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Statement of Alain L. Kornhauser, PhD NJ Historic Sites Council April 19, 2012 Trenton, NJ. I want to cover three points :. Walk Accessibility , The 1984 contract’s role in preserving rail passenger service, and
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Statement ofAlain L. Kornhauser, PhDNJ Historic Sites CouncilApril 19, 2012Trenton, NJ
I want to cover three points: • Walk Accessibility, • The 1984 contract’s role in preserving rail passenger service, and • The important role of the easement in the continued preservation of rail service.
Walk Accessibility • Transportation is a derived demand • For each trip: Individuals make rational choices as to what mode (car, train, bus, bike, etc.) to take • Level-of-service dominates the choice process • Automobile usually wins: • While rail transit is arguably as fast, comfortable and cheap as a car it has a chance of winning only if its stations are close (a short walk) from where people are coming from and going to. • Short walk rule of thumb: • < 10 minutes (1/2 mile) slight chance • < 5minutes (1/4 mile) good chance • Consequently no architect, planner or transportation professional would ever propose to move a rail station away from where people want to come from and go to.
The 1984 contract’s role in preserving rail passenger service • Rapid rise of the Automobile post WWII placed enormous pressure on the economic and social viability of rail transportion • By the mid 70’s essentially all freight and passenger RRs in the Northeast were hopelessly bankrupt • Core of the system saved by: • Freight and National Passenger: • Feds created ConRail and Amtrak • Commuter: • NJ created NJ Transit • Princeton Branch • NJ Transit “privatized” assets (sold land to Princeton University) • “1984 contract”
The 1984 contract’s role in preserving rail passenger service (cont)
The important role of the easement in the continued preservation of rail service