Published On: October 6, 20260.5 min read

Full and original article posted on Patch.

WORCESTER, MA — Worcester will outline a new vision for the city’s passenger rail service Monday at Union Station.

Worcester city leaders will hold a press conference at 10 a.m. on Monday in the station’s Grand Hall to discuss findings from a recent Worcester MBTA Working Group report. City officials, working group members, state representatives, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce leaders, Worcester Regional Research Bureau representatives and MBTA riders are expected to attend.

The report examines what Worcester needs to preserve, expand and modernize passenger rail service now and in the future, according to the city.

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Electric Vehicles require chargers. In Worcester County, there are approximately 1,100 charging ports across 366 different locations. Most of these are "Level 2" which means it would take 4-10 hours to charge from empty to 80%. While this is great and this number continues to grow, the density of public charging stations, especially DC Fast chargers, must increase in order to support the increasing adoption of zero emissions vehicles. For more on Charging Infrastructure across Worcester County, read "On Track for Zero Emissions?" Link in bio. #WorcPoli
Here's a quick breakdown/introduction of WRRB's recent report "On Track for Zero Emissions" from WRRB Researcher, Josh. This report is a close analysis of electric vehicles adoption in Worcester County and includes some key recommendations. 1) The Commonwealth must commit to spending on EV charging stations across the state’s highways, including money that has already been granted. 2) The density of fully public charging stations locally must increase, including more DC fast chargers. 3) Getting municipal feedback on where to put chargers, especially curb-side, is crucial, and we must encourage all municipalities to do so. 4) Municipalities should offer zoning incentives to encourage EV charging infrastructure construction. For our full analysis, use the link in our bio.
Worcester Almanac: 2026 compiles data from a variety of sources to inform decision-makers and the general public on important areas of interest for the City of Worcester, surrounding communities, and Worcester County. WRRB has established dashboards for each section in the Worcester Almanac and will be released weekly with a our usual publication later in the fall. This week, Worcester Regional Research Bureau is pleased to release its Transportation & Infrastructure Data Dashboard. This interactive data tool includes charts and tables on Commuting, Motor Vehicles, Worcester Regional Airport, Parking, Rideshare, WRTA and the Commuter Rail, Street and Water Infrastructure, Trash, Recycling, and much more. For all of WRRB's Almanac Dashboards: link in bio. #WorcPoli
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Worcester Almanac: 2026 compiles data from a variety of sources to inform decision-makers and the general public on important areas of interest for the City of Worcester, surrounding communities, and Worcester County. The Worcester Almanac: 2026 is an important tool for public officials, business leadership, and members of the public covering a wide array of public policy issues in the region. For the first time, the Worcester Regional Research Bureau has established dashboards for each section in the Worcester Almanac: Government, Transportation & Infrastructure, Demographics & the Economy, Education, Public Safety, Health, Weather, and Sports. Dashboards will be released weekly with the WRRB's annual Worcester Almanac will still be released as our PDF compendium of data later in the fall. This week, Worcester Regional Research Bureau is pleased to release its Government Data Dashboard. This interactive data tool includes charts and tables on the Population, Voter Turnout and Registration, Tax Rates, Property Values, Municipal Finance, Bond Ratings, Public Employee Counts, Library System, and much more, including a separate map function for some of the data. Click the link in our bio for Worcester Almanac: 2026.
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