THE RESURGENCE OF COMMUTER RAIL

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

1994

Subject Area

place - low density, mode - rail, mode - mass transit

Keywords

Transit, Suburbs, Regional transportation, Railroad commuter service, Public transit, Pennsylvania, New York City, New York (New York), Massachusetts, Mass transit, Local transit, Intrastate transportation, Florida, Commuter rail, Chicago (Illinois), California, Baltimore (Maryland)

Abstract

With the expansion of surburbanized areas and the subsequent increased demand on highway networks, transportation planners are turning to commuter rail as a viable, reasonably priced transit alternative where railroad lines are potentially available. Commuter rail service can be an effective gowth tool in regional planning, and a system's success is a function of ridership, which is a function of the adequacy of service and the availability of some combination of convenient access modes such as parking, feeder system, etc. This article describes the characteristics of such systems, and reviews existing systems in the New York City region, Chicago, Northern Indiana, New Jersey, Southeastern Pennsylvania, Massachusetts Bay, San Mateo County (California), Baltimore, Southern Florida, Orange County (California), and Connecticut. Proposed new systems are also noted.

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