Judge Orders Boston to Stop Beacon Hill Ramp Construction

A Suffolk Superior Court judge has ordered Mayor Marty Walsh's administration to stop building accessibility ramps in historic Beacon Hill until the project undergoes state review.

The Boston Globe reports Judge Bonnie MacLeod sided with the Beacon Hill Civic Association and residents fighting the project, stating that city officials have been bypassing necessary legal steps in trying to construct the ramps.

The city proposed installing 238 pedestrian ramps with tactile warning strips throughout the neighborhood to comply with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Beacon Hill Civic Associated filed a complaint to stop the city from rebuilding or altering the sidewalks and streetscape in the historic district using what it called "historically inappropriate materials and designs."

Four ramps were installed last year but construction was suspended while the complaint was reviewed.