The purpose of the of the UMASS Boston Fairmount-Indigo Line Student Initiative (the “Initiative”) is to raise campus awareness about important community and environmental justice issues taking place in UMASS Bos- ton’s “own backyard.” This initiative will encourage students to become in- volved in community action while improving the quality of life and healthy living in the neighborhoods along the Fairmount-Indigo Line. Through meaningful collaboration between students, government and the Commu- nity Development Corporations (the Fairmount Collaboratives), this initia- tive will promote and assist the long-term efforts of the Fairmount Collab- oratives, to bring transit equity, affordable housing and smart sustainable growth to the 9 mile Fairmount/Indigo Corridor. The Fairmount line is owned and operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency and is an underutilized commuter rail line which runs through Boston’s most under-served and disadvantaged neighbor- hoods of Readville, Hyde Park, Mattapan, and Dorchester. Prior to recent plans to open four new station stops, the Fairmount-Indigo Line bypassed these distressed communities and took suburban commuters into the heart of Boston’s financial district ending in South Station — without stopping. Through the work of the Fairmount/Indigo Line Collaborative and Coali- tion, made up of four CDCs and various community advocacy groups, the FTA and MBTA have agreed to fund four new station stops along the line. These new station stops bring great opportunities for sustainable, transit oriented development to Boston’s neglected populations, but also comes with some risk that these improvements could result in pricing long-term residents out of their own neighborhoods. A careful balance representing the needs and wishes of the communities has been the tireless goal of the CDCs as they continue to seek affordable housing and affordable business and economic development opportunities, with great support from HUD, FTA, EPA and the City of Boston, while making green improvement to these neighborhoods.