Mattapan station

Last updated

Mattapan
Mattapan station from Neponset Trail bridge, August 2018.JPG
A PCC streetcar at Mattapan station in August 2018
General information
LocationRiver Street at Blue Hill Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts
Coordinates 42°16′03″N71°05′35″W / 42.26750°N 71.09306°W / 42.26750; -71.09306
Line(s) Milton Branch
Platforms1 side platform (deboarding)
1 island platform (boarding)
Tracks1 track on balloon loop; splits to 2 tracks for inbound boarding platform
ConnectionsAiga bus trans.svg MBTA bus: 24, 28, 29, 30, 31, 33, 245,  716
Construction
Parking100 spaces ($4.00 daily)
Bicycle facilities8 spaces
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedDecember 1, 1847
RebuiltAugust 24–December 21, 1929
June 24, 2006–December 22, 2007
Passengers
20231,310 daily boardings [1]
Services
Preceding station MBTA.svg MBTA Following station
Terminus Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line Capen Street
toward Ashmont
Former services
Preceding station New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Following station
Terminus Boston–​Mattapan Central Avenue
toward Boston
Location
Mattapan station

Mattapan station is an MBTA light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the southern terminus of the Mattapan Line, part of the Red Line, and is also an important MBTA bus transfer station, with eight routes terminating there. It is located at Mattapan Square in the Mattapan neighborhood. At the station, streetcars use a balloon loop to reverse direction back to Ashmont station. Mattapan station is fully accessible, with mini-high platforms.

Contents

History

Railroad station

Mattapan station in 1924 Mattapan station, September 1924.jpg
Mattapan station in 1924

The Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad opened from Neponset to the Upper Mills section of Dorchester (later called Mattapan) on December 1, 1847. It became part of the Old Colony Railroad system the next year. [2] A wooden station building was located on the east side of Brush Hill Turnpike (now Blue Hill Avenue) at Mattapan Square along with an engine house and turntable. [3] [4] The station was initially called Dorchester. [5] [6] [7] It was renamed Milton Upper Mills around 1852, then Mattapan by 1858. [8] [9] [10] [11] A freight house for the Tileston and Hollingsworth Company was added south of the station later in the century. [12]

The widening of Blue Hill Avenue in 1901 necessitated construction of a new station set 100 feet (30 m) further back from the road. [13] [14] An old passenger car began serving as a temporary station in August 1901. [15] The new stone building measured 26 by 45 feet (7.9 m × 13.7 m) with a 26-by-31-foot (7.9 m × 9.4 m) waiting room. A sheltered island platform served passenger trains. [13] [16] [17] The new station opened on July 4, 1902. [15]

Streetcar station

The 1929-built station in 2006 Mattapan MBTA station.jpg
The 1929-built station in 2006

Passenger service on the Milton Branch ended on August 24, 1929, for conversion of the line to rapid transit. The first segment of the Mattapan Line, a "high-speed" streetcar line, opened between Ashmont and Milton two days later. The second segment, between Milton and Mattapan, opened on December 21, 1929. [18] A streetcar transfer station and yard replaced the old rail yard. The station building was kept and converted for use by businesses. [4]

On May 5, 2006, the MBTA awarded a $6.2 million contract to replace the 1929-built station. [19] The MBTA closed the line on June 24 to allow a new viaduct to be constructed at Ashmont station. [20] During the closure, all stations on the line were modernized and (except for Valley Road) made accessible. The 1929-built shelter and platforms were replaced by modern platforms with canopies; a new building for MBTA police and bus operations with a community room was built. [21] Streetcar service resumed on December 22, 2007. [20]

In 2014, the MBTA made $500,000 in additional renovations to the station. These included upgraded shelters and heating in passenger waiting areas, pedestrian improvements, improved signage, and bicycle storage. [22]

The MBTA plans to convert the line to modern light rail equipment. All stations would have raised platforms for level boarding on the new vehicles; the existing Mattapan platforms would be replaced by a single island platform. An expanded maintenance facility for the line would be built next to the south busway. [1]

Transit-oriented development

The completed development in 2024 The Loop at Mattapan Station, September 2024.jpg
The completed development in 2024

As part of the first round of modernization, the MBTA began planning for mixed-use transit-oriented development (TOD) to be built on the underused station parking lot. [23] The planned development was not built, even after a second request for proposals was issued in 2012. [24] In July 2014, a local charter school announced plans to build a new building on the site, despite calls for a third RFP to be issued to attract TOD instead. [24] In January 2015, after opposition from local officials about the school's $1.5 million offer, the MBTA announced it would instead issue a third RFP that March. [25] The third RFP was issued in November 2015. [26]

