HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN AMERICA

Dan SchnedAssociate Planner, America 2050Regional Plan Associationdschned@rpa.org

Infrastructure Planning in PracticeNew Jersey Institute of TechnologyProf. Thomas G. DallessioFebruary 1st, 2011Newark, NJ

• Founded in 1922 as the “Committee on A Regional Plan of New York and its Environs.” The 1st Regional Plan was published in 1929, 2nd in 1968, 3rd in 1996 – A Region at Risk

• Private, independent, non-governmental organization with offices in NY, NJ, and CT

• Professional staff of urban planners, transportation planners, architects, and urban designers

• Through research, planning, and advocacy RPA works to achieve the goals set forth in the Regional Plan

• A national initiative (within RPA) to meet the infrastructure, economic development and environmental challenges of the nation

•Guided by the National Committee for America 2050, a coalition of regional planners, scholars, and policy-makers to develop a framework for the nation's future growth

•A major focus is the emergence of megaregions – large networks of metropolitan areas, where most of the population growth by mid-century will take place

Global climate change and foreign oil dependence

Rapid population growth and demographic change

Threats to our global competitiveness

Economic disparities and loss of opportunity

NortheastGreat Lakes

Piedmont Atlantic

Florida

Gulf Coast

Texas Triangle

Front Range

Sun Corridor

So. California

No. California

Cascadia

Economic Benefits of High-Speed Rail

1.Boost productivity for service and knowledge sector businesses

2.Deepen labor markets for employers and broaden employment pool for workers

Source: Martin Prosperity Institute, Univ. of Toronto

How does HSR promote economic development?

Image: Univ. of Penn, Northeast Megaregion Studio, 2005

3. Foster economic synergies among specialized industries (agglomeration economies)

How does HSR promote economic development?

4. Stations serve as a focal points of future development

5. Make better, more efficient use of infrastructure

Eurostar Station and development, Lille, France

How does HSR promote economic development?

6. Transformative effects

Map Source: National System of Interstate Highways, Public Roads Administration, 1947Quote source: “The Economic Impact

of the Interstate Highway System.” NCHRP Project 20-24 (52) FY 2006

“The interstate system … fundamentally altered relationships between time, cost, and space in a manner which allowed new economic opportunities to emerge that would never have emerged under previous technologies.”

Cautions and Caveats

• HSR is not a stand-alone economic development tool

• HSR benefits tend to be “one way streets”, especially for park and ride stations

Haute Picardie aka “beetroot station”

Lyon St. Exupery Station Image: Flickr/ VerseVend

America 2050 HSR Reports

• Where High-Speed Rail Works Best

• High-Speed Rail in America

Where High-Speed Rail Works Best

www.America2050.org

• Economic Productivity

• Congestion• In a Megaregion

Where High-Speed Rail Works Best

• Population• Distance of

Corridor• Transit

Connections

High-Speed Rail in America

Primary Factors Weighted

3X

Regional Population (25-Miles) RP

Employment CBD (2-Miles) EC

Secondary FactorsWeighted

2X

Transit Connectivity – Employment TCE

Transit Connectivity – Population TCP

City Population (10 Mile) CP

City Employment (10 Mile) CE

Regional Population Growth Factor RPGF

Regional Air Market RAM

Tertiary FactorsWeighted

1X

Commuter Rail Connectivity Population

CRP

Corridor Traffic Congestion CTC

Share of Financial Workers SF

Share of workers in tourism and hospitality

ST

• Each criterion was standardized on a per mile basis

• Each criterion was ranked on relative value in its class

• Rankings were indexed and converted to values between “0” and “1”

FINAL EQUATION:

3x (RP+ECBD) +

2x(TEC+TCP+CP+CE+RPGE+R

AM) +

1x (CRP+CTC+SF+ST)

= Corridor Score

Possible scores between 0 and 21

High-Speed Rail in America

Regional Population (x3)

PHI HOU

2 Mi 10 Mi 25 Mi

220K 72K 2.1M 1.5M

4.6M 4.5MPHI

HOUPHI

HOU

Employment CBD (x3)Philadelphia

Houston

2 Mi 10 Mi 25 Mi

PHI HOU PHI

HOU

PHI HOU

235K 136K843K 905K

2.2M 2.1M

Baltimore

Secondary Criteria (x2)Value Rank

Transit Connectivity – Employment

36% 14

Transit Connectivity – Population

15% 12

City Population (10 mile)

1.3M

15

City Employment (10 mile)

627K

20

Regional Population Growth Factor

35% n/a

Secondary Criteria (x2)

Regional Air Market

Traffic Congestion (x1)

21

Employment Mix (x1)

•Share of employment in service sector / knowledge industries

•Finance and insurance

•Real estate, rental and lease

•Arts, entertainment and recreation

•Accommodation and food services

NortheastPros and Cons:• CBDs• Density• Population• Transit Access• Regional Air

Market• Employment Mix• Growth Factor• Governance• ROW / NIMBY• Backlog SOGR

Top Corridors:• NYC-WAS - 20.1• BOS-NYC - 19.9• NYC-PHI - 19.9• WAS-BOS - 19.8• NYC-ALB - 19.3• HAR–PHI - 18.0

Northern California

Pros and Cons:• CBDs• Regional

Population• City Population• Growth Factor• Regional Air

Market• Employment Mix • Governance • Density• Transit Access• ROW / NIMBY

Southern CaliforniaPros and Cons:• Regional

Population• City Population• Growth Factor• Regional Air

Market• CBDs• Employment Mix• Governance • Density• Transit Access• ROW / NIMBY

California and the Southwest

Top Corridors:• LA-SAN - 19.6• LA-Riverside - 19.4• LA-Santa Barbara -

19.0• SAC-SF - 18.2• LA-San Fran - 18.0• LA-Las Vegas - 16.9

Florida

Top Corridors:• TPA-ORL - 13.93• TPA-MIA - 13.63• SBT-VRB -

12.96• ORL-ATL - 10.83• JCK-ATL - 10.79

Source: Associated Press

“Within 25 years, our goal is to give 80% of

Americans access to high-speed rail.”

-- President Obama in his 1/25/2011 State of the Union

Speech

Obama Administration High-Speed Rail Vision

Future of HSR in America

Long-Term Commitment

30www.rpa.org

www.america2050.org