Response to Request for Information Number 7553496 Connected and Autonomous Vehicles and Other Innovative Transport System Technologies: Framework for Implementation and Integration The following submission addresses “high speed intercity and inter-suburb transport technology, utilizing autonomous vehicles and other transportation system technologies” Submitted By R.W. Leaf and Company, Vendor Number 82060 [email protected] July 26, 2017 Submitted to: RI Department of Administration Division of PurcHases (2nd Floor) One Capitol Hill Providence, RI 02908-5855 Proposal Institute new, more frequent rail service1 utilizing autonomous veHicles for service between Providence and Kingston stations, with intermediate station stops at Warwick (InterLink) and Wickford Junction (the “Kingston Line”). THe Kingston line would replace current MBTA commuter rail service between Providence Station and Wickford Junction, but MBTA would continue to provide commuter rail service to Boston from Providence and the new Pawtucket station. In the future, an additional station stop could be added at either East GreenwicH or Davisville to provide connecting service to Quonset, and service could easily be extended to the new Pawtucket station. THe Kingston Line would be fully integrated with, and become an integral part of, the RIPTA transportation network. Benefits § Lower Operating Costs – Today, RIDOT is responsible for all MBTA operating expenses for service past Providence, as well as track and station construction and maintenance, purcHase of rail cars, equipment maintenance (including ticket vending macHines), access to the Amtrak ROW, and insurance.2 MBTA utilizes large, expensive, bi-level rail cars with diesel locomotives for this service, wHicH are sized and staffed for commuter ridersHip from more Heavily used stops on the StougHton line closer to Boston. Smaller, self-propelled autonomous rail cars would be far more cost-effective. § Increased Ridership – With tHe combination of faster, more frequent service, longer Hours, a new station stop, greater connectivity to MBTA, and better integration with other modes of transit, ridersHip and fare box revenue would inevitably increase. HigHer ridersHip would also support more transit oriented development, particularly near the InterLink and Providence station. § Shorter Travel Times – LigHter, self-propelled rail cars can accelerate faster and cruise at HigHer speeds than long trains pulled by diesel locomotives, sHortening travel times. MBTA traveling from Providence to Wickford junction takes one and a Half times longer than Amtrak traveling to Kingston, even thougH tHe distance is 13 miles sHorter. (See AttacHment A.) § Improved Service to/from Providence – Today, 80% of MBTA riders from Wickford Junction travel to Providence rather than to Boston3. THe Kingston Line would provide more frequent service from Warwick and Wickford Junction, and new service from Kingston/URI. 1 Roughly hourly service, witH more frequent service at rusH Hour. This would translate to 20 to 25 round trips per business day vs. 10 MBTA trains under current service. 2 The SoutH County Operating Agreement dated September 30, 2010 states tHat RI is responsible for all Operating Costs related to SoutH County Rail Line service past Providence station, net of South County Revenue collected for passenger travel from Warwick and Wickford Junction to Providence ($3.25 to $3.50). For SoutH County riders traveling past Providence (i.e., a passenger boarding at Warwick or Wickford Junction and traveling to Boston), only the ticket charge for travel to Providence ($.50 to $1.00) is counted as SoutH County Revenue. 3 Wikipedia – Wickford Junction (MBTA station). Based on May 2012 ridersHip. 2 § Improved Service to/from Boston – THe Kingston Line would provide more frequent service from Kingston, Wickford Junction, and Warwick to Providence for connections to MBTA trains to and from Boston, and Amtrak trains to Boston and New York vs. current service of 10 MBTA trains from Warwick and Wickford Junction on business days, and none on Holidays and weekends. (See AttacHment B.) § Improved Service to/from T.F. Green Airport – THe Kingston Line would offer more frequent rail service to T.F. Green Airport from Providence station and Wickford Junction on weekdays, and regular weekend and Holiday service wHere there is none today, and new weekday and weekend rail service from Kingston. This improvement in service would be more beneficial to Rhode Islanders than adding an Amtrak stop at the InterLink. § New Service to Kingston/URI – South Kingstown is one of the fastest growing municipalities in Rhode Island,4 and URI is an integral but often underutilized resource because of its location. THe Kingston Line, configured to transport bikes, would make the URI campus far more accessible. (See More Efficient Transit Network, below.) § Potential Service to/from Quonset – If demand justified the incremental cost, an additional station stop could be added at East GreenwicH or Davisville, with ten-minute connecting bus service to the Quonset