In July 2016, the MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board selected the winner from two proposals for the property. [27] The winning bidder, POAH/Nuestra, will pay the MBTA $4.89 million over the first 20 years of a 99-year lease of the site, upon which they built 135 rental units and 12,000 square feet (1,100 m2) of ground-floor retail. 50 parking spaces were reserved for MBTA riders. [28] The project was approved by the city in 2018. [29] Financing was secured in November 2020, with construction starting shortly after for a planned 2022 completion. [30] The $57 million development, called "The Loop at Mattapan Station", opened in April 2023. [31]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red Line (MBTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Massachusetts, US

The Red Line is a rapid transit line operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) as part of the MBTA subway system. The line runs south and east underground from Alewife station in North Cambridge through Somerville and Cambridge, surfacing to cross the Longfellow Bridge then returning to tunnels under Downtown Boston. It continues underground through South Boston, splitting into two branches on the surface at JFK/UMass station. The Ashmont branch runs southwest through Dorchester to Ashmont station, where the connecting light rail Mattapan Line continues to Mattapan station. The Braintree branch runs southeast through Quincy and Braintree to Braintree station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mattapan Line</span> Light rail line in Boston and Milton, Massachusetts

The Mattapan Line is a partially grade-separated light rail line which forms part of the MBTA's Red Line rapid transit line. The line, which runs through Boston and Milton, Massachusetts, opened on August 26, 1929, as a conversion of a former commuter rail line. It exclusively uses PCC streetcars built in the 1940s. Passengers must transfer at Ashmont to access the rest of the Red Line, which uses heavy rail metro rolling stock.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">JFK/UMass station</span> Transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

JFK/UMass station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transfer station, located adjacent to the Columbia Point area of Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts. It is served by the rapid transit Red Line; the Greenbush Line, Kingston/Plymouth Line, and Middleborough/Lakeville Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system, and three MBTA bus routes. The station is named for the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum and the University of Massachusetts Boston, both located nearby on Columbia Point.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston-area streetcar lines</span>

As with many large cities, a large number of Boston-area streetcar lines once existed, and many continued operating into the 1950s. However, only a few now remain, namely the four branches of the Green Line and the Ashmont–Mattapan High-Speed Line, with only one running regular service on an undivided street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fields Corner station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Fields Corner station is a rapid transit station on the Ashmont branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Red Line, located in the Fields Corner district of Dorchester, Boston, Massachusetts. It is a major transfer point for MBTA bus service, serving routes 15, 17, 18, 19, 201, 202, and 210. The station opened in 1927 and was completely rebuilt from 2004 to 2008, making it fully accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashmont station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Ashmont station is a Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) intermodal transit station located at Peabody Square in the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the southern terminus of the Ashmont branch of the rapid transit Red Line, the northern terminus of the connecting light rail Mattapan Line, and a major terminal for MBTA bus service. Ashmont has two side platforms serving the below-grade Red Line and a single side platform on an elevated balloon loop for the Mattapan Line. The station is fully accessible for all modes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Savin Hill station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Savin Hill station is a rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Ashmont branch of the MBTA's Red Line. It is located at 121 Savin Hill Avenue adjacent to Sydney Street in the Savin Hill area of the Dorchester neighborhood. Opened in 1845 as a commuter rail station, Savin Hill was converted to rapid transit in 1927 and rebuilt in 2004–05 for accessibility. Averaging 2,199 daily boardings by a FY 2019 count, Savin Hill is the least-used station on the Red Line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wood Island station</span> Rapid transit station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Wood Island station is an MBTA Blue Line rapid transit station located off Bennington Street in the Day Square section of East Boston, Boston, Massachusetts. The station is adjacent to and named for the former Wood Island Park, a once heavily used recreational area for East Boston residents. Most of the park was destroyed in the mid 1960s to expand Logan International Airport. It was built in 1952, replacing a pair of Boston, Revere Beach and Lynn Railroad stations that served the area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Broadway station (MBTA)</span> Subway station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Broadway station is a subway station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA's Red Line. It is located at the intersection of Dorchester Avenue and Broadway in South Boston. It was opened on December 15, 1917, as part of the Dorchester Extension from Downtown Crossing to Andrew. The station has a single island platform to serve the two tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beachmont station</span> Rapid transit station in Revere, Massachusetts, US

