New Hampshire Capitol Corridor Rail & Transit Alternatives Analysis (Parts A & B) Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives – September 2014 New cover State Project Numbers 16317 and 68067-A New Hampshire Capitol Corridor Rail & Transit Alternatives Analysis (Parts A & B) Task 7: Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives – September 2014 Table of Contents Project Purpose and Need Summary ............................................................................................................ 1 Task Objectives ............................................................................................................................................. 1 1 Definition of Intermediate Alternatives ................................................................................................ 2 1.1 Expanded Base .............................................................................................................................. 2 1.2 Bus on Shoulder ............................................................................................................................ 3 1.3 Expanded Bus on Shoulder ........................................................................................................... 4 1.4 Manchester Regional Commuter Rail ........................................................................................... 4 1.5 Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail ............................................................................................... 10 1.6 Intercity 8 .................................................................................................................................... 14 Index A: Proposed Bus Service Option Timetables ..................................................................................... 21 Index B: Proposed Commuter Rail Service Option Timetables ................................................................... 24 Index C: Proposed Intercity Rail Service Option Timetable ........................................................................ 26 2 Application of Selection Criteria ......................................................................................................... 27 2.1 Economic Impacts ....................................................................................................................... 27 2.2 Land Use and Economic Development ....................................................................................... 31 2.2.1 Sustainable Land Use .......................................................................................................... 32 2.3 Equity Impacts ............................................................................................................................. 33 2.4 Capital and O&M Costs ............................................................................................................... 35 2.4.1 Capital Costs ........................................................................................................................ 35 2.4.2 Summary of Estimated Bus Costs ....................................................................................... 36 2.4.3 Final Estimates of Capital Costs .......................................................................................... 37 2.4.4 O&M Costs .......................................................................................................................... 38 2.4.5 Commuter Rail – Manchester Regional and Nashua Minimum.......................................... 38 2.4.6 Intercity Rail ........................................................................................................................ 38 2.4.7 Commuter Bus .................................................................................................................... 38 2.4.8 Summary of Final Estimates of Annual O&M Costs ............................................................ 38 2.5 Ridership ..................................................................................................................................... 39 State Project Numbers 16317 and 68067-A i | P a g e New Hampshire Capitol Corridor Rail & Transit Alternatives Analysis (Parts A & B) Task 7: Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives – September 2014 List of Appendices Appendix A Economic Development Assessment Appendix B Sustainable Land Use Appendix C Equity Analysis Appendix D Final Capital Costs Methodology and Results Appendix E Final Operations and Maintenance (O&M) Costs Methodology and Results Appendix F Rail Ridership Forecast Methodology and Results List of Tables Table 1.1: Summary of Intermediate Alternatives........................................................................................ 2 Table 1.2: Manchester Regional Commuter Rail Bridge Inventory .............................................................. 8 Table 1.3: Manchester Regional Commuter Rail Grade Crossings ............................................................... 9 Table 1.4: Manchester Regional Commuter Rail Passenger Station Development Plan ............................ 10 Table 1.5: Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail Bridge Inventory .................................................................. 13 Table 1.6: Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail Grade Crossings ................................................................... 13 Table 1.7: Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail Passenger Station Development Plan ................................. 14 Table 1.8: Intercity 8 Timetable .................................................................................................................. 15 Table 1.9: Intercity 8 Bridge Inventory ....................................................................................................... 18 Table 1.10: Intercity 8 Grade Crossings ...................................................................................................... 19 Table 1.11: Intercity 8 Passenger Station Development Plan ..................................................................... 20 Table A.1: Proposed Expanded Base Timetable ......................................................................................... 21 Table A.2: Proposed Bus on Shoulder Timetable ........................................................................................ 22 Table A.3: Proposed Expanded Bus on Shoulder Timetable ....................................................................... 23 Table B 1: Conceptual Manchester Regional Commuter Rail Timetable .................................................... 24 Table B.2: Conceptual Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail Timetable ......................................................... 25 Table C.1: Conceptual Intercity 8 Timetable ............................................................................................... 26 Table 2.1: Total Station Area Development Potential by Alternative ......................................................... 28 Table 2.2: Commuter Rail Development Potential in Each Station Area .................................................... 29 Table 2.3: Intercity Rail Development Potential in Each Station Area ........................................................ 29 Table 2.4: Impacts on Employment (Jobs) by Alternative .......................................................................... 30 Table 2.5: Impacts on Output (Gross Regional Product) by Alternative (In Millions, 2014$) ..................... 31 Table 2.6: Summary of Goals by Alternative............................................................................................... 32 Table 2.7: Summary of Alternatives ............................................................................................................ 34 Table 2.8: Summary of Project Capital Costs (In Millions, 2014$) .............................................................. 35 Table 2.9: BX Vehicle Requirements by Service Option .............................................................................. 36 Table 2.10: Final Capital Cost Estimates for Bus Options (In Millions, 2014$) ........................................... 37 Table 2.11: Final Estimates of Capital Cost (In Millions, 2014$) ................................................................. 37 State Project Numbers 16317 and 68067-A ii | P a g e New Hampshire Capitol Corridor Rail & Transit Alternatives Analysis (Parts A & B) Task 7: Detailed Evaluation of Alternatives – September 2014 Table 2.12: Final Estimates of Annual O&M Costs (In Millions, 2012$) ..................................................... 39 Table 2.13: Manchester Regional Daily Boarding Estimates ...................................................................... 39 Table 2.14: Nashua Minimum Daily Boarding Estimates ............................................................................ 39 Table 2.15: Daily Ridership Estimates ......................................................................................................... 39 List of Figures Figure 1.1: Existing Corridor Bus and Existing Rail Services .......................................................................... 3 Figure 1.2: Proposed Manchester Regional Commuter Rail and Bus Service Configuration ....................... 5 Figure 1.3: Time-Distance Stringline Diagram for Manchester Regional Commuter Rail Service ................ 6 Figure 1.4: Current and Proposed Maximum Train Speeds for Manchester Regional Commuter Rail ........ 7 Figure 1.5: Proposed Nashua Minimum Commuter Rail and Bus Service Configuration ..........................