Problem Space

The Fairmount Line branch of the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority Commuter Rail train serves as an essential transit resource for the Corridor but also becomes an environmental hazard due to diesel engines. Through participatory research we determined it was imperative for residents to be educated about the Fairmount Line’s negative impact.

Proposed Intervention

We sought to present a nuanced narrative that educates community members and potentially inspires action. Our proposed solution was an interactive narrative website highlighting the story of the Fairmount Line seen from an empowering perspective. The web-story divulges the train’s past, present, and potential futures and will support ongoing environmental justice advocacy efforts along the Corridor.

Social Impact

The purpose of this website and our project at large is to support the Fairmount Indigo CDC Collaborative in sharing the history of advocacy along the Fairmount Line and goals for the future of the Line — guided by climate justice, racial equity, economic justice, and transit equity — by visualizing relationships between people, their communities, transit, and air quality.

By speaking with members of the community, our team has been able to create a rich, nuanced image of the line. Our process took 8 months to complete — including field research, community connections, and resident interviews — and involved people from different streams with varied skills.