Abington, MA — 7/30/2025 – The Abington Select Board has formally requested that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) attend a public meeting in Abington to address ongoing safety failures at the town’s seven grade crossings.
In the past year alone, Abington has experienced at least 35 incidents involving malfunctioning crossing gates, including gates that failed to lower when trains approached and gates that remained down long after trains passed. A recent incident saw all seven crossings fail simultaneously, requiring police to reroute traffic across multiple parts of town for extended periods.
“These repeated failures pose unacceptable safety risks and place a significant financial and operational burden on our police and first responders,” said Town Manager Scott J. Lambiase. “We have raised these concerns with the MBTA multiple times, but the continued malfunctions make it clear that stronger action is needed.”
The Town has asked MBTA leadership to appear before the Board of Selectmen at a mutually convenient time to explain what corrective measures will be taken and how the authority plans to prevent future disruptions.
Copies of the Town’s letter have also been sent to Governor Maura Healey, Secretary of Transportation Monica Tibbits-Nutt, Senator John Keenan, and Representative Alyson Sullivan-Almeida.
For more information, contact: Scott J. Lambiase Town Manager, Town of Abington
781-982-2100