4.4. SR 06-21-1999 - Laserfiche WebLink

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. San Diego Coaster Commuter Hail COMMUTER RAil FEASibiliTY STudy During Phase I of the project, a feasibility study found that commuter rail is a viable transportation option in the Northstar Corridor. The service eoneept IIsed to evaluate ridership, capital eosts, operating expenses and mainte- nance assumed nine round trips per day, Monday through Friday, using existing BNSF traeks. The C()mmuh~r Hail Technieal Feasibility Heport il1lli- cates that over 7,000 trips per day would be made, with annual ridership expcded to be approximately 2.1 million riders by the year 2005 and 2.4 million riders by 2020. The NCDA colH:hulcd that commuter rail service is tcdmieally feasible in the Northstar Corridor. . BACkGROUNd I I;'i., , . The Northstar Corridor Development Authority (NCDA) initiated a Major Invcstllwnt Stlllly in May of 1998, pursuant to fedcral regulations, and conducted a feasibility study of commuter rail in the Corridor. Phase I of this process focused on identifying the pur- pose and need for transportation illlllrovclllcnts in the corridor, identifying and screening alternative trans- portation solutions, and evaluating the feasibility of commuter rail service in the Corridor. During Phase I of the study, the issucs identified in the Northstar Corridor indude: a lack of coordination between transportation investments alullalUlusc devel- opment; decreasing mobility on THIO/47; a lack of eor- ridor-wide transit service; and the lack of alternative transportation modes. Phase lof the MIS proccss delined and evaluated eight transit technologies for the Northstar Corridor: bus, commuter rail, light rail transit (LIfT), diesel multi- ple unit (~MU), heavy rail, monorail, automated gui(k.... way transit (AG1), and personal rapid transit (pH1). Each of these tran 't t.} I . . o. . 81 ec 1110 ogles was reViewed hased on the followlllg evaluatio . . I '"'h' ..... " n parallletl~rs: capita eost, proven ee nology, opera tin"" I . . o. " cnVlrOnn1l'nt, a lIhty to aecolllmo- - date at-grade station aeeess, optimal station spacing (lis- tance, envi~onlllental impaets, and other cllnsidcrations such as ridership potential allll implementation. Based on this transit teehnology screening al)alysis, the following transit tedlIlologies have been recommended for further analysis: Bus, Commuter Rail and connection to LHT. The smping proeess will review the full range of modal tech- nologies considered and the evaluation process followed. During Phase I of the project, the NCDA received input from the pulllie ami stakeholders in the corridor. Meetings to review, cumment and approve technical analysis indud- cd: monthly NCDA meetings, monthly Executive Committee meetings, twice lIlonthly Projeet Management Team meet- ings,an interaetive station area planning wurkshup for plan- ners/engineers from cach of the participating municipali- ties and agencies, and public outreaeh presentations to over 30 community groups. Cummunications to the pulllie were via a newsletter and a monthly Project Updilte to the NCDA distribution list of approximately 1000 names/addresses, a Web Site and a serics of three pu'hlic information open houses. Comments received to date generally are in support of the project with a sense of urgency for implementation. . , .. I