March 06, 2008

Pike Exit on to Route 56

Thanks to Dave, regular blogger reader, when is EMC stock going to go up?? He pointed out an article that I missed regarding a Pike exit on to Route 56, which we have recommended here for three years .

Click here.

24 comments:

Anonymous said...

This Rte 56 connector is insanity for Worc Airport. The Worc Airport Exit s/b in Worc.............not miles to the west and south. Anyone bothered to calculate the time & mileage that this connector takes vs. other options. Anyone who embraces this idea for ORH access has to smoking the imfamous Leicester Left Handed Luckies. An exit in Leicester also makes Chicoppe & Bradley an easier ride for some locales w/in the Worc Airport catchment area....which airports typically offer less expensive airfares and greater selection of flights.

Christ almighty......we had the only Worc Pike exit in Millbury ( Rte 122-Grafton St) for 50 years and now the 2nd Worc Pike exit is still in Millbury....even the Worc newspaper is printed in Millbury....but hey at least they take our garbage, too. WORC AIRPORT ACCESSE RD. MUST BE IN WORCESTER!!!!

Traffic studies have shown that Worc needs an east-west roadway to facilitate traffic flow in the city. This east -west roadway will HAve to be built sooner or later and it should also be part of the transportation system to Worc Airport and Hope Ave is the place to put it. Road growth & Land takings = progress.

And also......the guy from Leicester is quoted as saying something to the effect that a new pike exit in at Rte 56 will not result in more "multi axle' vehicle traffic, yet they are looking at a new exit as an economic boast for the area. I assume by multi axle he means trucks? (My Moped is multi axle, too). So how can you expect a new exit to bolster the econmoy in the area w/o add'l traffic, esp truck traffic, and esp. when a new exit will make certain entertainment venues at Rte 20 & 56 all the more accessible to weary gypzy truckers?

Hope Ave is Worc. Airports only hope. Time for the council to make some hard decisions

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

You are dead wrong on this one. The Route 56 exit is not just for Worcester Airport.

There is a ton of traffic from the towns west of Worcester that have people traveling across the City to get to the major routes. If this traffic was diverted to Route 56, it would relieve much of the traffic trtaveling East-West across the City of Worcester.

Second the amount of land that would need to be bought for Hope Ave, especially Cambridge Street, would be huge. On the other hand other then Leicester Ctr, we are merely talking about road widening on Route 56.

Third, we can acually charge people for the road through the tolls to pay for it.

Lastly a by product would be also better access to ORH.

Bill

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

Take a little Jahngermeister with your coffee, you will feel better.

Bill

Anonymous said...

Take a look at flightware for yesterday at the airport. Arrivals and destinations almost filled both sides. Planes and business do still come to Worcester.

56 connector could just be a great idea.

Anonymous said...

So according to your plan people west of Worc in Leic, Charlton, Oxford, etc will take this new Rte 56 to the Masspike instead of taking Rte 20 to the Masspike or 290? It's the same end result with the traffic crossing Worc either via 290 or the Pike? I cant see those in Paxton, Rutland, etc using this new route to go from east to west.

A Hope Ave Exit has nothing to do with Cambridge St?

What's it cost to take ranch house in the Hadwen park area ($225,00 at 2005 prices?) and how many houses were they talking about.........vs....building miles of a roadway that goes way the heck out of the way via a circuitous Route to get to WORCESTER AIRPORT via LEICESTER and where the hell will Harry get his Hotdogs if Rte 56 is widen?

More tolls........just what people love to pay to hop onto the pike for 1.4 miles to get from rte 56 in Leicester to 290 or 395. It isnt even time efficient to travel through 2 toll plazas to travel such a short distance on the pike.

Rte 56 is way too far out of the way to ORH relative to the Hope Ave alternative. One has to travel far to the west & south only to reverse direction at Rte 56 and travel north and easterly to ORH.

I "Heard" they may be a Jahngermiester party brewing for tonight at a soon to be announced location.......the mice will play while the boss is away !!!!

Anonymous said...

no easy access to Rt 56..I wanna buy a house in Hubbardston and even tho what we are talking about is miles away..I want no chance of any of you being able to get there easily

Anonymous said...

Paulie, as the crow flies The Hope Ave route at 290 route is 5 miles to ORH....... 290 from Hope Ave to the Pike to Rte 56 to ORH is 13 miles as the crow flies...........and you have to pass through 2 toll plazas to go just 1.4 miles on the Pike......I just dont see how you can justify such a round about route............and then consider those who would be coming to ORH from the east and south and Rte 56 becomes even less desirable route and Logan & Manchester look even better.

I think poor Bill got up this morning, drank some Tim Murray Kool Aid and read the T&G about possible commuter rail service from Worcester to Boston via W. Boylston, Clinton, Harvard, Ayer, Littelton, Acton & Concord......and mistakenly became more comvinced that the best way to travel to or from Worcester is via very, circuitous routes. Again going to ORH should not involve traveling west & south only to then travel north & easterly. Likewise going to Boston from Worcester should not involve going almost directly north only to then go east & southerly.

