SHORT- RANGE COMMUTER-RAIL ALTERNATIVES ON THE SOUTH SHORE IT DO o 1985 sitory Copy March 1985 . TITLE Short-Range Commuter-Rail Alternatives on the South Shore AUTHOR(S) Thomas J. Humphrey DATE March 1985 ABSTRACT This report presents results of analyses of potential short-range improvements in public transportation between the South Shore and Boston. The main emphasis is on commuter-rail-shuttle service to the Red Line on former Old Colony routes. Other alternatives examined include through South Shore-Boston rail service, extensions of existing commuter-rail lines, and improvements in express-bus, feeder-bus, and commuter-boat service. The report includes operating- and capital-cost estimates, travel-time and fare comparisons, and demand and revenue projections . Institutional constraints and Red Line capacity issues are also examined. Descriptions and operating histories of South Shore commuter rail and currently operating modes are provided This document was prepared by CENTRAL TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STAFF, an interagency transportation planning sta'f creaied and directed by the Metropolitan Planning Organization, consisting of the member agencies. Executive OMice of Transportation and Construction Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Massachusetts Department of Public Works MBTA Advisory Board Massachusetts Port Authority Metropolitan Area Planning Council . -ii- AUTHOR(S) MAPC REGION STUDY AREA BOUNDARY Thomas J. Humphrey GRAPHICS JiniM M. Collan Villiw L . Sicholson EDITING V— Morrison WORD PROCESSING Olga Doherty (UurMn Hagarty Lillian Didio Sandra Barroe Barbara Julian \ I 1 mmm \ This document was prepared in cooperation with the Urban Mass Transportation Administration of the U. S. Depart- ment of Transportation through the technical study grant(s) cited below, and was also financed with state and local matching funds. MA-09-0095 MA-09-0107 MA-08-0115 Copiat way t> • obtained from tha Stata Tran iportation Library. Tan Park Plaza. 2nd floor. Boston, MA 02116 TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ix SUMMARY 1 1.0 INTRODUCTION 11 2.0 HISTORY AND CURRENT STATUS OF SOUTH SHORE TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES 15 2.1 Summary of Existing Conditions 15 2.2 Commuter Rail 15 2.3 Rapid Transit 16 2.4 Bus Service 16 2.4.1 MBTA Service 17 2.4.2 South Shore Bus, Inc. 17 2.4.3 Brockton Area Transit Authority (BAT) 19 2.4.4 Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company 19 2.4.5 Hudson Bus Lines 20 2.4.6 Bloom Bus Lines 20 2.4.7 American Eagle Motor Coach, Inc. 20 2.4.8 Bonanza Bus Lines 21 2.4.9 Interstate Coach and Bay State Commuter Lines, Inc. 21 2.5 Commuter-Boat Service 21 2.5.1 Point Pemberton Route 21 2.5.2 Hinghara Route 22 2.5.3 Squantum Route 22 2.6 Carpool and Vanpool Alternatives 22 2.6.1 State Assistance for Carpool Formation 22 2.6.2 Vanpooling 23 3.0 COMMUTER-RAIL-SERVICE OPTION FOR THE SOUTH SHORE: ROUTES AND SERVICE CHARACTERISTICS 25 3.1 Current Status of Lines 25 3.1.1 Summary of Past Physical Plant and Changes Thereto 25 3.1.2 Current Track Status North of Neponset 26 3.1.3 Current Tract Status Between Neponset and Braintree 29 -i i i- -i v- 3.1.4 South Station Track Status 29 3.1.5 