Curtis A Morgan

Intercity Passenger Rail Access to Airports: Case Study in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

The increased demand for air travel and diminishing airport capacity, coupled with a new role for passenger rail in intercity corridors across the United States, have renewed interest in the development of intermodal connections between airports and intercity passenger rail among transportation planners and policy makers. As a result, there is a need for a better understanding of who might be using such connections and how the connections might support intermodal travel activities. This paper examines the characteristics of passengers using the airport–intercity passenger rail interface at the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, airport—one of only four such direct connections currently in existence in the United States. In addition to providing a sustainable alternative to automobile ground access trips to the airport, intercity passenger rail at the Milwaukee airport has expanded the airports market area well into the Chicago, Illinois, region, approximately 80 mi to the south. The findings indicate that passengers value the convenience and reliability of the service in choosing intercity passenger rail to access the airport. Airport and intercity passenger rail planners are encouraged to consider the findings of this paper in planning activities for future airport–intercity passenger rail interfaces.

Evaluation of Methodologies in Benefit-Cost and Economic Impact Analyses for Freight Rail Projects

Public investment in privately owned freight rail infrastructure is mutually beneficial if that investment benefits the public. Public–private partnerships are emerging as a viable procurement method to leverage public and private funding or financing in transportation projects to meet the mobility needs of an expanding economy. This paper summarizes the research conducted as part of a larger project to evaluate the state of the practice in methodologies that estimate the benefits generated by freight rail projects. The research examined existing research, case studies, and benefit–cost analyses and economic impact analyses of implemented, approved, and proposed rail projects. Much variation was found in the approaches, definitions, techniques, and level of detail employed. The research defined and characterized projects, developed a generalized benefit classification scheme, and analyzed and evaluated data sources, methodologies, and assumptions on which quantification and monetization of projected benefits were based. The paper draws conclusions about—and recommends improvements in—approaches and methodologies to allow more objective comparisons among projects, with a focus on the parameters underlying the calculation of benefits and performance measurement after the project is completed.

Development and Pilot Testing of Crew Resource Management Training Program for Railroad Industry

Between 2001 and 2005, a research team at the Texas Transportation Institute worked with FRA and the BNSF Railway (formerly the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway) to develop a training course in improved crew resource management (CRM) for use in the U.S. rail industry. Initial tasks included site visits to a cross section of railroad types in various U.S. locations, identification of railroad team makeup and tasks, and classification of railroad teams. Subsequent tasks included the design and pilot implementation of a CRM training course at various locations on the BNSF Railway. The course was designed to be used for training a variety of railroad crafts in technical proficiency, situational awareness, communications, teamwork, and assertiveness. There were 186 railroad workers trained during the pilot testing program, with positive employee response to the course materials and content.

Guidebook for Intercity Passenger Rail Service and Development

This report presents the resources, strategies, analytical tools, and techniques for use by public agencies and private entities to support all phases of planning and decision making in the development of intercity passenger rail service at state, regional, or multistate levels. Components of this guide address three major phases required to build and operate passenger rail: planning, design and construction, and operations. Further, it breaks down each primary phase into major required subtasks. With its comprehensive approach, this guide serves as a companion report to other NCRRP series reports: Report 1: Alternative Funding and Financing Mechanisms for Passenger and Freight Rail Projects, and Report 5: Developing Multi-State Institutions to Implement Intercity Passenger Rail Programs. Given that historical roles, funding, and public support for intercity passenger rail service development vary greatly among state and regional entities, a one-size-fits-all approach was not appropriate in developing this report and conducting the research. Instead, the research team approached development of this guide primarily as an effort to create a wide-ranging collection of existing resources related to intercity passenger rail service and development and performed limited new research to cover the most critical areas where existing written guidance did not exist. Gap area topics identified during the research are addressed in detail in the appendices. The Contractor’s Final Report, included as Appendix F, presents additional background information gathered during preparation of the guide: (1) a comprehensive resource matrix listing documents related to intercity passenger rail service and development; (2) generalized results extracted from interviews with public-sector representatives, Amtrak, and freight rail stakeholders; and (3) results of an online survey used to help build components of the guide. Live links in the resource matrix are accessible through the document via the TRB web page.

Design and Implementation of Internet-Based Traveler Intercept Survey

Traveler surveys are an integral part of supporting a data-driven transportation decision-making process. To supplement household travel surveys, transportation planners deploy traveler intercept surveys on transit vehicles or at activity centers to obtain information about users of those facilities. The use of the Internet has emerged in the past decade as the preferred medium for surveys of all types; the Internet offers several advantages over other survey modes. The design and implementation of an Internet-based traveler survey are described; the survey was used in a research study examining passengers who used a circulating shuttle bus connecting the airport terminal and the Amtrak intercity rail station at the Milwaukee General Mitchell International Airport in Wisconsin. In addition to the Internet survey, an initial interview form was used to collect basic data about the traveler and to establish the legitimacy of the Internet survey in the mind of the traveler. This process is known in the survey literature as the foot-in-the-door approach. The method used in this study resulted in a response rate of nearly 20% for the Internet survey, a respectable rate for such a survey. Transportation planners and survey designers are encouraged to consider the use of this method in future traveler intercept surveys that utilize the Internet medium.

