A weekly quality of life check-in of Worcester
The PIP shelter actually is set to close sometime in the next year. A great thing on several levels: It means alternative programs are in place; more importantly, it means fewer speeches (save for one last hurrah, we’re sure) about its inherent evils. +4
Potential fare raises on the MBTA? So says Transportation Secretary James Aloisi. Parking ... gas ... train: Basically, commuting to Boston is getting more expensive, no matter how you look at it. -3
The MBTA extends its cell phone ban to include privately-contracted services, such as the MBCR-run commuter rail. There’s a few passengers we’d like to add to the ban as well … +2
A WRTA bus is shot at with a pellet gun, in one of the more unusual crimes we’ve seen. Seriously though, if this was target practice, the shooter should choose something a little harder to hit than the broad side of a bus. -2
One upside to reduced bus service: fewer opportunities to spray buses with pellets. +2
The DCU Center confirms rumors and announces it is going dark for the summer while they conduct extensive renovations to the ice rink infrastructure. In some ways, it means just another downtown ice rink investment; like we need more of those. But at least this one people like going to. +3
A commuter lot on lower Grafton Street gets a late-night reprieve, reopening for late-night weekend business. A bit of common sense, even if we question how much money is actually being saved or generated by the daytime closings. +3
300 additional trees are going to be (probably) immediately chopped to stop the spread of the Asian Longhorned Beetle. We’re just going to start advocating for scorched earth soon; it’s gotta be a more effective, quicker way of achieving the same end result. -5
Mandatory student fees to rise 9.5 percent at Worcester State College to compensate for the budget shortfall. The residence hall fee was raised from $300 to $435, which is like getting a tax increase for, well, living. -3
The city debate on allocation of street resurfacing funds begins with hints of inter-district squabbling. If councilors can avoid becoming snide self-interested pols on this issue, we’ll declare it a miracle and award +10. For now, a tentative +1 for not letting themselves fall completely into the pit already.
This week: A very mediocre +2.
Last week: -2
Year to date: -35
