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Sustainable Design in the MBTA Capital Program

Government Center Station
Government Center Station

The MBTA ensures that our design and construction projects enhance the environment while minimizing our carbon footprint.

The Envision Certification process guides all projects at the MBTA. It was created by the Institute for Sustainable Infrastructure to build a more sustainable public infrastructure. In addition, the Leadership and Environmental Energy Design (LEED) standards, set by the US Green Building Council, guide building design.

These programs provide a framework to identify sustainable approaches for planning, design, and construction—approaches that will carry on through the operations, maintenance, and end-of-life phases.

Major Projects

The MBTA incorporates energy efficiency, climate resiliency, natural resource protection, and other sustainability elements into each of our projects to ensure they have the smallest environmental impact possible.

Learn more about how we’re Building a Better T

Historic Preservation

Many of the MBTA’s stations, bridges, and facilities are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The MBTA is committed to preserving that history as we modernize our transit system and meet the functional and architectural goals of each project.

Historic Resource Documentation

The MBTA often does a full photo-documentation of historical structures before alterations or demolition begins. This provides a record of historical elements—materials, craftsmanship,  architectural elements, setting, and context—before we make any changes to any buildings.  

The MBTA has photo documentation of many historic properties: 

Photo-documentation is often required by Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, as well as the Memorandum of Agreement between the MBTA, the Federal Transit Administration, the Massachusetts Historic Commission, and the local historic commission.

Building a Better T

As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.

Learn more

Building a Better T

As part of our $9.6 billion, 5-year capital investment plan, we're renovating stations, modernizing fare collection systems, upgrading services for our buses, subways, and ferries, and improving the accessibility of the entire system.

Learn more