Friday, December 8, 2000

The MBTA is toying with the idea of transforming the Fairmount commuter rail line into a more traditional rapid transit line, increasing the frequency of trains and adding stops throughout Dorchester and Mattapan.

Today the T will begin searching for a consultant to look at ways to improve service on the 9.1-mile line between South Station and Hyde Park. But officials warn that any potential overhauls will have to wait until the agency or those pushing for improvements identify a funding stream.

Staff graphic by Lee Ann Gun

``We're taking a cautious look at this,'' said Robert H. Prince Jr., general manager of the T. ``We'll first see how this (consultant's) report comes out.''

Currently the Fairmount trains run every half-hour during peak periods and once an hour off-peak Monday through Friday. There are three intermediate stops at Uphams Corner, Morton Street and Fairmount.

But a coalition that includes the MBTA Advisory Board, neighborhood groups and local politicians is clamoring for better access and more trips.

``If you look at a map of where the T's rapid transit lines run now, you see there's a big gap in this area,'' said Marvin Miller, executive director of the Four Corners Action Coalition. ``To me, this is a no-brainer. The ridership is there.''

To get downtown now, people in that section of Dorchester - the most densely populated on the route along with Grove Hall - have to bus it over to either the Red Line or Orange Line or switch to another bus at Dudley Station.

``The (Fairmount) train passes through daily and we have no access to it,'' said Rupert Moore, who lives on Ellington Street. ``There's a great demand for (more stations).''

The Advisory Board has gone so far as to float a proposal that would remake the Fairmount line into a kind of commuter rail-Red Line hybrid called the Indigo Line, featuring six new stops and trains rumbling through every 15 minutes and on weekends.

``There's a lot of untapped potential there,'' said Noah Berger, a transit policy analyst for the board. ``We're very pleased to see the T is taking an interest in it, even if it's at a fairly scaled-back level.''

While there's no mention of Fairmount line upgrades anywhere in the MBTA's five-year capital spending plan and some agency officials shudder when they hear the phrase ``Indigo Line,'' spending $50,000 is an indication that the T recognizes a need to beef up its service there.

The consultant's job will be limited to looking at short-term fixes - opening additional stations, adding trips and expanding hours.