Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study
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Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study PHASE I REPORT Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study TT AA BB LL EE OO FF CC OO NN TT EE NN TT SS Section 1 – Data Collection & Application 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Purpose 1.3 Overview of Data Required 1.4 Application Section 2 – Peer Group Analysis 2.1 Introduction 2.2 Purpose 2.3 Overview of Peer Group Analysis 2.4 Conclusion Section 3 – Institutional Issues 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Purpose 3.3 Overview of Institutional Issues A. Organizational Issues B. Process Issues C. Implementation Issues 3.4 Summary Institutional Recommendations Appendix • DDMA Rail Study – Peer Property Reference List Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study TOC-1 List of Tables Table 1-1 Data Application Table 2-1 Peer Group Data Table 3-1 Procurement of Services Table 3-2 Virginia Railway Express Insurance Table 3-3 Commuter Rail Systems and Sponsors Table 3-4 Funding Sources Table 3-5 Advantages and Disadvantages of Existing Agencies as Sponsor of Proposed Rail Passenger Service List of Figures Figure 3-1 Risk, Liability and Insurance of Railroad Operations Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study TOC-2 1 DD AA TT AA CC OO LL LL EE CC TT II OO NN && AA PP PP LL II CC AA TT II OO NN 1.1 INTRODUCTION The usefulness of virtually any study is directly related to the quality of the input or source material available. This is certainly true for the Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study. The necessary source data must be accurate, reasonably current The majority of information required as and provided in a timely manner in order to be of use to the input to this study is study team. available through one or more of the participating 1.2 PURPOSE public organizations. The purpose of this section is to describe the types of source data required as input to this study, as well as the intended use or application of this data. Where and when data is not readily available, the study has identified a variety of “work-arounds” designed to minimize the adverse impacts of study findings due to a lack of source material. 1.3 OVERVIEW OF DATA REQUIRED The majority of information required as input to this study is available through one or more of the participating public organizations. As such information is generally in the public domain, the timeliness of the provision of such information will be more of an issue in terms of the production of accurate study findings than will be its actual availability. In some instances, information which may be deemed proprietary to one or more of the interested and affected private Information from one or railroads may also be required. This may necessitate the more of the interested execution of an agreement between the railroad(s) and the and affected private Study Team dealing with the protection (non-disclosure) and railroads may also be required. disposition of any such proprietary data. In any event, it must be understood that the actual availability of such information will be at the sole discretion of the railroad(s). Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study 1-1 In general, the types of data required as input to this study fall into the following categories: · Related rail transit studies, · Aerial photography of the downtown Detroit to Metro Airport corridor, · Site plans, drawings and/or rendering of envisioned airport capital improvements, · Information related to the charter or mandate of each of the agencies currently providing or directly involved in the public transportation services throughout the study area, · Zonal demographic (population and employment) data, · Rail alignment and station location data, including field survey information, · Regional travel time/level of service information related to the condition of relevant highways and roads throughout the study area, · MDOT and/or Wayne County TIP capital program information, and · A variety of information related to the existing railroad One of the primary physical plant and operations, including timetables, “work-arounds” track charts, grade crossing and signaling inventories, available is the study team’s own extensive right-of-way valuation mapping or equivalent and database. traffic volumes and projections. In addition, information on peer properties will be required in order to perform the Peer Group Analysis inherent in Phase 1 of the study. Recognizing that the freight railroad(s) are limited in the amount of assistance they can offer, the PB Team will approach them only after other data sources have been exhausted or when there are apparent inconsistencies in the available information. Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study 1-2 One of the primary “work-arounds” available is the Study Team’s own extensive database, compiled as the result of performing numerous similar studies through the nation. This database includes information on capital and operating costs and operational characteristics of rail transit properties throughout the nation. This database cannot however, deal with issues of unique local significance. 