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After yesterday’s tour-de Worcester County we got a lot of messages and comments asking for a Round 2. After all, we only hit up 20 towns yesterday and most of them were south of Worcester. Apparently there were many other towns who got shitty plow jobs and wanted exposure. So today we went to another 20 towns to check out if their roads were as miserable as our’s in Worcester. As usual we’re gonna rank the following 20 towns in order from best plow jobs to the crap happiest: (in the order we visited them) Southbridge, Sturbridge, Brookfield, East Brookfield, North Brookfield, Oakham, Rutland, Princeton, Westminster, Gardner, Ashburnham, Fitchburg, Lunenburg, Leominster, Sterling, Lancaster, Clinton, Bolton, Hudson, Northborough.
1. Northborough
I could drive around Northborough all day. It was easily the best plowed right we went to today, and quite frankly I expected nothing less. Even Apple Daddy, who previously went on a tear against this community, would have to admit that both the main and side roads look scrumptious. 
2. Lunenburg
Lunenburg got more snow in the first storm than any other town (36 inches!!) Yet somehow their DPW has figured out a way to move it all to the side of the road. Gee whiz, what a great idea!!
3. Rutland
I gotta say, I was really impressed with Rutland. I wasn’t expecting much because the towns that border it (Oakham and Princeton) might as well have been slip n’ slides. But they’ve done the most important thing you can do post-storm. Make the roads wider. That’s my beef with the DPW in Worcester. They plow the night of the storm and then I never see them again. In Rutland I saw plows everywhere moving the excess white crap to the side of the road.
4. Leominster
After seeing what Fitchburg looked like I was pleasantly surprised to see how Leominster turned out. That’s what happens when an Italian guy who isn’t afraid to tell the MIAA to go screw itself is the mayor.
5. Hudson
Hudson was solid. We drove down as many side streets as possible and generally they were cleared and passed the Turtleboy test – by showing me that sweet, sweet asphalt. My only minor beef was on one of the major two lane roads in town the banking basically makes it a one lane road. I realize that on the night of the storm you gotta do what you gotta do. And Worcester is guilty of this too in places like Main Street and Park Ave. But, in the days after that the DPW should be out there turning one land roads back into two.
6. Clinton
Clinton is a weird town. It’s wicked small land wise and they kind of just jam everyone in there. So it’s a small town, but it feels like you’re in a city because of all the grime everywhere. It’s kind of like the Webster of the north. And because of that I was expecting it to be a pretty shitty plow job. But it’s actually not half bad.
7. Gardner
You’ll never see a city that’s more proud of their chairs than you will in Gardner. I assume these kids have been to more chair museum field trips than they would care to go on. So I was fully expecting to see tons of chair parking spots. But I didn’t because apparently they actually plow the streets up there.
8. Lancaster
9. East Brookfield
East Brookfield is where people move to get away from Spencer. Otherwise no one would live there because it’s in the middle of nowhere. Their roads were not too shabby though. Not the worst, not the best.
10. Brookfield
If you thought East Brookfield was fun, wait until you see regular Brookfield. They even have a Clam Box there. In all honesty though it’s basically the same exact thing as East Brookfield. There’s no reason they shouldn’t just be one town. I had no idea when I had left one town and entered the other because their roads were basically the same thing.
11. Southbridge
People kept talking up the Southbridge plow jobs, which blew my mind. Because after all, it’s Southbridge. Sure the major road (169) was clear as day, but you can’t judge a town based on the Main streets. You gotta do the side roads. The Southbridge side roads weren’t Dudley-esque, but they didn’t quite live up to all the post-plow chatter.
12. Sturbridge
This is another town that people talked up a lot. I wasn’t impressed. These roads might’ve worked back the the Old Sturbridge Village days, but it’s 2015 and I expect better.
13. Oakham
Here’s where they start getting crappy. This is a picture of a road in Rutland right after you cross over the line from Oakham.
Here’s the same road half a mile back in Oakham.
Get your shit together Oakham. No wonder there’s never school at Quabbin Regional.
14. Ashburnham
I only went to Ashburnham because some guy told me I had to see it. I’m not gonna lie, I was expecting a lot worse. At least they plowed the major roads, but the side roads looked like Stalingrad in 1943.
15. Princeton
I would never wanna live in Princeton because when the sun goes down it’s basically pitch black. You feel like you’re in the middle of nowhere, because for the most part, you are. But it’s a wealthy town so I thought they’d at least plow the Goddamn roads. Nope. Hey, this looks like a fun place to die…
16. Sterling
After seeing Sterling I’m starting to believe that the way some of these towns keep too many people from moving there is by purposely doing such a shitty job on the roads.
17. Bolton
Do you like your car? Cool. Then don’t go to Bolton because you’re probably gonna fly off the road at some point.
18. Westminster
I was under the impression that Westminster was the land of the free and the home of the brave. This is the town that took on the tyrant of Andrea Crete so I figured they could at least plow their roads. Then again, it’s probably her fault that the roads in Westminster looked like you were driving through a remote village in Switzerland.
