15th Street (SEPTA Station) - ADA Reconstruction

ADA Reconstruction

Dating back to 1907, 15th Street was an original station along the Market-Frankford Line, and was not designed for ADA accessibility. In 2003, SEPTA rebuilt the station escalators, for which a lawsuit was filed by the Disabled in Action of Pennsylvania, citing that renovating one critical component would require the rest of the station complex (Including City Hall on the BSL) to be renovated, per building code requirements. As such, SEPTA would be required to make the station ADA accessible. SEPTA and the City of Philadelphia had been proposing a US $100,000,000 refurbishment of City Hall Station, which included structural repairs, improvements in lighting and ventilation, aesthetic improvements, as well as ADA improvements. However, the project's progression had stalled due to lack of funds. In November 2011, the Central Philadelphia Development Corporation had awarded construction contracts for the restoration of the Dilworth Plaza above the station, following the eviction of the Occupy Philly protesters occupying the area, which includes the accessibility improvements for the station. SEPTA awarded construction contracts for the improvements in January 2012.