Evaluating the Impacts of Passenger Rail Service: Case Study and Lessons Learned

One common yet effective method used by planners to evaluate the impacts of mass transportation modes is an on-board survey of modal users. An abundance of research exists on this topic from the perspective of evaluating urban transit services; however, background literature on the application of on-board surveys for intercity passenger rail is limited. This paper contributes to passenger rail planning by reporting on the lessons learned during a research project which included an on-board survey of passengers on the Heartland Flyer, a passenger rail route between Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Fort Worth, Texas. Transit on-board survey literature and insight gained from past on-board surveys of intercity rail passengers were used to guide the design of this case study. Lessons learned during the on-board data collection and quality control review process are also reported. Renewed investment in the nation’s intercity passenger rail network will likely result in the need to answer critical questions about how infrastructure funds are being distributed. To answer these critical questions, the lessons learned from this case study can be used to guide the development of future on-board surveys of intercity passenger rail routes. Potential applications include the evaluation of on-board service and amenities or data to support funding requests for state appropriations or grant programs established by the Passenger Rail Improvement and Investment Act of 2008. Measuring these impacts will play a critical role in the strength of funding applications, particularly in a policy environment with a renewed sense of accountability and transparency in the use of scarce public resources for transportation investment.Copyright

Review of State-Level Loan and Grant Funding Programs for Local Freight Rail Infrastructure

This paper reports the results of a comprehensive review of state-level loan and grant funding programs specifically for local freight railroad infrastructure improvements. A total of 33 unique funding programs exist in 24 states. A majority of the programs are administered through the State DOT; however, other agencies can be involved. Programs typically offer a low-interest loan, grant, or a combination of loan and grant assistance; however, some loan programs allow for conversion to a grant if performance targets (typically jobs or local carloads) are achieved. Eligible entities typically include public agencies, freight railroad companies, or private industry. While these programs appear to be providing local communities with much-needed funding for rail projects, this review finds that administrative details of state-level funding programs within the public domain, such as published project selection criteria or a clear process of decision-making for funding, are the exception rather than the rule. Furthermore, ex post evaluation of project outcomes appears to be rare, underscoring the need for greater transparency in reporting of funding awards and assessment of how funding has been used to advance economic development goals. The findings from this paper can be used by state and local policymakers considering the creation of loan or grant funding programs for freight railroad infrastructure projects or by those who are seeking to improve existing programs.Copyright

Abandoned Freight Rail Corridor Reuse Examples From Texas

This paper highlights many varied reuse examples for abandoned freight rail corridors within the state of Texas, including for highway development, transit development, recreational trails, and for resumption of freight rail service. Several case studies present these examples. This paper also describes the extent to which abandoned rail lines in the state have been lost through abandonment and discusses the importance of preserving such corridors intact, when possible, for future transportation needs should any become available in the future.Copyright

Preservation and Reuse of Abandoned Rail Corridors: Legal and Policy Issues

The paralleling of existing rail lines in excess right-of-way (R/W) and/or the re-use of corridors first used by railroad companies has long been a method for acquiring linear corridors for other transportation uses. The practice of re-using rail alignments is a logical one given that railroads steered development patterns in the United States prior to the highway era and the corridors that served the railroads also effectively serve existing population centers. The long period of railroad consolidation since the end of World War II resulted in the abandonment and loss of many rail corridors that would now have been extremely valuable for transportation development. Preserving former rail corridors is beneficial to transportation planners at the local and state level, as they can be employed for new transportation uses or multiuse recreational trails.This paper discusses the findings of a multifaceted research project that examined issues associated with acquisition, preservation, and re-use of abandoned rail corridors in Texas. The paper summarizes the legal and policy review that analyzed Texas, Federal, and other state abandonment policies to determine what, if any, changes would be necessary for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to take advantage of future opportunities to acquire and preserve these corridors. The paper also reviews results that identified and documented past Texas rail abandonments and identification of potential uses for existing/prospective abandoned corridors. The paper concludes with an overview of the findings of this study which noted that as the state’s population continues to grow, preserving all potential transportation corridors for rail or alternative uses will grow in importance.© 2012 ASME

Results From the 2011 Hiawatha Service Passenger Study

The Hiawatha Service is an Amtrak intercity passenger rail service operating a 90-mile route between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. The route has experienced a steady growth in ridership in recent years, carrying more than 815,000 passengers during the 12-month period ending September 2011. Owing to the route’s trip-time competitiveness with the automobile, frequent daily service, an intermodal connection with the airport in Milwaukee, and the multi-state funding partnership between the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, the Hiawatha Service is a model of how passenger rail can be an integral part of the multimodal transportation system in an intercity corridor. In January 2011, researchers from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) passenger rail research group, with financial support from the University Transportation Center for Mobility (UTCM) and in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), initiated a research project to examine the mobility impacts of the Hiawatha Service intercity passenger rail route. One of the major elements of this research project was an on-board survey of Hiawatha Service passengers, implemented in Spring 2011.This paper reports a summary of selected findings from the 2011 TTI/WisDOT Hiawatha Service passenger survey. The survey obtained valuable information about the current passengers, including data on passenger trip purpose, activities before and after the rail trip, travel alternatives to the Hiawatha Service if the route was not available, motivations for choosing rail for the trip, the impact of potential service changes on increasing ridership, and demographic profile data. A majority of passengers traveling on weekdays were regular commuters or business travelers while personal trips are dominant on weekends. Nearly 70 percent of passengers would drive if the rail service was not available, suggesting that the Hiawatha Service plays a critical role in relieving highway congestion in the region. The results of this study can be used by public agency planning staff and policymakers to guide the development of new intercity passenger rail services in similar corridors across the U.S.Copyright