19. Fitchburg
The only difference between Fitchburg and Honduras is the snow. That and there’s less crime in Honduras. Because if you thought Worcester was bad, wait until you go to Fitchburg. The roads have “third world country” written all over them.I thought I was gonna die several times, and that’s only because I made eye contact with the locals. For a reference point, here is a road in Lunenburg:
Here is that same road a quarter of the mile down the road in Fitchburg:
Have fun navigating through all this crap!!
20. North Brookfield
What a fucking shitshow North Brookfield is. Jesus H. Christ. Driving through North Brookfield would be a really fun video game. Because when you car slams into a tree in a video game you don’t have to pay a deductible. Unfortunately though it’s real life. How anyone can survive in these God-forsaken roads is beyond me.
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22 Comment(s)
Just out of curiosity, if you had to pick one of the Brookfields as the best, which Brookfield would you pick; North, East, West, or Regular Brookfield
For the person that posted the pics of Oakham they should get there facts straight before they open there mouth. The first pic is of rt 148 off of 122. Rt 122 is a state road that sees nothing but salt. So when you say the road a half mile back in Rutland was great its because its a state road. The second pic you posted is actually in new Braintree not in Oakham. The third is an uneven road that dose not scrap well. Maybe you should get a real job and stop bashing hard working people that are trying to help keep the roads safe for others. We put our families aside and work all kinds of crazy hours so assholes like you van drive around amlisly doing nothing.
Come check out Athol. Havn’t been able to park anywhere near main st never mind main st.
Hudson isn’t in Worcester County…why was it included?
You should check out where I live in Orange ma I SWEAR best roads out here lol pavement all around
I live in Worcester, and the DPW left a 6-foot wall of snow bisecting my narrow road on Monday night . It wasn’t removed until Friday morning, after we got the mayor’s office involved. And even after they removed it, the road was still impassible because they didn’t send a second plow to clean up the leftover mess. I’ve only been able to use my car maybe 3 times in over 2 weeks.
What a disgusting, trash county.
Come check out the back roads of Concord, Ma. I got stuck in my Subaru on Strawberry Hill Rd after the last storm because after they “plowed” there were 5″ mounds in the middle of the road. Can’t see the pavement for several days after the storm and they plow the already narrow roads so narrow two cars can’t pass each other (you’re screwed if a school bus tries to pass.) But cross over onto the Acton line of the same street and it’s perfectly clear down to the pavement. I have to call my first client of the day before I leave my house after a storm to find out what the roads actually look like.
Although we’re on the outskirts of Worcester County, you really need to come out to Warren. The HD has gotten better the past couple years, but I think we would still make your top 10. Drive north on Rt 19 from Brimfield and you’ll see the difference immediately as you cross the town line. And the HD is located on this road!
Warren roads are definitely the #1 worst. They drop sand over 3 inched of snow? Are you kidding me? Try dropping the plow.
I guess the foul-mouth dirt-bag who wrote all these “witty” comments is NOT aware that the Town of Westminster has MORE “miles of road” (75) than ANY other town in Massachusetts! ? Considering the sheer ‘scope’ of the job they have to do, every time it snows, they do a pretty good job!!
We’re responsible for some roads in Fitchburg and in Ashburnham, and I can assure you that the roads on our routes do not look like this. Fitchburg is also the 2nd hilliest city in the United States and people park on both sides of the road. It’s a tough town. The plow drivers of Fitchburg deserve a little more credit.
The problem isn’t the plow drivers who work ridiculous hours – sometimes 3 days straight without sleeping!!! Talk to the selectmen who don’t want to spend the money on manpower and equipment. North Brookfield only has 3 full-time guys who are responsible for 80 miles of road – none of those roads get treated by the state. State roads look great because they spend whatever they want on sand, salt, equipment and manpower. It’s only going to,get worse during these next snow storms since towns are running out of sand and salt, equipment is breaking down, and the guys are exhausted (but they’ll still be out there!)
wake up, have you noticed the pavement is clear when you hit east Brookfield,no ones complains due to the fact there scared of making waves . this town is a shit show. pay peanuts you get monkies. shit can all these guys and start with the highway super.he couldn’t find a doctor at umass. that’s when hes not at cumbies hittin on the young girls.
Who has time to ride around all these towns anyway. Wtf get a life ahole. All the roads are bad excluding state roads. There is not one state road in north brookfield.
I live in North Brookfied just wanted to thank you for your honest comment on my home town. I totally agree.. In bad weather I almost always kill myself going into East Brookfield on rt 67(travel to work).. also they need to stop plowing people into their drive ways we had a 4ft snow wall at the end of our drive way after shoveling. One of my bosses lives in Barre that’s one to check out too.. I hope North Brookfield see this comment and yours.. again thank you..
Just curious where you would rank Worcester compared to these other fourty towns you’ve writen about, Turtleboy.
Come to Warren. I live on a major rt. And my road looks like the Bolton pictures. The side roads are worse…..a school bus went off the road earlier this week!
Northborough’s my home town. They def do everything big! Perfect town! My Dad moved to Oakham after I graduated. What a shit hole. Could not wait to leave.
Come check out Templeton next storm.