Track Status South of Braintree 30 3.2 Characteristics of Potential Commuter-Rail Routes Beyond Braintree 33 3.2.1 Nantasket Secondary Track (formerly the Greenbush Branch) 33 3.2.2 Plymouth Secondary Track 37 3.2.3 Middleboro Branch 40 3.3 Location of Commuter-Rail Platform at Braintree Station 44 3.3.1 Layout of Braintree Rapid-Transit Station 44 3.3.2 Potential Commuter-Rail Platform Location 45 3.4 Comparison of Travel-Time Characteristics for Feeder Service to the Red Line and for Through Buses to Downtown Boston 46 3.4.1 Travel-Time Characteristics of Red Line versus Southeast Expressway 47 3.4.2 Service-Time Comparisons • Plymouth Secondary Track Corridor 47 • Middleboro Branch Corridor 47 3.5 South Shore Commuter-Rail-Scheduling Considerations 49 4.0 DEMAND FOR TRANSPORTATION FROM THE SOUTH SHORE TO BOSTON 51 4.1 Method of Estimation 51 4.2 Estimated Demand for South Shore Commuter-Rail Service 51 5.0 PROJECTED FARES FOR SOUTH SHORE COMMUTER- RAIL SERVICE 59 5.1 MBTA Commuter-Rail Zone Fare System 59 5.2 Possible Fare Structures for South Shore Commuter-Rail Routes 59 5.3 Comparison with Feeder-Bus Routes 60 5.4 Comparison with Through Bus Fares to Boston 63 5.5 Revenue Estimate for South Shore Commuter Rail 64 6.0 SOUTH SHORE TRANSIT-SERVICE COSTS 67 6.1 Operating-Cost Assumptions for South Shore Commuter Rail 67 6.1.1 Frequency and Number of Trainsets 67 6.1.2 Train-Basing Points 67 6.1.2 Train Consists 67 -v- 6.1.4 Rolling-Stock Maintenance 68 6.1.5 Fuel 68 6.1.6 Train-Crew Costs 68 6.1.7 Traffic Control 69 6.1.8 Maintenance of Way and Structures 69 6.1.9 Administrative Expenses 70 6.2 Operating-Cost Estimates for South Shore Commuter-Rail Service 70 6.3 Capital-Cost Estimates for South Shore Commuter-Rail Service 74 6.3.1 Track 74 • General 74 • Middleboro Branch 75 • Plymouth Secondary Track 76 6.3.2 Stations 77 • Middleboro Branch 77 • Plymouth Secondary Track 78 6.3.3 Rolling-Stock Requirements 79 6.3.4 Layover and Maintenance Facilities 80 6.4 Estimated Operating Costs for South Shore Bus Service 80 6.4.1 General 80 6.4.2 Vehicle Requirements for South Shore Bus Service 83 6.4.3 Operating-Cost Estimates 84 6.4.4 Conclusions 86 6.4.5 Bus-Service Capital Costs 89 6.5 Limits on Funding Powers of MBTA and Regional Transit Authorities 90 6.6 Compensation to Private Carriers 91 6.6.1 Diversion of Riders from Existing Mass-Transit Service 91 6.6.2 Provisions for Protection of Private Carriers 91 6.6.3 Private Carriers Potentially Impacted by South Shore Commuter Rail 93 7.0 OTHER SOUTH SHORE/SOUTHEASTERN MASSACHUSETTS TRANSIT ALTERNATIVES 95 7.1 Feeder-Bus Service to Route 128/Stoughton Commuter Rail 95 7.1.1 Introduction 95 7.1.2 Track and Train-Schedule Constraints 95 7.1.3 Travel Times 96 7.2 Commuter-Rail Extension South of Stoughton 98 7.2.1 Background 98 7.2.2 Comparison of Potential Rail Service with Express Buses 99 : -vi - 7.2.3 Rail Times South of Taunton 100 7.2.4 Further Analysis of Stoughton-Taunton Commuter-Rail Extension 103 • Market Area 103 • Operating Costs 104 • Revenue 105 • Capital Costs 106 7.3 Commuter-Rail Extension Beyond Attleboro 106 7.3.1 Background 106 7.3.2 Extension on Main Line 107 7.3.3 Extension on East Junction Secondary Track 107 7.3.4 Extension on Attleboro