Passenger Rail Station Location and Design Analysis Project

City of PittsfieldMay 13, 2014

Background•The Housatonic Railroad Company is

proposing to restore passenger rail service between Pittsfield and New York City.

•The proposed service would operate along the Berkshire Line, approximately 38 miles of track from the MA/CT state line to Pittsfield.

Planning for the Service•BRPC received a grant from the U.S

Department of Transportation to study and develop recommendations on the number and location of passenger rail stations in Berkshire County.

•Other aspects of this work include a railroad operations analysis, a study of the environmental and community impacts and preliminary station layout and design work.

Tonight’s Focus•BRPC’s preliminary analysis identifies

Pittsfield as a likely location for a passenger rail station. ▫northernmost municipality along the corridor▫largest population center in Berkshire County▫popular attractions and accommodations▫good connectivity with surrounding

municipalities▫infrastructure exists to support potential

growth

Tonight’s Focus•With Pittsfield as the likely northern

terminus of the proposed passenger rail service – the question then becomes where in Pittsfield should a passenger rail station be located?

First Step •To identify potential locations, BRPC

conducted a GIS analysis to identify developable land along the rail corridor and to identify potential environmental constraints on that land.

•The results were mapped and target areas delineated.

Second Step•To further narrow potential locations,

BRPC developed station siting objectives that focus on a target area’s:▫likely economic impact▫access and connectivity ▫conformity with municipal planning efforts▫conformity with community character▫operational constraints ▫environmental impact

Preliminary Considerations BRTA Intermodal Center is a strong

candidate location existing rail/bus station good interface with public transportation downtown location to support existing

commercial uses surrounding area is densely populated good pedestrian accessibility complement the City’s efforts on North Street

Intermodal Center

Preliminary Considerations Other locations considered

West Housatonic/Hawthorne Avenue – likely not available - current use of the site is the Pittsfield DPW Garage/Yard

Industrial Drive – access to Route 7 is problematic; multiple environmental constraints exist; outside of the downtown area

Hawthorne Avenue

Industrial Drive

Thoughts/Comments/Opinions•Is the Intermodal Center a preferred

location?

•Concerns with the use of the Intermodal Center as a passenger rail station for the proposed service?

•Should BRPC consider other locations not previously mentioned, if yes, what locations?

Future Considerations•If the Intermodal Center is chosen as the

actual site of the passenger rail station the following matters may come before the City:▫Handling increased demand for long-term and

short-term parking

▫The potential redevelopment of a small city-owned parking lot into a station entrance and platform

▫Construction of an elevated pedestrian walkway from the existing Intermodal Center to the new platform

Questions/Comments

Brian Domina(413) 442-1521 ext.14bdomina@berkshireplanning.org

Check out the project webpage at http://berkshireplanning.org/projects/passenger-rail-station-location-and-design-project/