Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 1 Cover Photo by Osman Rana 2 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 1. Introduction 5 5.9 Upstream Improvements 99 1.1 Study Purpose 7 5.10 Construction/Operational Impacts 100 1.2 Previous Studies 8 6. Cost Estimates and Analysis 101 1.3 Abbreviations 8 6.1 Cost Estimating Methodology 103 2. Problem Statement 9 6.2 Organization of the Cost Estimate 104 2.1 A Growing Region 11 6.3 Basis of Estimate 113 2.2 A Divided System 12 6.4 Assumptions and Exclusions 115 2.3 Operational Issues 12 6.5 Schedule 116 3. Background Information 13 7. Benefts Analysis 119 3.1 Existing Conditions 15 7.1 Methodology for Quantifable Benefts 121 3.2 Regional Demographics 27 7.2 Mobility Impacts 122 3.3 Guiding Principles 34 7.3 Operational Effciencies 136 3.4 Best Practices and Emerging Trends 35 7.4 Economic Impacts 137 4. Service Planning 41 7.5 Environmental Justice Analysis 142 4.1 Background and Previous Studies 43 7.6 Air Quality Benefts 145 4.2 Service Plans Considered 44 8. Preferred Alignment and Construction Technology 147 4.3 Service Plans Extensively Studied 50 8.1 Purpose and Background 148 4.4 Capacity Assumptions 52 8.2 Evaluation Objectives and Methodology 150 4.5 Ridership and Operating Costs 54 8.3 Summary and Recommendation 156 5. Potential Alignments and Schematic Design 61 9. Appendices 165 5.1 2003 Alignments and Alternatives 62 A. Citations 167 5.2 Current Design Assumptions/Criteria 66 B. Full List of Upstream Improvements 169 5.3 Station Design Principles 67 C. Ridership Model Description 181 5.4 Tunnel and Underground Construction 68 D. Fire and Life Safety 215 5.5 Fire/Life Safety and Ventilation 69 E. Cost Estimate 230 5.6 Initial Alignments Considered 72 F. Evaluation Weighting and Application of Scores 251 5.7 Short-Listing of Alternatives 73 G. Environmental Evaluation and Permitting Summary 253 5.8 Alignments and Stations 75 H. Public Engagement 267 | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 3 Photo Source: Osman Rana 4 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | 1. Introduction Introduction | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 5 Photo Source: Osman Rana 6 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | Introduction 1. Introduction 1.1 Study Purpose The North South Rail Link (NSRL) project would The Massachusetts Department of Transportation • Consider overall project benefts including rider- connect the Massachusetts Bay Transportation (MassDOT) commissioned Arup to conduct this ship growth, increased system capacity, service Authority’s (MBTA) northside and southside NSRL Feasibility Reassessment, which reexamines reliability improvements, and economic develop- commuter rail networks into one regional system prior work on the concept and was scoped to do ment, and quantify the benefts and associated through the construction and operation of a rail the following: costs at a level appropriate to this stage in the tunnel through Downtown Boston. This tunnel project development process. • Identify signifcant changes to the context within would enable through-running of MBTA Commuter which the NSRL would be implemented, such as The results of this Feasibility Reassessment will Rail and Amtrak trains, increasing system coverage, demographic shifts, new transportation technolo- help inform MassDOT’s and state policymakers’ capacity, and ridership. gies, and trends and changes to the regulatory decisions about any appropriate next steps with and built environments. regard to the NSRL concept. • Review the technical viability of major elements An NSRL Working Group composed of assembled of the NSRL that were proposed by previous technical experts, provided independent review of studies (two- versus four-track tunnels, two ver- project fndings from this Feasibility Reassessment. sus three stations in the tunnel section, service They have been engaged at various points in the plan alternatives, the location and construction of process and have provided feedback on project tunnel portals, tunnel alignments, and station and deliverables, including this report. The members of headhouse locations). Consider new alternatives this group who regularly attended meetings with the and develop these to a level of detail to allow for project team are as follows: an assessment of costs and benefts. • Lynn Ahlgren • Develop an order-of-magnitude cost estimate (including design, construction, and management • Brad Bellows costs), assuming the initial use of dual-mode • Barry Bluestone locomotives to avoid full