H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T

Transcription

1 TABLE OF CONTENTS i

2 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS... i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... iii LOOKING FORWARD Introduction... 1 The Potential for High Speed Rail in the Willamette Valley... 4 A Vision for High Speed Rail... 9 Early Steps toward the Vision RESOURCES AND REFERENCES APPENDIX A Resources used for High-Speed Rail Corridors Table (Exhibit 2)...A-1 iii

4 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS HIGH SPEED RAIL CONCEPT VISION SUBCOMMITTEE Mayor Kitty Piercy, Eugene Karmen Fore, Governor s Sustainable Communities and Transportation Policy Advisor Dave Lohman, Oregon Transportation Commission John Russell, Russell Development Company Mark Frohnmayer, former Oregon Transportation Commissioner Andy Cotugno, Metro PROJECT TEAM Jim Cox, ODOT Project Manager Hal Gard, ODOT Bob Melbo, ODOT Stacy Snider, ODOT Catherine Ciarlo, CH2M HILL David Knowles, CH2M HILL Sumi Malik, CH2M HILL STAKEHOLDER INTERVIEWEES Gerald Fox Ron Pate, Washington Department of Transportation Cascades Rail Corridor Director iv

5 LOOKING FORWARD INTRODUCTION Stretching more than a hundred miles north to south in western Oregon, the Willamette Valley is home to 70 percent of the state s 3.9 million residents. The valley is bookended on the south end by the cities of Eugene and Springfield (combined population 220,000) and on the north by the Portland metropolitan region (population 2.3 million). The capital city of Salem (population 158,000) is located 45 miles south of Portland. Numerous smaller cities line the corridor, interspersed with high-value agricultural land that is preserved (and protected from urban development) by Oregon s land use planning laws. Cities in the Willamette Valley have historically been connected by north-south running railroad lines through the heart of the valley. Today, the main line functions primarily as a freight rail route owned by Union Pacific Railroad. Amtrak interstate passenger rail service is also operated on the route. The sharing of tracks causes schedule conflicts between freight and passenger service, resulting in slower travel and uncertain arrival times for passenger trains traveling between cities. The major highway running through the Willamette Valley is Interstate 5 (I-5). The freeway carries both local and longdistance trips, linking the city of Portland with suburban communities just to the south. It connects Willamette Valley towns and cities along the corridor, and serves as the major north-south freight route on the west coast. Traffic congestion can make travel slow and unreliable throughout the corridor, especially during peak travel times in the northern section between Portland and Salem. 1

6 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T The Oregon Passenger Rail Project In 2012, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) initiated the Oregon Passenger Rail project ( to study ways to improve passenger rail service between the Eugene/Springfield area and the Columbia River, a 124-mile section of the federally designated Pacific Northwest Rail Corridor, which extends from Eugene north through Portland and Seattle, Washington, to Vancouver, British Columbia. As part of the Oregon Passenger Rail (OPR) project, ODOT and FRA are preparing a Tier 1 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) and Service Development Plan for passenger rail between Eugene and the Columbia River. These documents will help guide future decisions about rail alignment(s), station locations, and service characteristics, including the number of daily trips, travel time objectives, and whether future service will use diesel or electric technology. At the start of the OPR project, Oregon s governor appointed a core advisory group known as the Leadership Council, comprised primarily of Willamette Valley elected officials. The OPR Leadership Council advises ODOT at key milestones. Scheduled to be completed in 2017, the EIS and Service Development Plan will serve as a foundation for future project development and help position Oregon to compete for federal funding. Two build alternatives have been selected for study in the Tier 1 Draft EIS: Alternative 1, which includes upgrades to the existing freight rail corridor to better accommodate passenger rail service, and Alternative 2, a new partially-separated alignment alternative that generally follows the I-5 corridor, shifting to the I-205 corridor in the South Portland metropolitan area. These alternatives reflect FRA, Leadership Council and project team efforts to narrow the number of potential alignments down to a set of feasible options for evaluation in the Tier 1 EIS. Both alternatives are compatible with Washington State s current and planned passenger rail service. With aximum speeds of 110 mph, Alternative 2 would provide the fastest service. More information about the OPR alternatives can be found at 2

