Mattapan

Mattapan is the southern terminus of the Ashmont–Mattapan High Speed Line, located at Mattapan Square in the Mattapan neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. At the station, trolleys use a balloon loop to reverse direction back to Ashmont. Mattapan is also an important bus transfer station, with ten routes terminating there.Mattapan station is fully handicapped accessible, with mini-high platforms for boarding trolleys.HistoryThe Ashmont–Mattapan Line follows the right-of-way of the Dorchester and Milton Branch Railroad, which opened to Mattapan in December 1847. The line was converted to an interurban-style trolley line in the 1920s, with the final section to Mattapan opening on December 21, 1929. The stone depot building, now a restaurant, stands adjacent in Mattapan Square.The MBTA closed the line on June 24, 2006 to allow a new viaduct to be constructed at Ashmont station. During the closure, all stations on the line were modernized and (except for Valley Road) made handicapped accessible. The decrepit 1929-built shelter and old platforms were replaced by modern platforms with canopies; a new building for MBTA police and bus operations with a community room was built. Trolley service resumed on December 22, 2007.In 2014, the MBTA proposed to make $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.