Beachmont station is an elevated rapid transit station in Revere, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Blue Line, and is located above Winthrop Avenue in the Beachmont neighborhood. Beachmont station is fully accessible, with elevators from the lobby to the platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Suffolk Downs station</span> Metro station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Suffolk Downs station is a rapid transit station on the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Blue Line, located on the east side of Orient Heights in East Boston, Massachusetts, United States. It is named for the now-defunct Suffolk Downs racetrack, located just to the north. Suffolk Downs station has two side platforms, with a footbridge structure of brick, concrete, and steel connecting them. The station is accessible. With just 521 daily boardings in FY 2019, Suffolk Downs is the least-used fare-controlled station on the MBTA subway system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shawmut station</span> Subway station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Shawmut station is a subway station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the Ashmont branch of the MBTA's Red Line. It is located on Dayton Street in the Dorchester neighborhood. The station, the only underground station on the Red Line south of Andrew station, sits in a shallow cut-and-cover subway tunnel that runs from Park Street south to Peabody Square where it surfaces at Ashmont station. Shawmut opened along with Ashmont on September 1, 1928, as part of a southward extension of the Cambridge–Dorchester line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Milton station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts, US

Milton station is a light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts. Located in the Dorchester-Milton Lower Mills Industrial District, it serves the MBTA's Mattapan Line. This station is accessible via wooden ramps on both platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cedar Grove station</span> Light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Cedar Grove station is a light rail station on the Mattapan Line located in the southern part of the Dorchester neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. The station, named for the adjacent Cedar Grove Cemetery, has two side platforms serving the line's two tracks. It is accessible via wooden ramps on both platforms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butler station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Boston

Butler station is a light rail station in Boston, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Mattapan Line. It is located at Butler Street in the Lower Mills section of the Dorchester neighborhood. It serves a small residential area sandwiched between the Neponset River, Cedar Grove Cemetery, and Dorchester Park. Butler station has no MBTA bus connections. It is accessible via a wooden mini-high ramp on the station's single island platform.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Avenue station (MBTA)</span> Light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts, US

Central Avenue station is a light rail station located off Central Avenue near Eliot Street in Milton, Massachusetts. It serves the Mattapan Line, a branch of the MBTA Red Line. Central Avenue consists of two side platforms which serve the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line's two tracks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Valley Road station</span> Light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts, US

Valley Road station is a light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA's Mattapan Line, a branch of the Red Line. The station is located off Eliot Street near Valley Road and consists of two side platforms that serve the lines's two tracks. Valley Road is the only station on the Line that is not accessible.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capen Street station</span> Light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts, US

Capen Street station is a light rail station in Milton, Massachusetts. It serves the MBTA Mattapan Line. It is located on Capen Street off Eliot Street; the westernmost of the four MBTA stations in Milton, it consists of two side platforms flanking the eponymous street's grade crossing. The platforms are staggered to allow trains to make the stop at Capen Street before crossing the street itself, as there is no signal at the grade crossing. Capen Street is accessible via wooden ramps on both platforms. Capen Street opened in September 1930 as an infill station on the line.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad</span> Former rail line in Massachusetts, US

The Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad was a railroad in Massachusetts. It ran between Neponset Village in Dorchester, Massachusetts, through the town of Milton to the village of Mattapan. It was opened in 1847 and became part of the Old Colony Railroad system in 1848. The western portion was converted to a streetcar line in 1929, while the eastern portion remained in use for freight until the 1980s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blue Hill Avenue station</span> Train station in Boston, Massachusetts, US

