Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/469132
www.wbjournal.com Worcester Business Journal • 2014 Central Mass By The Numbers 51 TOURISM & TRANSPORTATION Gas prices Although prices at the pump have fallen steadily since May, they dropped only 11 cents between October 2013 and October 2014. $3.00 $3.50 $4.00 Jan. Feb. Mar. Apr. May June July Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2013 2014 $2.00 $2.50 $3.32 $3.43 occupancy rates and revenue for Worcester county hotels After falling in 2009 during the Great Recession, hotel occupancy rates and revenue in the region have risen. 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80% $100 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 Occupancy rates Revenue (In millions of dollars) '13 '08 '09 '10 '11 '12 '13 '14 '14 $80 $60 $40 $20 0 $83M 63.1% Source: STR Source: AAA Southern New England. While AAA Southern New England does a survey every week on Monday, price listed is average statewide price for self-serve regular unleaded on the first Monday of every month. Average travel time to work Mean commuting times are around a half hour for most Central Massachusetts cities and towns. Worcester, Southbridge and Berlin have the shortest average times; New Braintree, Petersham and Hardwick the longest. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2008-2012 American Community Survey Royalston Winchendon Ashburnham Ashby Townsend Pepperell Athol Templeton Gardner Westminster Fitchburg Lunenburg Shirley Groton Ayer Harvard Acton Leominster Lancaster Hubbardston Phillipston Petersham Barre Princeton Clinton Bolton Berlin Hudson Stow Sudbury Wayland Rutland West Boylston Boylston Shrewsbury Ashland Natick Holden Oakham Paxton Leicester Spencer Grafton Upton Milford Sherborn Holliston Millis Medway Franklin Hopedale Mendon Northbridge Millbury Sutton New Braintree Hardwick North Brookfield West Brookfield East Brookfield Brookfield Warren Charlton Southbridge Dudley Douglas Uxbridge Millville Blackstone Bellingham Maynard Littleton Westborough 190 2 2 Boxborough Southborough Northborough 495 90 395 Marlborough Worcester Sterling Oxford 290 Webster Framingham Hopkinton Auburn Sturbridge 290 495 90 This map shows the mean commuting times by community, in minutes. 34.6 35.9 32.7 33.4 27.2 25 29.5 36.7 33.1 24.6 29.8 31.4 30.4 26.8 32.3 30.7 25.8 31.2 26.9 35 26.7 27.1 32.8 26.1 32.4 34.1 36.8 32 27.8 32 27.5 33.5 36.2 25.9 26.9 28.7 26 30.1 32 26.8 28.8 33.8 30.9 28.1 28.3 32.8 27.7 30.5 38.3 27.9 27.4 33.3 35 26.1 28.7 33.6 37.5 32 30.7 35.4 34.5 34.4 27.6 27.3 33 31.6 24.6 28.9 30.4 33.9 27.5 30.6 31.7 32.1 29.2 30.7 34.1 31.8 27.4 22.6 31.8 32.7 34.6 31.5 22.9