DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE
CONTEXT
WHERE/WHEN APPLICABLE
TESTIMONIES
LINKS

DESCRIPTION OF ISSUE:
There are two major issues related to the commuter rails in the Heart of the City. The first issue relates to commuter rails as barriers to the flow of people, especially from residential areas to open space. The second issue relates to transit justice and where commuter rails do and do not stop.

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CONTEXT:
Three commuter rails run through the Heart of the City. Two run south from Forest Hills Station through Roslindale -- one between the Arboretum and Washington Street, the other just west of Hyde Park Avenue. The third commuter rail line runs north/south through the outskirts of the Heart of the City east of Franklin Park, through Dorchester and Mattapan.

Collectively, these three commuter rails make a total of one stop in the Heart of the City (in Roslindale Village). In contrast to the Orange Line and the Southwest Corridor Park, which draw people to the area and do not function as a barrier to the flow of people, all three commuter rails in the Heart of the City function as barriers to the flow of people.

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WHERE/ WHEN APPLICABLE:
Washington Street neighborhood south of Forest Hills Station:
Roslindale residents living along Washington Street south of the Forest Hill Station are blocked on both sides by two commuter rails. In the fall of 2002, there is only one place where residents living in the Washington Street area can cross under the commuter rail to access the Arnold Arboretum -- along Archdale Road. The tunnel at the end of Arboretum Road is blocked with debris. According to the Andrea d'Amato, commissioner of the Boston Transportation Department, many residents bemoan their separation from the Arboretum by the commuter rail.

Hyde Park Avenue neighborhood:
Similarly, there are few places to cross over the commuter rail that runs parallel to Hyde Park Avenue. The rail separates neighborhoods, and the grassy open space that runs between the commuter rail and Hyde Park Avenue goes virtually unused.

There are two places where it is possible to cross over the commuter rail from Hyde Park Avenue. One is Brookway Road/ Stony Brook Avenue. The other is on Blakemore Street. Tollgate Way, which is next to a small, locked cemetery, is labeled on some maps as a connector across the commuter rail. It does not, however, connect to the other side.

Roslindale Village:
For residents who live close to Roslindale Village, the commuter rail has tremendous benefits and is typically not seen as a barrier. With 500 boarders each day, Roslindale Village is the most heavily utilized commuter rail station on this particular line. A pedestrian tunnel underneath the tracks allows residents of western Roslindale and other pedestrians to access Roslindale Village with no difficulty.

Proposed Indigo Line/ Fairmount Line:
Sections of Mattapan, Dorchester, and Roxbury that lie along the Fairmount Line are neither served by the commuter rail nor rapid transit rail. Local groups have lobbied for new commuter rail stations on the Fairmount Line. In August 2002, Michael Mulhern, general manager of the MBTA, expressed strong support for the new stations (tentatively located on Blue Hill Avenue, Talbot Avenue, and Columbia Road) and has set aside roughly half of the funds that will be required to accomplish this goal.

In January 2005, the MBTA plans to redevelop the trolley and bus terminal in Mattapan Square and also upgrade the Fairmont commuter rail on Morton Street (Robert Preer, "Square Talk: Why Not Aim Higher? City Looks at Big Picture In 3 Business Districts," The Boston Globe, January 9, 2005).

MBTA officials are hopeful that the new developments going up along the Dorchester section of the Fairmont line will increase the number of its riders and improve the chances for the creation of the proposed Indigo line (Ron DePasquale, "MBTA Eyes Upgrade for Dorchester Rail Line," The Boston Globe, March 7, 2004).

The Roxbury Strategic Master Plan published in 2004 reiterates this sentiment stating that planned improvements to the Fairmont Line should be completed to better integrate stations and service to the Roxbury community. According to the Plan, the MBTA has made a commitment of $35 million to implement a first phase of improvements for this underutilized commuter rail corridor.

In April 2005, the $40 million first phase of the MBTA's Fairmount line renovation project began at the Uphams Corner Station. Tracks and signals, six bridges, and the Morton Street Station will also be rehabilitated on the Fairmount line as part of the first phase of the project. The construction of four new stations -- Blue Hill Avenue, Talbot Avenue, Newmarket, and Four Corners/Geneva Avenue -- is also planned, although funding beyond the initial $40 million has not yet been secured. The project's total cost is pegged at $96 million. The Fairmount line currently has the lowest ridership in the system, but once the project is completed ridership is expected to jump from 2,800 per day to 7,300 per day. The Uphams Corner Station is expected to be completed in September 2006. (Mac Daniel, "T To Begin Upgrade of Fairmount Rail Corridor," The Boston Globe, April 14, 2005)

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TESTIMONIES:
"I don't see the commuter rail as a barrier at all. I think it is more convenient for people to get home and there is a walkway on and under the tracks that makes it easy for people to get where they want to go" (Carly Benson, Roslindale resident).

LINKS:

MBTA Commuter Rail Service

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