How will Worcester be affected by Boston's growth? (Framingham: maintenance, living in)

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by yesmaybe

Disagree, I think most companies don't offer a subsidy anymore. At best you get the tax break.

So once again! They are not paying the full amount. Just as I said. Thank you for actually agreeing with me!

[Bridge781]

Where I work now I get 50% off the tpass. At my previous company I didn’t.

[brainbree]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Remember, almost no one is paying that much. At worse it is pre tax money.

Do you have a source on this? I would be surprised if even the majority of people taking the commuter rail are paying anything other than full price let alone "almost no one". Anecdotally, many people I've spoken to on the commuter rail do not get any sort of benefit, including pre-tax purchases. "Almost no one" seems like a gross exaggeration as that would imply only a very small fraction of people pay full price for the commuter rail. I highly doubt that even how much the MBTA advertises Perq for Work.

That being said there definitely is a sizable fraction of people who get discounts (employer paid or pre-tax) on their fare.

[GeoffD]

Going back on topic, I think Worcester benefits from the job market on 495. Worcester is a cheaper place to live for people who work in outer metro west and Worcester commercial space is less expensive than 495 space so Worcester will get overflow from 495 companies who need more space.

I think commuter rail is a very small number of people compared to cars driving on I-290 and the Pike.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by Dm84

Seriously, how many people do you think are dying to take a train from Worcester to Springfield or vice versa every day?

It doesn't have to be every day. Moreover connecting it gives Hartford and new have (and all in between) access to Worcester and a faster route to boston. It also means better access to Bradley Airport for people in Worcester. Today only 4% of flights were canceled, Logan was much more. As mentioned the unions and Chambers of commerce do want this.

Also remember you have regional state offices, a housing mandate and a change in public housing laws. It simply makes things more efficient.

[Dm84]

Originally Posted by mdovell

It doesn't have to be every day. Moreover connecting it gives Hartford and new have (and all in between) access to Worcester and a faster route to boston. It also means better access to Bradley Airport for people in Worcester. Today only 4% of flights were canceled, Logan was much more. As mentioned the unions and Chambers of commerce do want this.

Also remember you have regional state offices, a housing mandate and a change in public housing laws. It simply makes things more efficient.

Come on now. If it doesn't run multiple times a day it's completely worthless. You can drive between those cities in half the time a train would take.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by mdovell

It doesn't have to be every day. Moreover connecting it gives Hartford and new have (and all in between) access to Worcester and a faster route to boston. It also means better access to Bradley Airport for people in Worcester. Today only 4% of flights were canceled, Logan was much more. As mentioned the unions and Chambers of commerce do want this.

Also remember you have regional state offices, a housing mandate and a change in public housing laws. It simply makes things more efficient.

Did you see this thread?


http://www.city-data.com/forum/massa...-upgrades.html


EVERY single project listed here is needed more than the Worcester-Springfield pipe dream. Yet, NONE of those projects are budgeted for or have any source of funding. That should tell you something.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Did you see this thread?


http://www.city-data.com/forum/massa...-upgrades.html


EVERY single project listed here is needed more than the Worcester-Springfield pipe dream. Yet, NONE of those projects are budgeted for or have any source of funding. That should tell you something.

Besides, Springfield already receives massive subsidies from the state. The 2020 cherry sheet is almost a half billion dollars. $422.4 million. The city budget is $791 million so the rest of the state is propping up Springfield in a huge way. And that doesn’t count all the other state programs and Medicaid spending. 2/3 of Springfield children live in single parent households and most of those in poverty. There’s another generation of unskilled poor people in the pipeline to maintain the status quo despite the state flinging $380 million at Springfield K-12.

[mdovell]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Besides, Springfield already receives massive subsidies from the state. The 2020 cherry sheet is almost a half billion dollars. $422.4 million. The city budget is $791 million so the rest of the state is propping up Springfield in a huge way. And that doesn’t count all the other state programs and Medicaid spending. 2/3 of Springfield children live in single parent households and most of those in poverty. There’s another generation of unskilled poor people in the pipeline to maintain the status quo despite the state flinging $380 million at Springfield K-12.

Right but how is that any different from Boston? No one has ever claim Boston is a rich city or has a great school system.

Single parent households? Well would you rather see people trapped in bad marriages?

Seriously you aren't making a logical argument. We spend as a country 80 billion on the mortgage deduction and that doesn't really produce anything.

The vast majority of local governments are dependent on the state for aid. I know affluent suburbs that still get 20%+ of their budget from the state. Much of the budget is locked in with Pensions an and union contracts. If you think a town can just do it 100% from local sources it just isn't going to happen.

You can ramble on and bash people that's fine but this is still going to happen as there are groups much more powerful then you, I or anyone else on this board. I was a bit against it myself but gradually I saw the support surge in these groups an opposition is dying out.

If you really have so much opposition to this then create a group to stop it.

[masssachoicetts]

Wow $4.5k a year to take the commuter rail into Boston if you work there. Youre better off driving in lol

Or ... living in Framingham, atleast its 1/2 the distance.