Blue Hill Avenue station is a regional rail station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Fairmount Line located in the Mattapan neighborhood of Dochester, Boston, Massachusetts. The station consists of a center island platform between the line's two tracks, with handicapped-accessible ramps to Blue Hill Avenue and Cummins Highway. Originally intended to open along with Newmarket, Four Corners/Geneva, and Talbot Avenue, it was significantly delayed due to local controversy. Construction began in 2017, and the station opened on February 25, 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 "Mattapan Line Transformation Public Information Meeting" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. June 20, 2023.
  2. ↑ Jacobs, Warren (October 1928). "Dates of Some of the Principal Events in the History of 100 Years of the Railroad in New England. 1826-1926". Railway and Locomotive Historical Society Bulletin . 17. Railway and Locomotive Historical Society: 15–28. JSTOR   43504499.
  3. ↑ "Plate Q: S. W. Part of Ward 16, Dorchester" (Map). Atlas of the county of Suffolk, Massachusetts : vol. 3rd including Boston and Dorchester : from actual surveys and official records. 1:7,200. G.M. Hopkins & Co. 1874. pp. 70–71.
  4. 1 2 Roy, John H. Jr. (2007). A Field Guide to Southern New England Railroad Depots and Freight Houses. Branch Line Press. p. 190. ISBN   9780942147087.
  5. ↑ Cobb, Charles (September 1850). American railway guide, and pocket companion, for the United States. Pathfinder Office. p. 91.
  6. ↑ "Old Colony Railroad". Boston Evening Transcript. January 1, 1848. p. 1 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Board in the Country [Advertisement]". Boston Evening Transcript. May 15, 1848. p. 3 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ ABC Pathfinder Railway Guide. New England Railway Publishing Company. June 1858. p. 8 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ Barrett, Richard C. (1996). Boston's Terminals and Depots: A History of Downtown Boston's Railroad Stations. Railroad Research Publications. p. 215. ISBN   9781884650031.
  10. ↑ "Old Colony Railroad Summer Arrangement". Boston Evening Transcript. April 5, 1852. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ↑ "Old Colony & Newport Railway". Boston Evening Transcript. October 4, 1866. p. 4 – via Newspapers.com.
  12. ↑ Bromley, George Washington; Bromley, Walter Scott (1894). "Part of Ward 24, City of Boston" (Map). Atlas of the city of Boston : Dorchester, Mass. 1:2,400. Vol. 5. Plate 38.
  13. 1 2 "Mattapan's Bijou Station Building". The Boston Globe. March 14, 1902. p. 11 – via Newspapers.com.
  14. ↑ "Widening Blue Hill Avenue". Boston Evening Transcript. May 14, 1901. p. 7 – via Newspapers.com.
  15. 1 2 "New Mattapan Station Opened". The Boston Globe. July 5, 1902. p. 6 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts (Map). 1:1,200. Sanborn Map Company. 1908. p. 113.
  17. ↑ Bromley, George Washington; Bromley, Walter Scott (1910). "Part of Ward 24, City of Boston" (Map). Atlas of the city of Boston: Dorchester. 1:2,400. Plate 39.
  18. ↑ Cheney, Frank (2002). Boston's Red Line: Bridging the Charles from Alewife to Braintree. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 96, 97, 99. ISBN   9780738510477.
  19. ↑ "Mattapan Station To Get Upgrade" (Press release). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. May 5, 2006.
  20. 1 2 Belcher, Jonathan. "Changes to Transit Service in the MBTA district" (PDF). Boston Street Railway Association.
  21. ↑ "T projects: Mattapan Station". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Archived from the original on April 2, 2008. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  22. ↑ "Mattapan Station Improvements". Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. February 2014. Archived from the original on August 10, 2016.
  23. ↑ Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. "Mattapan Square Station TOD - Mattapan, Boston, MA" (PDF). Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 24, 2014.
  24. 1 2 Dezenski, Lauren (July 10, 2014). "Charter school wants to buy T lot in Mattapan Square and move there". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved July 24, 2014.
  25. ↑ Dezenski, Lauren (January 8, 2015). "MBTA backs off on Boston Prep school's $1.5m offer, puts Mattapan Square parking lot back on market". Dorchester Reporter. Retrieved January 9, 2015.
  26. ↑ Massachusetts Realty Group (November 18, 2015). "Invitation to Bid: Sale of Land". Boston Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved February 12, 2016.
  27. ↑ "MBTA: Transit-Oriented Projects in Beverly & Mattapan". MassDOT Blog (Press release). Massachusetts Department of Transportation. July 26, 2016. Archived from the original on August 25, 2016.
  28. ↑ "Mattapan Station Transit-Oriented Development" (PDF). Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. July 25, 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 11, 2016.
  29. ↑ Nelson, Caleb (August 15, 2019). "Residents get closer look at updated Mattapan Station project". Dorchester Reporter.
  30. ↑ "The Loop at Mattapan Station: Greater Mattapan Neighborhood Council Meeting" (PDF). POAH & Nuestra Comunidad. February 25, 2021.
  31. ↑ Woodard, Tiana (April 25, 2023). "Mattapan Station housing development opens its doors". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on April 26, 2023.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.