With MassPort's acquisition of Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) this past summer there has been some speculation that the airport access road issue will again come to the forefront. I know that access roads from I-290 to ORH have been studied along both the Hope Ave. and Cambridge St. corridors without much success and others promote a new exit off of the MassPike at its intersection with Rt. 56 as an alternative.
The I-290 auto connections look great on paper, but the costs (both $ and environmentally speaking) and takings necessary to carry either of these plans forward appear to be insurmountable hurdles. The MassPike/Rt. 56 option solves the problem at expected lower costs with fewer property takings, but would likely divert economic development from Worcester to this new Rt. 56 corridor for many years to come. I want to throw out a third alternative for consideration - a bus rapid transit system connecting Union Station and ORH.
The line would originate at Union Station and run within the P&W right-of-way (ROW) until it's junction with the CSX ROW where it will then run alongside the CSX ROW until it's intersection with James St. The busway will then turn north and connect up with Goddard Memorial Dr. on its way to ORH. I imagine a dedicated ROW along the rail lines and for the segment connecting to Goddard Memorial Dr. and then the busway using the existing Goddard Memorial Dr. ROW for the remainder of the busway.
According to Google Maps, the line would be approximately 6.5 miles long. Because the ROW would be separated from other traffic and have no streetlights, it would seem to me that average speeds of 30 MPH could certainly be achievable. This means a passenger boarding a bus at Union Station could be at the airport in just 13 minutes if there were no stops along the way. Even adding in a few stops, say three stops at two minutes per stop, we are still less than a 20 minute ride from Union Station to ORH!
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