7 L O O K I N G F O R W A R D Why a High Speed Rail Concept Vision? As alternatives have been developed and narrowed for analysis in the OPR process, members of the Leadership Council and other stakeholders have expressed a desire to look at true high speed rail in the Willamette Valley. This would be a faster (greater than 125 miles per hour [mph]), exclusive rail alignment outside the constraints and beyond the 2035 time frame of the OPR project. This report was developed in response to the call for a closer look at high speed rail. It also implements Policy 2.4 in the Oregon Rail Plan, which calls for an exploration of the feasibility and practicality of high speed passenger rail service in the Cascades corridor through corridor assessment, visioning work, and planning for improvement projects. This Concept Vision also provides a longer term context for investments in the intervening years to upgrade speed, reliability and frequency. The purpose of this document is to outline an early conceptual vision for high speed rail in Oregon that complements the OPR project and responds to the Oregon State Rail Plan policy previously described. The High Speed Rail Concept Vision is intended to: Examine the conditions that support High Speed Rail in other parts of the United States Provide a high-level comparison of those conditions to the Willamette Valley Articulate potential benefits of future High Speed Rail Serve as a foundational document and springboard for future planning efforts Help position Oregon for future partnership and funding opportunities to advance more reliable passenger rail service with shorter travel times in the Willamette Valley Development of this Concept Vision has been guided by an advisory committee comprised of OPR Leadership Council cochairs, Oregon State Rail Plan leadership, and technical experts. This document it is not intended to be a comprehensive look at options for high speed rail in the Willamette Valley. Rather, it is meant to start a conversation about high speed rail that will undoubtedly continue and evolve in the coming decades. 3

8 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T THE POTENTIAL FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY Definition of High Speed Rail The FRA set out a vision for a national high speed rail program in its 2010 document National Rail Plan, Moving Forward, A Progress Report (FRA, 2010). This vision is based on a tiered system of passenger rail corridors that take into account different local conditions particularly travel markets throughout the United States. System tiers include Core Express Corridors and Regional Express Corridors. Core Express Corridors. These routes connect large, urban areas up to 500 miles apart with 2- to 3-hour travel times and train speeds between 125 and 250 mph. Service is frequent and would operate on electrified, dedicated track that is publicly owned. Operation would be between large, dense metropolitan regions. Regional Express Corridors This network would connect mid-sized urban areas, and smaller communities in between, with convenient, frequent 90- to 125-mph service on a mix of dedicated and shared track, depending on the particular corridor (FRA, 2010). 4

9 L O O K I N G F O R W A R D High Speed Rail Corridor Characteristics Since 2009, a national nonprofit organization known as America 2050 has worked closely with FRA to develop guidelines that focus national high speed rail investments in corridors with the greatest demand for ridership. As outlined by America 2050, FRA guidance emphasizes megaregions large networks of metropolitan areas where most of the population growth is expected as corridors most appropriate for high speed rail. With a total population of 8 million, the Eugene, Oregon, to Vancouver, British Columbia, corridor has been identified as the Pacific Northwest corridor (see Exhibit 1). Around the United States, the corridors pursuing Core Express High Speed Rail (which include 125- to 250-mph speeds and primarily dedicated track) connect densely developed and highly populated cities: Washington, DC to Boston; Los Angeles to San Francisco; and Houston to Dallas. Population in these corridors ranges between 11 and 40 million. By comparison, the Willamette Valley corridor is home to only 3 million residents. Based largely on its population density (and by extension, assumed potential ridership), the Willamette Valley has been identified as a Regional Express Corridor. As noted in the FRA definition, this level of high speed rail includes trains that travel between 90 and 125 mph on a mix of dedicated and shared track. U.S. Intercity Passenger Rail Network 5

10 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T Exhibit 2 compares a range of United States high speed rail corridors in varying stages of planning and development. It identifies key threshold characteristics (population, route length, and distance between cities) of the corridors, and matches them with a continuum of high speed rail alignment and service characteristics. Exhibit 2 provides context to help evaluate both near-term and long-term investments that can help make high speed rail an eventual reality between Eugene and Portland. The rows showing estimated capital and operating costs reveal the order of magnitude differential between Core Express and Regional Express service. This difference, in turn, highlights the importance of the threshold conditions especially population and ridership projections that define the travel market to be served by different levels of high speed rail investment. EXHIBIT 2 High Speed Rail Corridors 6