1.4 APPLICATION The chart on the following page summarizes the source(s) of data as well as its intended application to the Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study. Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study 1-3 TABLE 1-1 DATA APPLICATIONS DATA TYPE: SOURCE(S): INTENDED APPLICATION: Related Rail Transit Studies: All related rail transit studies will be made available by General background to assist coordinating the implications and § “Ad-Hoc Passenger Rail Task Force” Final Report, June 1998 SEMCOG. findings of the various studies. § Southeastern Michigan Regional Rail Study § Final Report “Lansing/Detroit Rail Service Survey” § Final Report “Detroit-Lansing-Grand Rapids Inter-City Passenger Rail Service Feasibility Study” § Lansing to Detroit Commuter Rail Study § Analysis of Passenger Rail Service Between Downtown Detroit and Metropolitan Airport, 1990, SMART, and § Rail Access to Airports: A Review and Discussion with Application to Metra’s Planned Service to Chicago O’Hare International Airport, Metra, July 1994 Agency Charter/Mandate Information Informational Charette General background to assist in developing recommendations related to Institutional Issues. Zonal Demographic Data SEMCOG Input to the Sketch Planning ridership model. Rail Alignment and Station Location Data Study Team, with assistance provided by SEMCOG and the Input to the Definition of Alternatives, Sketch Planning ridership Steering Committee model and cost estimates. Aerial Photography SEMCOG and Wayne County Input to the Definition of Alternatives, Sketch Planning ridership model and cost estimates. Site Plans, Drawings and/or Renderings Wayne County Input to the Definition of Alternatives, Sketch Planning ridership model and cost estimates. Regional Travel Time/Level of Service Information SEMCOG Input to the Definition of Alternatives and cost estimates. MDOT and/or Wayne County TIP Capital Program Information MDOT and/or SEMCOG Input to the Definition of Alternatives and cost estimates. Railroad Physical Plant and Operations Data Railroad(s), MDOT/UPTRAN, SEMCOG Input to the Definition of Alternatives and cost estimates. Railroad and road alignment field observation data Study Team members Determination of feasible alignments, available right-of-way and capital program requirements. Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study 1-4 2 PP EE EE RR GG RR OO UU PP AA NN AA LL YY SS II SS 2.1 INTRODUCTION A peer group analysis subtask was included in the first phase of the Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport Rail Study to ensure that current data on operating and planned airport rail links was available to the study team and Steering Committee members. 2.2 PURPOSE A total of 11 properties were included in the peer group analysis. This comparative data may assist the Committee members in reaching decisions on the markets to be served and other key planning aspects of a potential Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport rail line. 2.3 OVERVIEW OF PEER GROUP ANALYSIS A total of 11 properties, consisting of 12 airport rail lines, were included in the peer group analysis. Of these, seven are currently operating rail services to and from an airport while four are planned operations. The planned operations were included in the analysis to indicate the sort of preliminary planning that has been performed relative to airport The light and commuter operations. This also indicates the rail modes are most relative importance of providing rail relevant to potential links between a major airport and the Detroit service. corresponding central business district (CBD). For example, in the case of Map of Hiawatha light rail line Minneapolis, the airport is a major showing multiple on-airport traffic generator on that city’s initial stations. light rail line (as illustrated on the map to the right). The peer table is included as Table 2-1 at the end of this section. Downtown Detroit to Metro Airport 2-1 Rail Study Of the seven operating lines listed in Table 2-1, two are light rail, four are commuter rail, and one is a heavy rail system. All three technologies, or modes, carry passengers on trains operating on rail tracks. Briefly, they have the following general characteristics: Light rail transit (LRT) uses overhead wires to power trains operating on tracks. LRT can operate in its own right-of-way, share railroad right-of-way with freight operations where the two are separated in time or space, or it can operate in a street with other traffic. Because no power is in the tracks, LRT tracks are safe to cross and do not have to be separated from all other traffic (“grade-separated”), which makes LRT less expensive to construct than heavy rail systems. LRT is usually constructed in fully developed urban areas where more frequent stops to provide access are desired.