Worcester Business Journal

www.wbjournal.com May 11, 2015 • Worcester Business Journal 7 T he commuter woes of winter have had sweeping effects on the MBTA with the resignation of its general manager and six of the transit agency's board members, and a push by Gov. Charlie Baker to restructure it in an effort to improve public transportation. But Central Massachusetts communi- ties are wondering whether these improvements will extend to the com- muter rail lines that serve the region. The lines are seen as a key to eco- nomic development in Fitchburg, Framingham and Worcester, with the additiions of apartments and services aimed at Boston-bound commuters around their rail stations, according to officials. All three communities are also pushing the T for shorter travel times to boost the number of commuters and encourage businesses to move out here. "Increasingly, companies don't want to have all of their operations in just one place," Timothy Murray, president and CEO of the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce, said. "If we can be a lower-cost alternative, but very accessible, we could bring some of those financial services or state agencies into Worcester and Central Massachusetts." According to the MBTA, an average of 8,474 riders per day took the Worcester- Framingham line into Boston in 2013, while 7,819 made the reverse commute. And they have become a key economic driver in Central Massachusetts, said Michael Traynor, Worcester's chief development officer. The two lines have allowed communities such as Fitchburg, Framingham and Worcester to become viable options for those looking for more affordable homes or relaxed life- styles while working in Boston, accord- ing to area officials. Faster commutes? "A predictable, reliable system becomes a system people can make life decisions around and that is of interest to us … as we look to incorporate tran- sit-oriented development in our down- town," said Arthur Robert, Framingham's community and economic development director. It takes about an hour and 15 minutes to get from Worcester to Boston by train. Worcester and Fitchburg officials would see that cut to an hour or less through the use of express trains. In Worcester, officials are asking for three of them during the weekday morning commute and another three for the afternoon return trip. That would be "another tool" to bring businesses and people to downtown, Traynor said. Rail is equally important in Fitchburg, where $277 million in improvements to the line — which will speed up the trip to and from Boston — and the coming addition of Wachusett Station in west Fitchburg have already spawned com- mercial development in anticipation of more commuters, according to Larry Casassa, Fitchburg's acting director of community development. "People make decisions based on access," he said. How long they're going to sit on a train and whether they can get to work reliably will factor into "how far away (from Boston) they are willing to look" for a place to live. Cutting the T commute to an hour would make a dif- ference, he said. Additional trains for the westbound rail lines could come from among 40 new trains that are being added to the BY SAM BONACCI Worcester Business Journal Staff Writer Central Mass. wonders: What's in store for us amid potential T shakeup? Boston-bound commuters wait to board a train at Union Station in Worcester on a recent afternoon. >> Continued on Page 22 P H O T O / S A M B O N A C C I

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