11 L O O K I N G F O R W A R D Threshold Conditions for High Speed Rail As shown in Exhibit 2, the United States regions currently pursuing Core Express High Speed Rail encompass multiple large cities, with corridor populations ranging from 11 to 40 million. These population densities set the stage for a higher level of passenger rail ridership a critically important factor given the much higher capital and operating costs of Core Express service. Like the map in Exhibit 1, the table shows that places with a population and distance comparable to the Eugene to Portland corridor (as well as the Eugene to Vancouver, British Columbia, corridor) Charlotte to Raleigh, Minneapolis to Duluth, and Madison to Milwaukee are pursuing Regional Express service, as opposed to Core Express service. Consistent with projects in other communities around the United States with smaller cities and lower population density, both of the OPR alternatives anticipate using conventional diesel technology and partially shared track. Absent a significant increase in population or change in transit ridership patterns, it would be difficult to argue for the greater expense and higher impacts associated with Core Express service. Under today s conditions, potential ridership is unlikely to be large enough to make exclusive, electrified service above 90 mph cost-effective for investors or affordable for users. However, population can change over time as can individual and community attitudes toward using transit to meet travel needs. While the projected population for the Eugene to Portland corridor in 2065 is still in the Regional Corridors range, any number of unknowns could affect that projection. For example, continued severe drought in the southwestern United States could result in a dramatic population increase due to migration into the Pacific Northwest. Other factors could change transit ridership patterns even if the region s population grows at a more modest rate. Such factors could include: 7

12 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T A major shift in travel choices away from automobiles and towards transit and regional passenger rail. Several recent reports have documented a shift from driving to other travel modes among the millennial generation, those born between 1982 and 2003 (American Public Transportation Association, 2013). Growth of this trend could result in unprecedented transit ridership increases, setting the stage for more investment in high speed rail. Uncertainty about future energy resources in the United States or a major policy change, such as a carbon tax, could create greater demand for transit, regional passenger rail, and ultimately high speed rail. A strong desire for more walkable urban living spaces, reinforced by land use policies, could spur compact development that is more easily served by transit, making high speed rail a more cost-effective infrastructure investment. Congestion on I-5 could worsen. Projected population and freight increases, coupled with lack of funding to expand the state s highway system could lead to congestion on I-5 to the point of discouraging automobile trips. Worsening congestion could trigger future policies aimed at preserving highway road capacity for freight and trips that cannot be accommodated by another mode. While none of these conditions is certain, all are possible. The high speed rail vision (Exhibit 3) is intended to acknowledge those possibilities several decades into the future, and to supplement the OPR nearer-term analysis of alternatives between 2014 and Why High Speed Rail? In an increasingly competitive global economy, the success of cities will depend on efficient connections. Historically, connecting cities has encouraged them to prosper. In the Willamette Valley, future economic growth will depend to an ever greater extent on the ability to move people and goods easily from city to suburb and city to city. Fast, frequent, reliable passenger rail service from Portland to Salem to Eugene would, in effect, bring those cities closer together. Shorter travel times and the ability to avoid traffic congestion on I-5 would strengthen connections among employment centers and major educational institutions, reducing barriers and encouraging new technology clusters. Passenger rail, on exclusive tracks, would preserve existing rail for goods movement. By connecting urban centers and local transit systems, high speed rail can increase the accessibility of cities with a lower cost of living for those working in major employment areas. It can support Oregon s land use goals by focusing development and redevelopment around stations in existing urban areas, while protecting air quality through lower-emission travel. Serving both business and leisure travel markets, high speed rail offers safe, hands free travel that gives riders the option to work or use communications devices while in transit. By giving travelers an alternative that is competitive with driving (especially between Portland and Salem), high speed rail has the potential to reduce future traffic congestion on I-5 and protect roadway capacity for freight movement and interstate travel. 8

