To go along with regional ideas, I'd like to bring up my idea of improved transit service to Worcester again. I brought it up back on
page 124 here, but it got buried in-between a discussion of the red line.
This would make Worcester/Union Station the main hub of the station, with 3 rapid transit lines connecting there, as well as most bus routes and all 4 proposed commuter lines terminating there as well.
The proposed Rapid Transit map:
This would have a total of 5 lines, serving Worcester & 4 of its major suburbs - Auburn, Leicester's Cherry Valley area, Millbury, & Shrewsbury. There is also a stop on the Worcester/West Boylston border on the opposite side of the road from the 190 on & off-ramps there.
The proposed system would be an Automated Rapid Transit system. Each station capable of 6 car trains, but that capacity wouldn't likely be needed until decades into the future. Terminus stations would have loops constructed at ends instead of switchbacks - saving quite a bit of time by not changing ends. All layover yards would be underground with parking garages and/or retail at street level. (Picture Alewife with better road connections)
The core of the system - Union Station,
would be fed from 4 commuter rail lines. These would connect downtown Worcester to Fitchburg & Leominster, Gardner, Providence, and Webster. Since west of Worcester is much more rural until you reach greater Springfield, (not exactly a good terminus for a reasonable commuter rail line - that's intercity territory) I decided to avoid going out that way on the B & A line with commuter rail. (Purple is the existing Framingham/Worcester line.)
This is a simple push-pull operation with signal, double-tracking, and bridge rehab/replacements where needed. Unlike the MBTA's system of high level boarding, I'd like to go low since these are still busy freight routes. With Providence however, high level is necessary - so something like how NJ Transit does it with two sets of doors would be needed.
I am slightly hung up as I have a park and ride facility in Oxford for commuter rail, and have another one in Auburn, just south of Sword St. Not quite sure what I'm going to do there yet.
And lastly, for in-fill, the
bus network remains, along with a downtown shuttle streetcar.
Outside of that area, other regional transit authorities have jurisdiction (for example, Metrowest and Montachusett further east and north respectively, of the bus routes shown - although I am thinking of adding more Metrowest routes.