Business Park wHere over 200 businesses are located. § Potential Service to/from Pawtucket – WHen the new Pawtucket station is completed, all of the infrastructure would be in place to extend tHe Kingston Line to Pawtucket at very low incremental cost. It would give Pawtucket residents access to fast, frequent rail service to T.F. Green Airport and URI, and would increase utilization of the new station. § Increased Economic Development – EnHanced transit, particularly to the InterLink and Providence station, makes these sites more attractive for economic development because of enHanced access and reduced demand for parking. THis is especially true with regard to P3 development surrounding the proposed Providence Intermodal Transit Center (PITC). Reduced parking demand saves on construction costs, and improved airport access makes the site more attractive for commercial development. § Improved Regional Competitiveness – According to the US Census, only 8% of commuters to Providence used public transit in 2010, compared to 33% in Boston, 27% in Cambridge, and 21% in Hartford.5 Safe, fast, frequent, reliable public transit would make Rhode Island more competitive with other cities in the region in attracting HigH- paying jobs by making it a more desirable place to live and work. § Reduced Highway Congestion – EnHanced commuter rail service sHould Help relieve congestion on I-95, Route 4 and US 1 during rusH Hour. Less congested HigHways would lead to cost-savings througH lower maintenance costs, and less pressure to add capacity to meet growing demand. 4 According to the US Census, South Kingstown’s population grew from 27,921 in 2000 to 30,639 in 2010, an increase of 2,718 or 9.7%. Only Providence grew by more people over tHe same period, from 173,618 to 178,042, an increase of 4,424 or 2.5%. This compares to a population increase for tHe entire state of just 4,248 or .4%. 5 US Census American Community Survey, 2010. 3 § A More Efficient Transit Network – Every Kingston Line stop offers an opportunity for improved connectivity to other forms of transit, wHicH in turn drives increased rail use. Linking the Kingston Line with the RIPTA network offers the opportunity for a single ticketing system, free or low-cost transfers, and more uniform pricing. Station stops could eliminate many RIPTA park-and-ride locations and augment many long express bus routes. THis Has already begun at Wickford Junction, wHere RIPTA eliminated a nearby park-and-ride site in 2015 and rerouted two bus lines to the station. Subsequently, average daily MBTA ridersHip grew from 175 in 2014 to 292 in the first quarter of 2017, an increase of 67%.6 With more frequent rail service and a single fare structure, many express bus trips to Providence could be eliminated. Rail cars can also be outfitted with bike racks for easy transport, wHicH makes rail stations more accessible, and complements the use of bike racks on RIPTA buses. With the addition of a 1.5-mile, dedicated bike path from the Kingston station, connectivity to URI could be dramatically improved. In fact, bike-friendly transit could make the URI Kingston campus accessible to 70% of all Rhode Island residents.7 Typical bike rack in a commuter rail car 6 Wikipedia – Wickford Junction (MBTA station). 7 The population of RHode Island’s urban core, plus the coastal towns of Westerly, CHarlestown, SoutH Kingston and Narragansett totals 731,000 vs. Statewide population of 1,052,000. - 2010 US Census. 4 B. Scope and Objectives 1. Opportunities for Partnership – RI Department of Transportation (RIDOT) would be responsible for design and construction, insurance, and agreements for use of the Amtrak ROW. RIPTA would be responsible for system operation and maintenance to ensure seamless integration with the existing RIPTA network. THere would be no need to negotiate a public-private partnersHip to implement the plan. 2. State Capital Planning – MucH of tHe capital investment for tHe Kingston Line would qualify for federal funding, including infrastructure enHancements under the NEC Future project. In addition, the useful life of mucH of the infrastructure investment would be as long as 40 years, so annual depreciation expense would be low. For example, locally funded capital costs of $20 million would produce annual non-casH depreciation expense of about $575,000 per year. If financed with 30-year, tax-exempt bonds, debt service would be about $1 million per year.8 § Commuter Cars – THe Kingston Line would utilize self-propelled diesel or electric cars that meet RFA safety requirements for operation on the Amtrak ROW. Under the South County Operating Agreement, RIDOT purcHased at least five MBTA bi-level rail cars; selling these cars back to MBTA could fund mucH of the cost of the new rail cars. § Fare Collection – A pre-board fare collection system would be used at eacH station with turnstile access to platforms at eacH station stop. Currently, RIDOT is responsible for the cost of all MBTA ticket vending macHines, which would be replaced with ones provided by RIPTA, presumably at no increase in cost.