include new concrete platforms with tactile warning panels, redesigned ramps, sidewalk replacement, an elevated platform section for train access and improved parking access. The agency also said the project includes a $5 million local match.

The largest award, $80 million, went to the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority for accessibility improvements at its 22nd, 33rd and 36th Street trolley stations.

What SEPTA riders can expect

SEPTA’s three Philadelphia stations are expected to receive raised platforms, wayfinding tools and elevators connecting street level with underground boarding areas. The stations were built in 1955 and are currently accessible only by stairs, according to PhillyVoice.

SEPTA told PhillyVoice that construction at the three stations is expected to begin between 2027 and 2028 and finish by 2030. The agency said long-term closures have not been planned at this stage, although temporary shuttle buses or other disruptions could be needed during work in track areas.

Funding does not mean construction has started

The federal announcement is a project selection and funding commitment, not confirmation that all construction is underway or that the stations will become accessible on the same date.

FTA describes the targeted sites as legacy stations, including many built before 1990, that may not fully serve wheelchair users or passengers with strollers. In practice, barriers can include stairs, platform gaps, low or uneven boarding areas, inaccessible crossings and limited routes between the street and train.

Project timing will depend on each agency’s grant agreements, local matching funds, design work, procurement and construction planning. GCRTA has not announced a single completion date for its seven-station project in the materials reviewed for this article.

What happens next

Riders should watch their local transit agencies for construction notices, station closures, detours, shuttle information and updated completion dates. The next milestones are likely to include formal grant agreements, design and procurement steps, local funding decisions and agency-specific construction schedules.

Sources

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