Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | February 19, 2024 | Worcester Business Journal 9 shuttle from the station in down- town Framing- ham to the FSU campus abutting Route 9. "We certainly have interest in it," said Hamel. FSU worked with Framingham city officials and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation about 10 years ago to explore reopening the Agricultural Branch. e idea hit roadblocks with freight line owner CSX, which had priorities conflicting with extended rail service to the two colleges on the north side of town, Hamel said. Ultimately, the parties proposed something more like a trolley service from the Framingham Commuter Rail station to campus. A similar idea might be more realistic than a new Agricul- tural Branch, Hamel said. MWRTA is agnostic but inclined to support Jim Nee, administrator for the MetroWest Regional Transit Authority highlighted road infrastructure as a challenge to over- come for the Ag- ricultural Branch proposal. e fact that Marlborough leaders are puz- zled at the con- cept is rooted in the fact business parks and offices are based around a car culture. "We're agnostic at this point because we haven't really thought about it and it really comes down to that infrastruc- ture," Nee said. Transit plan- ners generally support more access to MBTA services, Nee said. But in Marlborough, people working there aren't itching to get on a train to Boston, said Ryan Gagne, owner of Venture X coworking space at Marlborough's Apex Center. Gagne's clients rent offices so they can work close to home with access to meeting space as an alternative to a home office. Most clients come from neighboring towns, and only a few commute by train. Gagne wondered if demand for more rail service would warrant the large cost. e MBTA, plagued by finan- cial struggles and ridership declines, isn't a model for the future, he said. "eir model is failing," Gagne said. solutions and options." Meanwhile, Meredith Harris, executive director of the Marlborough Economic Development Corp., declined to discuss the TransitMatters report specifically giv- en the uncertain nature of the concept. Harris said providing transit to people who commute in and out of Marl- borough on the Commuter Rail is an important topic. e MEDC launched a shuttle service to and from the Southbor- ough MBTA station in 2019, a program funded by the state that Harris hopes will continue. ere are 14 regular riders on the shuttle bus. "We're getting a good mix of people that are going to and from their workplaces," Harris said. For the chamber's Messinio, a number of factors give him pause about the train station concept. One of the most import- ant is people simply aren't clamoring for MBTA Commuter Rail service into Marl- borough, he said. He questioned how the financially troubled MBTA would pay for the needed upgrades to add a new Com- muter Rail branch, including last-leg shuttle service to local office parks. TransitMatters estimates 16,000 em- ployed residents live within a two-mile radius of the proposed branch. Framing- ham stands to see an arguably greater net gain from the theoretical new branch, particularly for Framingham State Uni- versity and Massachusetts Bay Commu- nity College students and employees, and those working at the 9/90 Corporate Center. Each of these destinations are within walking distance of potential stations on the Agricultural Branch. More public transit is something Framingham State officials have lobbied for over the years, said Dale Hamel, ex- ecutive vice president of administration and finance. About half of FSU students are com- muters, he said, and a good portion of students and faculty travel to the campus by Commuter Rail. ey take an FSU W CASH IN ON EVERY DAY BANKING REWARDS 5.25% APY Kasasa® Cash Checking Get up to 5.25% APY on balances up to $10,000 Switch to a Kasasa® Cash Checking account today and start earning. Scan code for details - stmaryscu.org (508) 490 8000 Dale Hamel, executive vice president at Framingham State University Make the Commuter Rail faster Following Gov. Maura Healey's State of the Commonwealth address on Jan. 17 where she called for a doubling of the MBTA budget, the public transit advocacy nonprofit TransitMatters called for a number of improvements to the Framingham/Worcester Commuter Rail line in order to create rapid and reliable service on the route. When polled online, the majority of WBJ readers said, among the TransitMatters recommendations, the state should prioritize adding a third track to create faster service. Which of these suggested improvements to the Worcester/Framingham Commuter Rail Line should get the highest priority? Ryan Gagne, owner of Venture X Marlborough MBTA ridership Totaling all modes of the MBTA system, ridership increased in 2023 from the previous year. 2022 2023 % change January 515,688 720,632 39.7% February 614,837 726,556 18.2% March 690,154 747,137 8.3% April 702,288 772,486 10.0% May 698,921 783,300 12.1% June 717,932 751,579 4.7% July 718,853 753,214 4.8% August 675,074 741,009 9.8% September 743,355 801,210 7.8% October 788,822 793,037 0.5% November 760,227 764,973 0.6% December 676,366 687,292 1.6% TOTAL 8,302,517 9,042,425 8.9% Source: Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Electrifying the entire line, in order to replace all diesel trains and reduce travel times 30% Adding a third track to the entire Framingham/ Worcester line, to create faster service 50% 7% 4% 9% Reopening the Marlborough Junction train station to passenger service Adding a new stop in Millbury Adding a new stop in Worcester, near UMass Chan Medical School

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