nofog2234 OP t1_iqpqoq1 wrote on October 2, 2022 at 5:09 AM

Reply to comment by Throwaway1231200001 in The Future of Springfield MA by nofog2234

A commuter rail that takes an hour 30 each way...

0IIIIII t1_iqptb26 wrote on October 2, 2022 at 5:40 AM

Perhaps more important than the Commuter Rail, is Route 9 and the highway. You can commute in all directions, and Worcester is in the biotech space similar to Boston and Metrowest.

Springfield has no prolific industries, and is too far away for commuters to Boston to consider. Worcester is closer, but anyone who wants to work in Worcester can, presently live in Worcester cheaply (this may change).

nofog2234 OP t1_iqpvnjg wrote on October 2, 2022 at 6:08 AM

Commuting on the turnpike is godawful in rush hour. My uncle used to travel Worcester-Boston to do overnight EMT dispatch. That took an hour with virtually no traffic. But yeah In a general sense I agree that Springfield would need to cultivate its own unique idenity. Maybe it becomes a starving artists city and cultivates a gritty cultural center.

Beantownbrews t1_iqqk95l wrote on October 2, 2022 at 11:26 AM

It does from Plymouth as well, or to ferry from Salem, but it has had a huge impact there as well.