boulevardofdef t1_itvsulf wrote
Wickford Junction just doesn't make any sense and I have a very hard time imagining what could be done to seriously increase ridership. It's the Boston commuter rail. It's nearly two hours to Boston. Anything over two hours door to door is considered an "extreme commute." Large numbers of people are never going to use a train station for extreme commuting. And there's just not enough demand for a train into Providence when driving from there is always going to be faster and easier; traffic into Providence just isn't bad enough.
ToadScoper OP t1_itvv2u7 wrote
The only way the station could be saved is either subsidizing more services (such as Amtrak and/or forming a dedicated RI regional rail authority) or rezoning the area around the station for dense mixed-use development to actually promote the station as an actual destination for transit riders. Amtrak cannot use Wickford Junction since the siding is isolated from the NEC and is also unelectrified. The rezoning of the area around the station would be nearly impossible considering the NIMBY factor. Either way, it would take a long time and a lot of money to make the station viable.
boulevardofdef t1_itvvhq0 wrote
I just have my doubts that transit-oriented development would even work around there because it's too far from Boston. Providence commuters are a better bet but I doubt the critical mass is there.
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