HIGH-SPEED RAIL IN AMERICA
Dan SchnedAssociate Planner, America 2050Regional Plan [email protected]
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