Secondary Track 108 7.3.5 Further Analysis of South Attleboro Station 109 • Demand 109 • Operating Costs 110 • Revenue 111 • Capital-Cost Requirements 111 • Summary 112 7.4 Commuter-Boat Alternative 113 7.4.1 Introduction 113 7.4.2 Commuter-Boat Applicability 113 7.4.3 Terminal Sites and Needed Improvements 113 • General 113 • Hingham Shipyard Parking 114 • Hingham Shipyard Waiting Facilities 115 7.4.4 Commuter Craft 115 7.4.5 Access to Commuter-Boat Terminal 116 APPENDICES A. RED LINE CAPACITY MEMORANDUM 121 B. ADDITIONAL HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE INFORMATION ON SOUTH SHORE PUBLIC-TRANSPORTATION SERVICE 137 B.l Commuter Rail 137 B.l.l Development of South Shore Commuter-Rail Service 137 B.l. 2 Decline and Abandonment of Old Colony Service 137 B.l. 3 Context of Old Colony Shutdown 139 B.1.4 Survival of Other Commuter-Rail Lines 139 B.2 History of South Shore Rapid-Transit Service 141 B.3 Private-Carrier Bus Service 142 B.3.1 South Shore Bus, Inc. 142 B.3. 2 Plymouth and Brockton Street Railway Company 142 • Plymouth Service 142 -vi i- • Greenbush Service 142 • Hyannis Service 143 • South Duxbury Service 144 • Brockton Service 144 • Canton Service 144 • Bryantville Service 145 B.3.3 Hudson Bus Lines 145 B.3.4 Bonanza Bus Lines 146 • Newport/Fall River Route 146 • Falmouth/Woods Hole Route 146 B.3.5 Interstate Coach and Bay State Commuter Lines, Inc. 147 • Middleborough/Br idgewater Route 147 • Easton/Southton Route 147 B. 4 Commuter Boat 147 B.4.1 Hull Route 147 B.4. 2 Hingham Route 148 C. FURTHER DISCUSSION OF SOUTH SHORE COMMUTER RAIL SCHEDULING CONSIDERATIONS 151 C. l Rolling-Stock Configuration and Train-Cycling Time 151 C.2 Plymouth Secondary Track Scheduling 152 C. 3 Middleboro Branch 155 D. ESTIMATION METHOD FOR SOUTH SHORE COMMUTER- RAIL DEMAND 157 D. l Information Sources 157 D.2 Analysis of South Shore Population and Travel Patterns 158 D.3 Estimation of Demand for South Shore Commuter- Rail Services 160 D.3.1 Impact of Transfer Requirement 160 D.3.2 Procedure Used to Estimate Ridership for South Shore Commuter Rail 162 • Service Areas 162 • Market Segment Attracted to Commuter Rail 163 • Commuter-Rail Mode Splits of Boston- CBD Work Trips 164 • Adjustments for Peak Travel Other Than Boston-CBD Work Trips 167 • Off-Peak Travel 168 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2014 https://archive.org/details/shortrangecommutOOhump LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES FIGURES 2- 1 Present Southeastern Massachusetts Bus Routes to Boston 18 3- 1 Detail of Former Old Colony Railroad Main Line Near South Station, 1984 27 3-2 Status of Former Old Colony Railroad Main Line Between Boston and Braintree, 1984 28 3-3 South Shore Rail Lines, 1984 32 TABLES S-l Statistical Summary of South Shore Commuter-Rail Options 4 S-2 Summary of Minimum Capital-Cost Requirements for South Shore Commuter Rail 6 3-1 Comparative Times from Nantasket Secondary Track Stations to South Station via Bus and Commuter Rail to Red Line 35 3-2 Comparative Times from Plymouth Secondary Track Stations to South Station via Bus and Commuter Rail to Red Line 39 3- 3 Comparative Times from Middleboro Branch to South Station via Commuter Rail and Bus to Red Line 43 4- 1 Middleboro