Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham Commuter Rail Study Birmingham/Huntington Park/Hoover/ Helena/Pelham/Alabaster/ South Alabaster/Calera Advanced Planning, Programming, and Logical Engineering (APPLE) RPC Project No. 1289.29 Dynamic Civil Solutions and Whitman, Requardt and Associates, LLP August 2019 Commuter Rail Study Birmingham/Hoover/Helena/Pelham/Alabaster Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham Table of Contents 1 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................ 1 1.1. The Corridor ............................................................................................................................................... 1 1.2. Corridor Railroads ..................................................................................................................................... 3 1.3. Commuter Rail Concepts ......................................................................................................................... 3 1.4. Commuter Rail Opportunities .................................................................................................................. 4 2 Existing Conditions ............................................................................................................................................. 5 2.1 Corridor Population, Growth and Development .................................................................................... 5 2.2 Existing and Projected Traffic .................................................................................................................. 6 2.2.1 I-65 Corridor Feasibility Study MAGIC 65 ............................................................................................ 6 2.2.2 I-65/US31 Mobility Matters Plan ............................................................................................................. 8 2.2.3 Regional Transportation Plan 2040 Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham .... 10 2.3 Commute Trip Analysis .......................................................................................................................... 11 2.4 Current Railroad Operations .................................................................................................................. 13 2.4.1 CSX Railroad ........................................................................................................................................... 13 2.4.2 NS and Amtrak ........................................................................................................................................ 17 2.4.3 Birmingham Railroad Park Interlocking ............................................................................................... 17 3 Concept Development ...................................................................................................................................... 19 3.1 Railroad Alternatives ............................................................................................................................... 19 3.1.1. Railroad requirements for shared use ............................................................................................... 19 3.1.2. Shared use ............................................................................................................................................. 19 3.1.3. Independent operation ......................................................................................................................... 19 3.2 Operating Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 22 3.3 Potential Stations ..................................................................................................................................... 24 3.3.1 Birmingham – 18th Street Station .......................................................................................................... 24 3.3.2 Huntington Park Station ......................................................................................................................... 26 3.3.3 Hoover Station ......................................................................................................................................... 27 3.3.4 Helena Station ......................................................................................................................................... 30 3.3.5 Pelham Station ........................................................................................................................................ 31 3.3.6 Alabaster Station ..................................................................................................................................... 32 3.3.7 South Alabaster Station ......................................................................................................................... 34 3.3.8 Calera Station .......................................................................................................................................... 35 3.3.9 Other Sites not selected ......................................................................................................................... 36 Commuter Rail Study Birmingham/Hoover/Helena/Pelham/Alabaster Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham 3.4 Transit Oriented Development Opportunities ...................................................................................... 37 3.4.1 Birmingham Station TOD ................................................................................................................... 38 3.4.2 Huntington Park Station TOD ............................................................................................................ 39 3.4.3 Hoover Station TOD ............................................................................................................................... 40 3.4.4 Helena Station TOD ................................................................................................................................ 41 3.4.5 Pelham Station TOD ........................................................................................................................... 42 3.4.6 Alabaster Station TOD ........................................................................................................................... 43 3.4.7 South Alabaster Station TOD ................................................................................................................ 44 3.4.8 Calera Station TOD ................................................................................................................................ 45 3.5 Ridership Estimates ................................................................................................................................ 46 3.5.1 Zone Analysis .......................................................................................................................................... 48 3.5.2 Traffic Impact ........................................................................................................................................... 49 3.6 Planning Level Cost Estimates .............................................................................................................. 51 3.6.1 Capital cost estimates ............................................................................................................................ 51 3.6.2 Operating cost estimates ....................................................................................................................... 52 3.7 Summary of Stakeholder Meeting ......................................................................................................... 53 3.8 Commuter Bus Alternative ..................................................................................................................... 54 List of Appendices Appendix A: Commuter Data Matrix of 38 Zones from US Census LEHD Data ........................................ 60 Appendix B: Conceptual Commuter Railroad Capital Cost Estimate ......................................................... 63 Appendix C: Conceptual Commuter Railroad Operating Cost Estimate ................................................... 70 Appendix D: FTA Transit Database Costing of other Commuter Railroads ............................................... 71 List of Tables Table 1 Alabama Population 2000-2010 ................................................................................................................. 6 Table 2 Alabama Population 2020-2040 ................................................................................................................. 6 Table 3 Proposed Transit Improvements ............................................................................................................... 8 Table 4 RTP Strategies for Addressing Challenges ............................................................................................ 10 Table 5 LEHD Zones – Potential Birmingham Commuter Rail Trips ................................................................ 12 Table 6 Lineville Subdivision Characteristics........................................................................................................ 16 Table 7 Running Time CSX Rail and Improved Rail ..........................................................................................