electrifcation of the • Robert Culver commuter rail system. This cost estimate will be informed by recent experience in rail tunnel con- • Evan Efstathiou struction (both international and domestic) and • Ed Mueller industry best practices. • Clay Schofeld Introduction | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 7 1.2 Previous Studies 1.3 Abbreviations While a rail tunnel between North and South on enhancements to existing transit systems, and The following abbreviations are used throughout this Stations had been considered since 1909, the multiple variants of commuter rail tunnel build report. modern concept of the NSRL was frst introduced in alternatives, accounting for different numbers of Central Transportation Planning 1972 as part of the Boston Transportation Planning CTPS tracks, locations of south portals, numbers of Staff Review’s Central Artery report. This masterplan stations, and alignments of the southern section Draft Environmental Impact Report proposed a two-track rail tunnel alongside the of tunnel. All variants were evaluated in terms DEIR Central Artery road tunnel, but the rail connection of fnancial feasibility, effectiveness, and equity Massachusetts Executive Offce of EOTC was eventually eliminated in order to secure federal measures: Transportation and Construction funding for the highway project. • Two-track (Back Bay portal) / two-station FTA Federal Transit Administration In 1993, the secretary of the Massachusetts • Two-track (Back Bay portal) / three-station Metropolitan Area Planning Council Executive Offce of Transportation and Construction MAPC • Two-track (South Bay portal) / two-station (EOTC) convened the Central Artery Rail Link Task Massachusetts Department of MassDEP Force to study the feasibility of the rail tunnel using • Two-track (South Bay portal) / three-station Environmental Protection the Central Artery alignment. In its fnal report, • Four-track / two-station Massachusetts Department of the EOTC-appointed task force recommended MassDOT Transportation the construction of the rail tunnel with frst two • Four-track / three-station Massachusetts Bay Transportation tracks, and then four in a further phase, and three The output of this evaluation was distributed to the MBTA Authority downtown stations (North Station, South Station, relevant governmental agencies to inform decisions and State Street). on future transportation investments. In addition to MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization developing new alternatives, the current Feasibility A number of studies developed by organizations Northeast Corridor Reassessment seeks to evaluate the 2003 rail NEC outside of state government followed, proposing concept in today’s transportation context and that a more thorough examination of engineering NSRL North South Rail Link provide updated estimates on anticipated benefts and environmental impact be conducted. To satisfy and costs. these requests for further study, the MBTA, Federal SEM Sequential Excavation Method Transit Administration, the Massachusetts Highway SSX South Station Expansion Department, Amtrak, and EOTC partnered on a major investment study / draft environmental TAZ Traffc Analysis Zones impact report (DEIR), released in June of 2003. The study identifed a No Build scenario, one focusing TBM Tunnel Boring Machine 8 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | Introduction 2. Problem Statement Problem Statement | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 9 Photo Source: Osman Rana 10 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report January 2019 | Problem Statement 2. Problem Statement 2.1 A Growing Region The NSRL has the potential to address several The Greater Boston area continues to add both separate but interrelated needs in Boston’s travel jobs and people, straining its existing transportation market. network. A number of traffc indices rank the Boston metropolitan area, alongside Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC, as among the most congested in the US,1 and in the past 16 years, the City of Boston has experienced 8% population growth and 4% employment growth, while in the region’s MBTA service area, population grew by 5% and employment by 10%, exacerbating capacity constraints in the transit system.2 Similar to other growing regions, the Greater Boston economy has grown faster than its transportation infrastructure. Traffc congestion Crowds at MBTA Park Street Station Problem Statement | January 2019 North South Rail Link Feasibility Reassessment Final Report 11 2.2 A Divided