13 L O O K I N G F O R W A R D Finally, future investment in high speed rail can preserve capacity for freight rail movement by increasing the separation of freight and passenger rail infrastructure. This concept vision considers potential investment in high speed rail as a continuum, from existing conditions to future, fully exclusive, grade-separated electrified Core Express. A VISION FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL To address the conditions and advance the opportunities described above, the High Speed Rail Concept Vision Subcommittee set out the following vision for high speed rail in the Willamette Valley for 2035 and beyond: Building on a well-connected transit network that includes improved intercity passenger rail service, high speed rail improvements would provide a backbone of fast, efficient, frequent, and reliable service between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia. In combination with local transit services and emerging technologies that help users make last mile connections, high speed rail service would increase job access, link communities and major educational institutions, and connect potential customers to goods and services. In response to future population increases or changes in travel patterns that warrant a higher level of service, high speed rail connecting Oregon, Washington, and Vancouver, British Columbia, would serve as an energy-efficient travel option that could reduce pressure on the I-5 freeway system. This is consistent with Oregon land use laws calling for reduced reliance on the automobile, and state policies (including the newlyrevised State Rail Plan) that set goals for a balanced, integrated transportation system with modal choices for the movement of people and goods. EXHIBIT 3 Phased Implementation as Ridership Grows 9

14 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T Implementing the Vision The vision articulated above is grounded in today s population realities and ridership estimates. At the same time, it embraces the opportunity to ramp up both ambitions and investment for high speed rail in the Willamette Valley, incrementally improving the system linking to Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. As shown in Exhibit 3 above, greater investment in high speed rail would be triggered over time as population grows, demographics shift, and ridership increases. Four levels (or phases) of potential investment are presented in Exhibit 3. Each level serves an important function in its own right and each builds on prior phases toward an entirely exclusive, electrified high speed rail line linking Eugene to Portland and larger cities to the north. In addition to high speed rail improvements, other transit system investments would reinforce and leverage these investments. Rapid, reliable service on a mainline route is more likely to be heavily used if it is part of a seamless system providing door-to-door connections. Such a system would rely on multi-modal last mile connections to high speed rail at both ends of the trip. These could include a range of services, from local transit connections to car and bike sharing to on-demand taxi services and other new technologies. Finally, given the number of distinct smaller cities in the Willamette Valley and the relatively short distances between them, commuter connections between communities can leverage and complement high speed rail infrastructure. These could include light rail in the Portland region, commuter rail, and regional bus service throughout the Willamette Valley. EARLY STEPS TOWARD ACHIEVING THE VISION By recommending further study of Willamette Valley high speed Rail in the State Rail Plan and leading the OPR planning process, the state of Oregon and ODOT set out the intention to include high speed rail in the conversation about our future transportation system. What lies ahead are stepwise actions to refine, fund, and implement the vision articulated in this report. Important early steps include the following: Maintain current investment levels in Amtrak Cascades service Today, Amtrak and the state of Oregon make an annual investment in maintaining passenger rail service and safety on the Union Pacific Railroad-owned freight rail tracks connecting Portland, Salem, and Eugene. This investment is critical to preserve passenger rail access and keep the corridor active into the future. Make system improvements that build ridership Since 2005, Washington and Oregon have committed funding toward specific passenger rail improvements. During that period, ridership has grown. Because moving upward on the high speed rail development continuum in Exhibit 3 requires an increase in ridership, near-term investments that make service more efficient and attractive are critical to the long-term vision for high speed rail. 10

15 L O O K I N G F O R W A R D Work with local transit agencies to coordinate a unified mechanism for fare payment to encourage the linkage of intercity and local transit trips. Partner with Washington State to examine the potential for bi-state Core Express beyond Together, establish ridership-based triggers for additional investment as conditions change and ridership grows. The Willamette Valley is at a unique moment in our history. We can look ahead and see how high speed rail can advance future prosperity and economic growth but seizing that opportunity will require deliberate choices. The steps described in this report outline an early path toward those choices. Work with freight rail owners to streamline and coordinate existing and future operations with steps such as identifying compatible freight and passenger timetables. Consider statewide policy direction to preserve future freight capacity on I-5 by investing in rail improvements. As station area redevelopment occurs around rail stations in Eugene, Salem, and Portland, preserve space for service expansion (including parking, transit connections, car-sharing or car rental, and other amenities). Work with local transit agencies to coordinate stationarea access and create seamless, door-to-door travel options. 11

