Riders are weighing in on the future of the Mattapan line’s rare, vintage fleet of trolleys. The line, which opened in 1929, is a vital connection to the city’s transit network for 6,600 daily riders. For some, it's a beloved object of nostalgia that shuttles passengers along a scenic route between the Red Line's Ashmont T stop and Mattapan Square.
But the cars that have been in continuous service since 1955 are aging, and Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority officials are asking members of the public what they would like to see in the next generation of vehicles.
The six options for different kinds of vehicles range in estimated price from $190 million to $260 million. They include: heavy upgrades to the current cars, two categories of buses, historic-looking replica trolley cars, completely new cars, or using cars originally procured for the Green Line. Erik Stoothoff, the MBTA's chief engineer, said the new cars or Green Line cars would be “the most likely solutions” for the trolley line.
Stoothoff cited problems with the current cars, known as Presidential Conference Committee or PCC cars, when it comes to riders with disabilities.
"There's very little that we could do to make them an accessible vehicle for the future operation of the line," Stoothoff told WGBH News. "One of our first principles is that this line will be an accessible service, and the PCC cars cannot be made accessible with on-board equipment."
Catherine Bly of Milton said riding on one of the current cars, built by Pullman-Standard, was “like going back in time."
“It’s a little treasure to travel on these trolleys,” she said while waiting for one of the orange-and-cream-colored cars at the Ashmont station. “Even though they’re clunky and they break down, I just appreciate that they still exist after so many years.”
Other riders, like Stephanie Thimote of Dorchester, respond to the cars with less fondness.
“I do not like the screeching,” Thimote said. “I don’t feel comfortable riding on it, but, you know, you have no choice,” she explained, pointing to an unreliable bus as her only alternative.
"[The trolleys are] historic, we love them," she said. "But you know, that's what museums are for. We use these things. We need these things to work."
Thimote said besides repairs, safety and accessibility upgrades, something needs to be done about the trolley's vehicles — as cataloged in a $1 million study by CH2M Hill Inc. The company, now part of Jacobs Engineering Group Inc., was paid to evaluate current systems conditions and future options related to the line's infrastructure and operation.
MBTA officials said the agency is currently spending $7.9 million on a fleet upgrade as part of the first phase of upgrading the line. The investment is intended to support service of the PCC cars for the next eight to 10 years, buying time to choose and begin phasing in another type of vehicle. Though rated favorably by the MBTA, the Green Line repurposing option drew pushback from some who attended the MBTA's first meeting about the line's future last month in Mattapan.
“It just sounds like once again, Mattapan is getting a hand-me-down,” said Donovan Birch Jr. after asking MBTA presenters to look favorably at procuring new light rail vehicles. “To me, in this neighborhood where I’ve lived my whole life, and there’s always been hand-me-downs, and literally, three generations of my family have seen the same train — a hand-me-down is symbolically disrespectful.”
With an estimated price tag of $260 million, the option for new light rail vehicles is the most expensive of the six. Two state lawmakers who represent portions of Mattapan attended the meeting and said they favor the cheaper plan to use previously procured cars. Rep. Daniel R. Cullinane told WGBH News after the meeting that while he’s still waiting for public comments and other information, repurposing Green Line cars is a “strong” move that would save money while still upgrading service.
"If they're already procured, they're new considering the lifespan of the vehicle, fully accessible, fully capable of plowing through all sorts of weather and snow, fully new with regard to technology, then let's use all of that other money that otherwise would've had to go towards procuring a vehicle, towards improving the stations and improving the experience for the passengers that get on," Cullinane said, adding that he wants to hear more about how any vehicle on the line will be maintained in the future. "If we have the right vehicle and it could be maintained in the right way, I think that's what's in the best interest of the community."
Rep. Russell E. Holmes said after the meeting it’s the “most practical” of the vetted options, and that “a new model” of trolley that's incapable of sharing parts with other vehicles in the MBTA’s fleet would likely increase maintenance costs.
At a second community meeting in Milton, riders expressed optimism about newer vehicles coming to the line, while trolley enthusiasts seemed resigned to the idea that the cars are nearing their end.
"I think that people want to maintain our light rail system," said Milton Select Board Chair Richard G. Wells Jr., noting the community's preference for rail over buses. "But even me," he said, pointing to both his sense of nostalgia about the trains and his understanding of modern traffic and transportation concerns, "by bringing in a more efficient, larger, all-accessible [vehicle], it's probably the smart way to go."
Milton Select Board member Kathleen Conlon echoed the community's preference for light rail rather than switching to bus service, even if it means new vehicles.
"I don't anyone is wedded to the PCC cars themselves. I think everyone understands they're out of date, they're not modern, there needs to be a more modern system. We would just like to preserve light rail," Conlon said. During the meeting, she inquired about the $220 million replica trolley option, suggesting that it may be a way to maintain historic charm and light rail service.
MBTA officials say there's no timeline, but the MBTA Control Board will make a decision some time after the public input period concludes in about a month or so.
“The ongoing rehabilitation of the existing trolley fleet will give decision-makers a lot of time to carefully consider the options available,” an MBTA spokesperson told WGBH News.
“I still want to be able to get into Boston,” said Milton's Bly, acknowledging that replacement cars might be looming. “Ultimately that would be a good thing for the future, but if you’re talking to me now and whether I appreciate this kind of transportation, I do.”
