From fiscal cliffs to tariffs to excess liability insurance, commuter rail operators have no shortage of challenges at the moment. But at last month’s annual Summit of the Commuter Rail Coalition, industry leaders aimed to focus on the positive—sharing knowledge and experiences that could help others strengthen the role of commuter rail in their communities.
In a panel discussion, leaders from Connecticut DOT, Maryland DOT, MBTA, New Mexico Rail Runner, and South Florida’s Tri-Rail focused on creative resourcing. Their stories demonstrate the type of value commuter rail can deliver, even when operators are forced to overcome challenging financial environments. Here are four key takeaways from that discussion.
- MDOT finds power in partnerships: Maryland has good reason to invest in transit-oriented development (TOD): The state is currently grappling with a housing deficit of just under 100,000 units. According to David Zaidain, chief of transit-oriented development at the Maryland Department of Transportation, that shortage has led to highly productive partnerships between transit operators, private developers, and state and local agencies. At the state level, government organizations are prioritizing investments in projects that help to address the housing shortage, while transit bodies like MDOT are contributing analysis on which stations offer the strongest possible opportunities for development. These collaborations are already bearing fruit. Earlier this year, MDOT and Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced plans for a new commuter rail station and housing community at Bowie State University. The 4.6-acre site should lead to 400 new housing units being built near the HBCU.
- Focusing on fundamentals in South Florida: The potential opportunities with TOD can be thrilling, but it’s important to get the basics right before trying to pursue billions in investment. That was the takeaway from Dave Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority (SFRTA) and Tri-Rail, and vice chair of the CRC board of directors. The SFRTA is set to collaborate with local developers and the Florida East Coast Railroad on a multi-billion-dollar TOD project, but this was only possible after making significant improvements to fundamental operations like cleanliness, security, and on-time performance. “We forget some of these things,” said Dech. “We get fancy, we do the zoning, but there’s tons of nuts and bolts we can take care of in our own backyard.” That focus on the nuts and bolts had a measurable impact on ridership, as Tri-Rail has seen some of the strongest recovery of post-pandemic ridership in the country. Strong ridership numbers and impressive operational performance demonstrate to developers that this is a service worth investing in.
- Connecticut DOT: Proof points beyond passenger rail: Commuter rail won’t always be the first priority for TOD. Connecticut’s TOD success story began with CTfastrak, a 9.5-mile rapid transit bus line running between Hartford and New Britain. Caroline Kieltyka, assistant rail administrator for operations safety and security at the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CDOT), discussed the success of TOD surrounding CTfastrak, including significant investments made by the city of New Britain surrounding the new bus stations. The success of CDOT’s rapid transit bus TOD has provided the state with momentum to pursue new projects along their commuter rail line in New Haven and Stamford. Both cities are set to see major investments in new housing, station improvements, as well as a multimodal transit hub in New Haven. “Within the next 10 years, if you come through New Haven, you’ll definitely see a different experience than you had in the last year,” said Kieltyka.
- Creative funding in New Mexico: Elizabeth Olson, project manager for Rio Metro RTD and the New Mexico Rail Runner, highlighted how unique funding opportunities can lead to major wins for transit operators. The New Mexico Rail Runner service benefits from a 4% gross receipts tax that generates $4 million per year that can be used for capital improvements. Those investments lead directly to the crucial performance improvements that Dave Dech mentioned when discussing commuter rail in South Florida. New Mexico Rail Runner’s improved performance and expanded service gives Olson and her colleagues credibility as they advocate for additional funding. The organization hopes to eventually be able to tap into gas tax revenue as well, because increased rail ridership reduces congestion and wear and tear on the state’s roadways. The commuter railroad in New Mexico understands the importance of public support, which is why they have worked hard to partner on TOD projects in cities like Santa Fe and Albuquerque. Santa Fe is a particularly strong success story, as the development of restaurants, breweries, museums and movie theaters have made the area around the station into a popular local destination.
The annual Commuter Rail Summit reaffirmed the importance of working together as an industry to overcome our most pressing challenges. But the discussion around TOD and making creative use of resources also showed that we don’t have to wait for a crisis to take action; we can learn from the best examples in our industry and work proactively to prove the value and importance of commuter rail in our communities.
