TRANSPORTATION

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Car Routes/ Accident Rates / Alternative Transportation

The valley of the Blackstone River stretches from Worcester more than 25 miles to the Rhode Island border at Blackstone and Millville and then another 23 miles in Rhode Island to Providence. Historically, the transportation routes ran from north to south as an industrial pathway with the River and Blackstone Canal and then by rail (P & W Railroad) and route (Rtes 146,122). The west to east routes have always been  limited but that is now the dominant traffic pattern as the trend to work in the I-495 corridor has increased significantly along with the residential growth. Worcester County's growth is roughly 7% since 1990 while the Valley has seen an 11% increase, with several communities facing up to 31.8% growth (Mendon, Douglas 30%). Although residential growth has climbed significantly, the number of vehicles has grown 42%. These factors have all led to serious challenges in the traffic pattern and future planning with several major intersections far exceeding the accident rate and far exceeding the expected vehicle per day usage.

A breakdown of the major routes:

North to South (South to North):

Rte 122 - Single lane undivided highway often passing through town centers

Rte 140 - Single lane undivided highway passing through communities

Rte 146 - A limited access highway  (two lanes in both directions) that connects Worcester to Providence. Substantial but nearly completed construction will be finished in 2007.

I-495/ I-395 - These major roads, limited, divided highways border the valley on the east and west respectively

West to East (East to West):

Rte 16 - Single lane, undivided highway in Douglas

Central Turnpike - Single lane, undivided road in Sutton

I-90 - Mass Turnpike - major tollroad, divided highway, three  lanes each direction

(The non-bold roads were not under the study of the CMRPC)

A thorough feasibility study, finalized in 2002 with CMRPC's report, included residents' comments and an advisory committee along with longstanding studies performed by Mass Highway, Central Mass Regional Planning and other agencies. Nearly 70 substantive comments were categorized with some being local in scope and thereby passed on to local Selectmen. Thirteen preliminary problems were initially identified throughout the Valley. These were then narrowed by route and analyzed in detail by various screening models, field observations and national study guidelines. They were researched with respect to various criteria, including: respect for the rural and historic nature of the region, environmental (including ACEC) constraints, reducing truck traffic through town centers, reduce traffic and maximize existing routes.

Some fascinating traffic count data indicate road usage ranges from 75,300 for I-90 to a low of 2800 for the Central Turnpike beyond the Rte 122 connector in Northbridge.

Problem Areas:

Accidents: The state average for signalized intersections over the past three years is 0.91 (or0.85 for District 3 which includes all towns in the Valley). The average crash rate for the unsignalized intersections is 0.67 statewide and 0.83 district.

The following intersections far exceed the average rates:

Alternative Transportation:

Public Transit: Fixed Route Bus Service, Commuter Rail, Paratransit Service

WRTA: Douglas, Grafton, Millbury, Sutton

Millbury is the sole town with fixed bus route transportation service, with two routes: East Millbury near the Worcester line and Millbury Center (two bus routes daily and wkends)

Paratransit Van Service for Douglas, Sutton, Grafton Mon-Fri 9-4 typically. Friends of Millbury Seniors runs their paratransit service for seniors. Councils on Aging in Blackstone, Northbridge, Mendon, Millville and Uxbridge operate town-funded paratransit services with limited hours of service.

MBTA Commuter Rail: Grafton MBTA Station has 400 parking spaces and has exceeded expectations for capacity. MBTA station in Forge Park Station in Franklin draws Valley ridership. New station in Westboro opened 2002.

Bus Service: Greyhound/Peter Pan Bus Service: Public subsidies provides bus service from Mass Pike Exit 11A (Park & Ride lot)in East Millbury to Boston and to western Mass.

Park and Ride Facilities: Exit 10A at Rtes 20 and 146 has 266 parking spaces available. Exit 11 has 150 spaces.

Rideshare: Caravan for Commuters is a state organization for free ride matching. Only 6 van pools are operating in the Valley and hopes are for more carpooling in the region.

Private Services: More than a dozen ambulance, chair car, charter and taxi companies support the need for specialized services in the Valley.

Bikeway: 1. The 4 mile Northbridge Bike Route runs from the Sutton town line through Northbridge to the Uxbridge line. 2. The SNETT - Southern NE Trunkline Trail is a 23 mile recreational trail along a former rail line through Douglas, Uxbridge, Millville, and Blackstone. 3. The Blackstone River Bikeway is only about a mile completed, though not officially opened in the Millbury area.

The WRTA provides bike racks on the routes for bus service to Millbury and at the MBTA Commuter Rail Station in Grafton. The Rhode Island Bike Path

Article on Rte 146

Worcester, Massachusetts

Worcester Regional Transit Authority
Publicly owned since 1974
1863-1907 - several companies
1907-1932 - Worcester Consolidated Street Railway
1932-1952 - Worcester Street Railway Co.
1945 - streetcars discontinued
1952-1974 - Worcester Bus Co.