TTI Passenger Rail Research Overview Curtis Morgan Program Manager, Rail Research Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI) January 25, 2013

TTI Passenger Rail Research TTI Multimodal Freight Transportation Division Research Areas: – Intercity Passenger Rail Planning & Policy – High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail – Multimodal Interfaces with Passenger Rail Project Sponsors: – Texas Department of Transportation – U.S. DOT University Transportation Centers – Michigan Department of Transportation

2009 TTI Heartland Flyer Study Objective: Measure Mobility Impacts of Rail Service – Short or Medium Distance State-Supported Corridors – Emphasis on Southwest U.S. Corridors Case Study Route: Heartland Flyer – Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Fort Worth, Texas – Single Daily Round-Trip, Low-Density Corridor Service – State Financial Support from Oklahoma and Texas On-Board Survey of Heartland Flyer Passengers – Two Survey Waves: April and July 2009 – Measure Diverted and Induced Trips – Measure Economic Impacts-Added

Heartland Flyer Study Results Trip Characteristics: – Primarily Leisure Travelers – 75% of Passengers from OK, 20% from Texas Mobility Impacts: – 60% of Passengers Would Drive if No Rail Service – 30% of Passengers Would Not Make Trip – Reduction of 7.9 Million Annual VMT Economic Impacts: – $18 Million in Passenger Spending – $1.39 Million in Local Sales Tax Revenue – Loss of Service = 30 Percent Reduction in Impacts

2011 Hiawatha Service Study Objective: Examine mobility impacts of passenger rail in multimodal intercity corridor. Hiawatha Service Route: Milwaukee – Chicago Project Participants: – TTI Passenger Rail Research Group – University Transportation Center for Mobility – Wisconsin Department of Transportation Two Major Phases: – On-Board Survey of Hiawatha Service Passengers – Detailed Study of Air-Rail Link at Milwaukee Airport

Hiawatha Service Study Results On-Board Passenger Survey Results: – Primarily Commuter/Business Trips Weekdays, Personal Trips on Weekends – 70% of Passengers Would Drive if No Rail Service – Majority of Passengers from Milwaukee Area Air-Rail Link Passenger Survey Results: – Primarily Leisure Travelers but Some Business Trips – Offers Sustainable Ground Access Option for MKE – MKE Airport is Alternative to Chicago Airports – Passengers Also Connecting to Rental Cars or Other Transportation Options at MKE

TxDOT HSR Program Support TxDOT-TTI Interagency Agreement TTI Assisting TxDOT with HSR Corridor Studies Major TTI Tasks: – Assemble Peer Panel – Generate Compendium of HSR Information – Assistance with Public Outreach – Multimodal Connectivity Potential – Economic Development Potential