By MADISON KORMAN
PHOTO CREDIT: Madison Korman
The College Park MARC station is set to receive $1.4 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to improve accessibility and safety.
Improvements include a 600-foot-long low platform to make it easier for passengers with disabilities to board and disembark. DOT’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds will also be used for wheelchair lifts, elevator shelters and improvements to digital arrivals and departures displays.
“Our public transportation system is for everyone and should be accessible to all,” said Senator Ben Cardin (D-Maryland) in a press release. “These important improvements will improve safety and provide equal access to public transportation for our MARC riders with disabilities, especially in College Park, a major transportation hub for Maryland students.”
Funding from the DOT program supports the repair and modernization of station infrastructure across the country to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities, including wheelchair users. Locally, the Germantown and Odenton MARC stations are also being modernized.
Frank White, a 69-year-old Berwyn Heights resident, commutes daily on the MARC train from College Park to Union Station in the District. He said he experiences various types of platforms on his trips, from raised ones to nonexistent ones.
“Ground-level platforms would be nice because you can get right off the train and not have to worry about tripping or falling,” White said. “Overall, I think it’s a good idea.”
During rush hour on a recent Monday morning, a conductor at College Park Station set up a stool to help commuters board and alight the train, which was significantly higher than the ground.
White said he sometimes has difficulty getting in and out.
“It’s high and you have to climb up the step (stool),” White said.
The College Park MARC station, which began service in 1984, is not ADA compliant. DOT funding will allow the Metropolitan Transit Authority to make the College Park station compliant.
The College Park MARC station is connected to Metrobus service and the University of Maryland Shuttle. The station will also connect to the Purple Line light rail when that service is available. It serves as a multimodal hub for commuters between Baltimore and DC, workers in the DC metropolitan area, and UMD students, staff, and faculty.
“This grant will help improve accessibility for people in College Park and throughout the region,” said Ramon Korionoff, communications director for U.S. Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md. “Improving the experience for (MARC) passengers will help people with disabilities increase their employment and training opportunities.”
