Transportation, Social and Economic Impacts of Light and Commuter Rail in Metropolitan Areas URL

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Transportation, Social and Economic Impacts of Light and Commuter Rail in Metropolitan Areas URL Technical Report Documentation Page 1. Report No. 2. Government Accession No. 3. Recipient's Catalog No. FHWA/TX-10/0-5652-1 4. Title and Subtitle 5. Report Date TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF November 2008 LIGHT AND COMMUTER RAIL Published: September 2009 6. Performing Organization Code 7. Author(s) 8. Performing Organization Report No. Jeffrey C. Arndt, Curtis Morgan, John H. Overman, Terry L. Clower, Report 0-5652-1 Ph.D., Bernard L. Weinstein, Ph.D., and Michael Seman, M.S 9. Performing Organization Name and Address 10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS) Texas Transportation Institute The Texas A&M University System 11. Contract or Grant No. College Station, Texas 77843-3135 Project 0-5652 12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address 13. Type of Report and Period Covered Texas Department of Transportation Technical Report: Research and Technology Implementation Office September 2007-August 2008 P.O. Box 5080 14. Sponsoring Agency Code Austin, Texas 78763-5080 15. Supplementary Notes Project performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration. Project Title: Transportation, Social and Economic Impacts of Light and Commuter Rail in Metropolitan Areas URL: http://tti.tamu.edu/documents/0-5652-1.pdf 16. Abstract While transportation impacts are often masked by heavy growth in corridor traffic and latent travel demand, modeling enables measuring the real transportation impacts of rail projects. Rail transit is both safe and environmentally friendly. Rail systems expand mobility and reduce household investment in transportation. However, as regions implement rail systems, they must take care to consider the full range of rider impacts so that environmental justice issues do not emerge. The largest body of research relates to the economic impact of rail. These impacts are strongest in station areas, as access to rail increases property value on nearby property. The positive impact of rail on property values does not hold true for property directly adjacent to the rail line however. State Departments of Transportation have played a variety of roles in rail development, ranging from funding initial planning and operating services. TxDOT has authority to participate in rail development but no funding has been appropriated by the legislature. TxDOT could more actively participate in commuter rail projects if the agency was afforded greater flexibility in application of funds and the right to own rolling stock. 17. Key Words 18. Distribution Statement Light Rail, Commuter Rail, Intercity Rail, Economic No restrictions. This document is available to the Development public through NTIS: National Technical Information Service Springfield, Virginia 22161 http://www.ntis.gov 19. Security Classif.(of this report) 20. Security Classif.(of this page) 21. No. of Pages 22. Price Unclassified Unclassified 140 Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF LIGHT AND COMMUTER RAIL by Jeffrey C. Arndt Research Scientist Texas Transportation Institute Curtis Morgan Assistant Research Scientist Texas Transportation Institute John H. Overman Associate Research Scientist Texas Transportation Institute Terry L. Clower, Ph.D. Associate Director Center for Economic Development and Research University of North Texas Bernard L. Weinstein, Ph.D. Director Center for Economic Development and Research University of North Texas and Michael Seman, M.S. Research Associate Center for Economic Development and Research University of North Texas Report 0-5652-1 Project 0-5652 Project Title: Transportation, Social and Financial Impacts of Light and Commuter Rail in Metropolitan Areas Performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration November 2008 Published: September 2009 TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE The Texas A&M University System College Station, Texas 77843-3135 DISCLAIMER This research was performed in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors, who are responsible for the facts and the accuracy of the data presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the official view or policies of the FHWA or TxDOT. This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. The United States Government and the State of Texas do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturers’ names appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of this report. v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project was conducted in cooperation with TxDOT and FHWA. The authors acknowledge the assistance of Project Director Stephen Endres, P.E, and Program Coordinators William Hale, P.E., and Maribel Chavez, P.E. Serving as members of the Project Advisory Committee, Wilda Won, Charles Airiohuodion, and Curtis Loftis, P.E., of TxDOT, and Stephen Salin provided valued guidance and input. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page List of Figures ................................................................................................................. x List of Tables ................................................................................................................. xi SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ............................................... 1 Background ................................................................................................................. 1 Light and Commuter Rail ............................................................................................ 2 Heavy Rail ............................................................................................................... 2 Light Rail ................................................................................................................ 2 Commuter Rail ........................................................................................................ 3 SECTION 2: LIGHT AND COMMUTER RAIL IMPACTS .......................................... 5 Federal Transit Authority (FTA) and Rail Impacts ....................................................... 5 New Starts/Small Starts ........................................................................................... 5 Before and After Studies .......................................................................................... 8 Rail Impacts: Typology and General Findings ........................................................... 11 Impact Typologies ................................................................................................. 11 Increased Transit Ridership and Decreased Automobile Traffic ............................. 12 Congestion Impacts ............................................................................................... 12 Cost Effectiveness ................................................................................................. 13 Road and Parking Cost Savings ............................................................................. 13 Consumer Financial Impacts .................................................................................. 13 Safety Impacts ....................................................................................................... 13 Energy and Emission Reductions ........................................................................... 14 Economic Benefits ................................................................................................. 14 Other Benefits ....................................................................................................... 14 Rail Impacts: Project Plans and Reports..................................................................... 15 Economic and Developmental Impacts .................................................................. 17 DART Rail Case Study: Hedonic Modeling .......................................................... 17 DART Rail Case Study: Matched Pairs .................................................................. 19 DART Transit Oriented Development Impacts ...................................................... 19 Commuter Rail and Economic Impacts .................................................................. 21 Summary ................................................................................................................... 22 SECTION 3: RAIL AND THE ROLE OF DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION .................................................................................. 23 Relevant State DOT Roles ......................................................................................... 23 State Operated Transit –Transit as a Core DOT Function ....................................... 24 Statewide Rail Agency........................................................................................... 24 State DOT Rail Division ........................................................................................ 25 State-Level Rail Passenger Program ...................................................................... 25 Regional Transit Districts and Authorities ............................................................. 25 Regional Rail Authorities ...................................................................................... 25 Interstate Authorities ............................................................................................. 26 Regional Mobility Authorities ..............................................................................
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