Urban Transit Policy Mobility: The Historical Development of U.S. Commuter Rail Policy and Financing

Planners view commuter rail as a means of managing urban sprawl, stimulating economic development and reducing the environmental impacts of transportation. Commuter rail systems, which use shared right-of-ways to connect suburban hubs with downtown urban centers, have a large impact on the way people and freight move through US cities. Currently, there are 26 commuter rail systems operating in 29 major U.S. metropolitan areas. The paper presents a complete and definitive list of U.S. commuter rail systems and a \u27new start\u27 and \u27legacy\u27 typology for commuter rail. The authors trace the historical development of post-war publically subsidized commuter rail, as public transit agencies began taking over operations from unprofitable private legacy systems through current new start systems designed to foster economic growth and mitigate environmental impacts. New start commuter rail systems are established in an effort to address a dual sustainability - sustained economic growth and environmental sustainability. Three strategies of corridor right-of-way acquisition have been analyzed: (1) purchasing the track infrastructure, (2) purchasing an easement from the freight carrier that hold the rights to the corridor or (3) leasing a specific number of daily trips on the corridor. Additionally, three scenarios for establishing new start systems have been identified based on a city\u27s existing infrastructure and previous commuter service. Many of these commuter rail scenarios, best practices and benchmarks are mobilized nationally and modified locally, in an effort to establish more environmentally friendly system design, sustained transit oriented development and better project financing for corridor acquisition