I think Poor Tim is not faring too well convincing CSX to open more of their sandbox for him and his constituents to play in & Tim is learning that taking ones sand box via eminent domain will break the bank. Sometimes politicains anti-business postions come back to haunt them in later day.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:


I do not care if you are East, West, North or South of the city of Worcester. The whole idea of an exist off the MassPike on to Route 146 would be that people would avoid 290??

You would stay on Route 495 and get on the pike. You would be on Route 146 and get on the pike. You would go from 395 (Ct Rd) and get on the Pike. You take Route 290 out of the equation.


Bill

Anonymous said...

Bill I want people traveling to the Worcester airport to exit off of Wocresters 290 to the airport.



People from the east are not going to travel at least an extra 8miles west & south to get to an airport that may charge them more and have only a small selection of flights available.

There are many more potential ORH customers in the Immediate Mertowest area Like Shrews, Westboro , Northboro,, Marlboro, Southboro than there are in Charlton & Oxford and these metrowest people will take 290 to the airport, not the pike which will take them at least 8 miles out of their way.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

We are going round and round. If I lived in Marlboro/Southboro/Westboro, I would take Route 495 South to the MassPike then to the proposed exit off the pike on to Route 56.

On the flip side if I worked in Marlboro and lived in Rutland, I would gladly head south on Route 56, MassPike and then Route 85. Even if it is 10 miles longer, you would save 1/2 hour versus traversing east-west across the City of Worcester.

Worsterite said...

You could take the best esy route to the airport and you would still have a white elephant with no passenger service.I do not want a Boston freight terminal under any circumstance. Give the land to a developer and build a destination casino atleast that would generate some revenue. Do you really feel that there is anyone in this city who could negotiate a deal with massport that would be in the cities best interest. Please a few benjamins and they would give the place away for their own financial gain.grease my palm baby its all for sale

Anonymous said...

"There are many more potential ORH customers in the Immediate Mertowest area Like Shrews, Westboro , Northboro,, Marlboro, Southboro than there are in Charlton & Oxford"


Northboro Population
14,000
Southboro Population
8,500
Oxford Population
14,000
Charlton Population
12,500


Not entirely sure about above statement

Dave

Anonymous said...

Bill, 495 barely touches the far eastern extremities of Westboro.

Southboro maybe a toss up depending on where in S'boro youre located.

Marlboro to Worcester is always 495 to 290, IMO.

Rutland to Marlboro....IMO would be via Holden center to 190 to 290 to 85 (or 290 to 495 to 20 [or Simmarano DR Exit off 495] ) depending on where in Marlboro. You're saying 56S to Pike to 85? The Pike intersects with 85 only via a fly over bridge in S'boro near Richards Rd on 85 about a mile south of Rte 9......or did you mean 56S to Pike to 495 to 85??......IMO thats a trip around the world???

Bill Worc has an east-west traffic problem....we both agree........so lets at least partly solve that problem with an airport connector road in WORCESTER......if there is ever going to be a connector road.......the city needs road growth and it will have to come via eminent domain......or were' forever doomed to be 99% residential.......which means even more traffic.

Anonymous said...

i dont think an exit on 56 is just a connector to the airport(jahn) adding traffic to that area would also create some commercial and industrial bussiness along 56. with that would come jobs on and of the mass pike

Anonymous said...

Ok more people...............but not to pick on Oxford or Charlton.... you have to look at other demographics of the population.....the money is in Metrowest and not the western burbs which are almost rural.................money flies........hayseeds drive...( Just kidding!)

You left out Shrewsbury & Marlboro & Leicesters population #'s Why? Marlboro may someday actually need an airlift, esp. given all the construction jobs that are drying up! Just kidding!

Anonymous said...

Folks, Rte 56 is a circuitous, roundabout, time consuming drive to the airport. A 56 interchange maybe a good idea in and of itself.....but should not be linked to the airport.

Worcester Airports connector Road s/b in Worcester and not 2 or 3 rural suburbs to the south & west away .............10th grade goemetry says a straight line is the most direct route and that = Hope Ave. Otherwise close the place up.......

I am going to get some more exact mileage figures to further demonstrate how much add'l travel results via Rte 56. I still have car with a real odometer with 10ths of miles.

Who wants to meet me at Spyder Gates for 2 sliders with mustard, relish & onions, & sauce washed down a Jagermeister adult brew? That stuff is beer, right? I cant stomach booze.

Bill Randell said...

Jahn:

where do I start. First it is not just the odometer, but telling what you come up with. Ask who lives in Spencer, Leicester, Paxton, Rutland how long it takes to get across the City of Worcester at rush hour?? A Route 56 connect would alleviate East-West traffice across the city of Worcester.