16 RESOURCES AND REFERENCES Resources consulted to develop this report included the following: FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) National Rail Plan, Moving Forward, A Progress Report. Federal Railroad Administration Budget Estimates (Fiscal Year 2015). Federal Railroad Administration (2009). Vision for High Speed Rail in America, High Speed Rail Strategic Plan OREGON Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Oregon Passenger Rail: Eugene Portland. Accessed October 9, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) Oregon State Rail Plan Public Review draft, September Accessed October 9, WASHINGTON Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) State Rail Plan. Accessed October 9, Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Washington State Amtrak Cascades Mid-Range Plan. Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Washington Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades. CASE STUDY RESOURCES Amtrak Vision for the Northeast Corridor: 2012 Update Report Connecting California: 2014 Business Plan, California High Speed Rail. Texas Central Railway Accessed October 9, LOSSSAN Corridorwide Strategic Implementation Plan, Los Angeles to San Diego Proposed Rail Corridor Improvements Final Program EIR/EIS, 2007 Southeast High Speed Rail Tier I Final EIS, Northern Lights Express Environmental Assessment, Milwaukee to Madison High Speed Rail Environmental Assessment, Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Demographic Forecast. County Population Forecasts, (2013 release). Accessed July 21, OTHER DOCUMENTS High Speed Rail in America, America 2050, American Transportation Association Millennials & Mobility: Understanding the Millennial Mindset, American Public Transportation Association,

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19 A P P E N D I X A APPENDIX A: RESOURCES USED FOR HIGH SPEED RAIL CORRIDORS TABLE (EXHIBIT 2) All Corridors United States Department of Transportation FRA FY 2015 Budget Estimates. budget-estimates. Accessed July 19, Corridor-Specific Resources WASHINGTON-BOSTON (NEC) Amtrak Amtrak Vision for the Northeast Corridor: 2012 Update Report. Accessed October 10, LOS ANGELES TO SAN FRANCISCO (CAHSR) California High-Speed Rail Authority Connecting California: Draft 2014 Business Plan. Accessed October 10, California High-Speed Rail Authority. Connecting California: 2014 Business Plan Ridership and Revenue Technical Memorandum, Draft 2014 Business Plan: Section 4: Ridership and Revenue Forecasts. Ridership_Revenue.pdf. Accessed October 10, HOUSTON-DALLAS Texas Central Railway Accessed October 10, LOS ANGELES-SAN DIEGO HNTB Final LOSSSAN Corridorwide Strategic Implementation Plan. April. Accessed October 10, Caltrans Final Service Development Plan: Pacific Surfliner South Corridor. Accessed October 10, LOSSAN Los Angeles to San Diego Proposed Rail Corridor Improvements Final Program EIR/EIS. ftp://ftpx.sandag.org/sandag/pub/lossan%20baseline%20documents/2007%20lossan%20eir%20eis/. Accessed October 10, PORTLAND-VANCOUVER BC Washington State Department of Transportation, Freight Systems Division Long-Range Plan for Amtrak Cascades. Accessed October 10, CHARLOTTE-RALEIGH U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Southeast High Speed Rail Tier I Final EIS. October 1. Accessed October 10, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Technical Monograph: Transportation Planning for the Richmond-Charlotte Railroad Corridor. Volumes I and II. and Volume II: Accessed October 10, Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor (SESHSR) Feasibility Report - Ridership A-1

20 H I G H S P E E D R A I L C O N C E P T V I S I O N R E P O R T MINNEAPOLIS-DULUTH U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Railroad Administration Environmental Assessment, Northern Lights Express High Speed Passenger Rail Project from Minneapolis to Duluth, Minnesota. Accessed October 10, Minnesota Department of Transportation Northern Lights Express. Accessed October 10, MILWAUKEE-MADISON Wisconsin Department of Transportation Milwaukee to Madison High Speed Rail Environmental Assessment. Accessed October 10, Wisconsin Department of Transportation Milwaukee-Madison High-Speed Intercity Passenger Rail Service Financial Plan. Accessed October 10, EUGENE-PORTLAND 2065 Oregon Office of Economic Analysis. Demographic Forecast. Accessed July 21, A-2