Transit-oriented development is a key idea among modern urban
planners, and will likely be the key that unlocks new life for
Worcester's Union Station. What is it, and why will it make a
difference?
Transit-oriented development is, well, development that is
oriented around transit hubs. To oversimplify, the concept is to
make the public transportation system so integral to an area that
it is easy for people to use it – easier than it is to use a
car.
Thanks to a focus on Worcester that in part arises from two
lieutenant governors from Central Massachusetts and their efforts
to strengthen the region, along with City Manager Ed Augustus's
tireless work to raise the visibility and viability of Worcester,
the train system in and out of Worcester has improved significantly
over the last decade or so. But there are still problems: The Heart
to Hub train runs once a day each way and not at peak commute
hours; there are simply not enough trains running to make taking
the