Second, a by-product of a Route 56 Exit would be better access to Worcester Airport. In case you did not know this something like half of Worcester airport is in Leicester.

Third, I did not forget abut the immediate towns like Shrewbsury, but do they need an access road to use ORH? All they need are flights.


Fourth, in our lifetime. A road off Hope Ave is political suicide. Do you rememebr ROAR? Leicester would actually buy in and it can be done within our lifetime.

Fifth, my wife is away and I am answering Jahn. What am I doing?

Anonymous said...

hope ave cant happen there is no room for expansion and relocation for existing occuptants of property along such path would be difficult lets not forget when the state tried to use exit 10 to oxford st to jamesst to grandview and up goddard that failed also because of opposition the towns along 56 might be for a connector that would bring businesses also

Anonymous said...

I just cannot see a rural Masspike exit that is only 1.4 miles from the existing Auburn exit.......especially given the dire financial straits the State is in..........like the City of Worcester, the state cannot maintain it's current infrastructure...even the Masspike claims they aint got no more money .......kinda hard to believe.....

Road growth always = economic growth......if the city wants to economically handcuff itself....then let all the new roads be biult outside the city............

we let teh tirnpike be built to the south of the second largest city in NE................a new Masppike exit in Millbury was talked about for decades.......land takings were started in 1994.............and 13 years later we now have our Masspike coneector......

Bill thats why Worc will never grow the way it should........a group of 23 home owners are able to stop a road project dead in its tracks b/c we have a board of directoers in this city that cannot make hard decisions..........

To anonymous.........but its OK to take Leicester property to benefit Worcester Airport ??? The state eminent domain process only takes property.........they dont usually get involved in re locating the owners/ occupants...........unless it's a business. We opposed the Masspike in 1950 and now its deja vu.


March is a great time to troll rural ephemeral pools & vernal ponds in search of almost extinct salamanders & pollywogs. {g}

In dont get my kicks on Rte 56.

Anonymous said...

Leicester Population
12,500

Development is taking place in these communities. In Oxford for example, a large condo/apartment complex is slated to be build between Rt. 20 and Comins Rd ( 1/2 mile before Stafford St.) This will add 2,000 - 3,000 more residents, which, if built, will access the 56 interchange because it will literally be in thier backyard. In addition, I have heard that several retail companies are slated to build in the south part of Oxford. Leicester has a newly widened Rt.9 and a new superwalmart which will serve as an anchor store for more businesses. Also, there is a CSX line that goes through the Oxford/Leicester line. I have seen passenger trains on this line and there is alot of unused rail siding on Stafford St including an old train station. There is alot of potential here, don't just take the east side of Worcester into consideration.

Dave

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, South Oxford is quite a haul to Rte 56/Pike & is prob more conveinet to 395?

What retailers are coming to S Oxford? Agway? (just kdding )

Can you really call Rte 9 in Leicester widened, when it's only for a 1/2 mile in front of Wally World.....only to have to merge back to 1 lane???

Will Amtrax really stop at Oxford/Leicester line at what I think is is an ancient station?

Worc needs new road systems anyway & Worcester airport almost by definition needs a Worc access road.

Is the access to T F Greene made 10 miles to the south of Warwick off of I-95 in Happy Valley RI?...... No........it was made almost directly opposite T F Green off I-95.

You and Bill would have me drive Hartford CT to get to Albany NY {g}

Anonymous said...

Anonymous, South Oxford is quite a haul to Rte 56/Pike & is prob more conveinet to 395?

What retailers are coming to S Oxford? Agway? (just kdding )

Can you really call Rte 9 in Leicester widened, when it's only for a 1/2 mile in front of Wally World.....only to have to merge back to 1 lane???

Will Amtrax really stop at Oxford/Leicester line at what I think is is an ancient station?

Worc needs new road systems anyway & Worcester airport almost by definition needs a Worc access road.

Is the access to T F Greene made 10 miles to the south of Warwick off of I-95 in Happy Valley RI?...... No........it was made almost directly opposite T F Green off I-95.

You and Bill would have me drive Hartford CT to get to Albany NY {g}

Anonymous said...

Pike proximity matters.

Compare Worcester Regional Airport (No airline service):

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=orh&ie=UTF8&ll=42.248852,-71.747589&spn=0.260745,0.63858&t=h&z=11&iwloc=addr

to Westover Metropolitan Airport (Six arrivals/departures a day)

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=westover+metropolitan+airport&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&ll=42.148896,-72.557144&spn=0.130579,0.31929&t=h&z=12&iwloc=addr

Anonymous said...

Two other examples of thriving airports that are located DIRECTLY (and literally almost on top of) two-number highways (the Pike and 91). Take a look at their websites and compare them to the MassPort one for ORH.

Barnes-Westfield (BAF)

http://www.barnesairport.com/

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=baf

Northampton - 7B2

http://www.northamptonairport.com/

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=old+ferry+road,+northampton,+ma