Lowe's and the LIFT bus
I'll start the site with this. At the last meeting of the Framingham Planning Board, the town noted that the LIFT bus service, which connects the towns in MetroWest, get a share of money from the Lowe's project. However, it must be asked, is LIFT trying to provide a service to Lowe's or do they just want a share of the money.
Let's face it, if you're planning to buy some cabinets, plywood, or building supplies, taking it home on the LIFT is obviously not that convenient. LIFT would likely serve the store on Routes #2 and #3, which after leaving the retail area, stop at MassBay Community College, Rose Kennedy Lane, the Callahan Senior Center, Concord and Howard Streets, and finally the Downtown Common, along with a few stops in the Framingham Centre, Saxonville, and Nobscot area.
These stops really wouldn't be worth the $20,000 a year that LIFT was requesting. Rose Kennedy Lane is a public housing complex, so it's not as if passengers from there would be purchasing cabinets or windows. The only thing in Framingham Centre of interest is the State College, where Lowe's would profit from maybe a few cans of paint. All of the others along the rest of the North Framingham part of the route are mostly single-family housing, and most people with a home also have a car. Certainly there are exceptions, but should Lowe's really be forced to pay $20,000 for something with little use for them. It's different than something like Target or Stop & Shop where consumables are purchased, and this where the bus system is a good fit, serving the stores with consumers. I tend to think there's relatively no benefit for Lowe's in this scenario.
Let's face it, if you're planning to buy some cabinets, plywood, or building supplies, taking it home on the LIFT is obviously not that convenient. LIFT would likely serve the store on Routes #2 and #3, which after leaving the retail area, stop at MassBay Community College, Rose Kennedy Lane, the Callahan Senior Center, Concord and Howard Streets, and finally the Downtown Common, along with a few stops in the Framingham Centre, Saxonville, and Nobscot area.
These stops really wouldn't be worth the $20,000 a year that LIFT was requesting. Rose Kennedy Lane is a public housing complex, so it's not as if passengers from there would be purchasing cabinets or windows. The only thing in Framingham Centre of interest is the State College, where Lowe's would profit from maybe a few cans of paint. All of the others along the rest of the North Framingham part of the route are mostly single-family housing, and most people with a home also have a car. Certainly there are exceptions, but should Lowe's really be forced to pay $20,000 for something with little use for them. It's different than something like Target or Stop & Shop where consumables are purchased, and this where the bus system is a good fit, serving the stores with consumers. I tend to think there's relatively no benefit for Lowe's in this scenario.
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