Another Fairmount station, oh my. Yeah, I just don’t have much to say here.
The station can be found on, you guessed it, Blue Hill Avenue in Mattapan. And yes, it’s easily distinguished by the MBTA globe thingy on the street. Heading in is a ramp and, because this is the newest Commuter Rail station on the whole system (that is, as of October 2022), full high level platforms. There’s also a CharlieCard reader, some benches, canopies, wastebins, and electronic signage. There also happened to be people from the MBTA present swapping out the schedule plaques for updated ones that go into effect shortly after me writing this. However, there’s also another entrance from Cummins Highway, which I didn’t take a look at but I have no reason to believe it’s anything special.
The good: It’s pretty much located in central-ish Mattapan. Also being a zone 1A station, it’s $2.40 to take the train from here to South Station, while similarly-distanced stations (e.g. Hyde Park or Roslindale) would cost $6.50 for a zone 1 fare. It’s also within walking distance of the Mattapan light rail line, being half a mile. The cut-in aesthetic with the rocks is also nice, giving it some character.
The bad: I mean, there’s not much to write home about. Furthermore, the fact you can’t pay for zone 2 fares with a CharlieCard is kinda a bummer here. But I’m not sure how many people actually go from here to Readville.
Nearby points of interest: You have the Mattapan line nearby! There’s also a few shops lining Blue Hill Ave., and a number of churches nearby.
Transit connections:
Commuter Rail (Fairmount)
MBTA bus (28, 29, 31 at Blue Hill Ave., 30 at Cummins Hwy.)
Overall, it’s a pretty good station. Just, COME ON MBTA, LET US PAY COMMUTER RAIL FARES WITH CHARLIECARDS FOR ZONES OTHER THAN 1A, AND PLEASE INSTALL CHARLIECARD READERS AT THE OTHER ZONE 1A STATIONS!
Rating: 8.5/10
I LOVE THE MBTA!!!