Influence of Passenger Rail on the BosWash Megalopolis Corridor ...

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<strong>Influence</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Passenger</strong> <strong>Rail</strong> on the BosWash Megalopolis Corridor development <strong>of</strong> the passenger rail service. As shown, New York City is the most populated central city with the largest percent <strong>of</strong> white collar male employed residents (Gottmann, 1961). Figure 6- Economic Characteristics based on Data and Classification (Gottmann, 1961) The population growth and increased employment rates in the BosWash corridor were promoted by increased passenger mobility provided by the rail service. <strong>Passenger</strong> rail systems provided the opportunity for efficient, comfortable, and convenient accessibility to and from major cities. No longer did residents rely on horses to reach their work destinations located in the centralized business districts (Houk, 2006). They were able to take advantage <strong>of</strong> the transportation technology by living near the rail stations, and having the capability <strong>of</strong> regularly riding the train into nearby cites. This increased mobility encouraged people to live away from the poverty-stricken urban areas and, in turn, pay a small fee to travel by train to access the workplace. Travel capabilities improved through intermodal (train to train) and intramodal (train 9
<strong>Influence</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Passenger</strong> <strong>Rail</strong> on the BosWash Megalopolis Corridor to alternative modes i.e. ship) transfers allowing for complete mobility throughout the northeast corridor (Sussman, 2000). The passenger rail system not only provided access into and out <strong>of</strong> the cities, but also provided mobility between cities which was the key to the growth <strong>of</strong> the Megalopolis transportation corridor. Causes <strong>of</strong> Decline in <strong>Passenger</strong> <strong>Rail</strong> in the Megalopolis Corridor Post 1920 The passenger rail service was steadily increasing until the 1920’s when the number <strong>of</strong> passengers started declining due to a variety <strong>of</strong> factors. Generally, it was the inability <strong>of</strong> the rail service to adapt to the new conditions and attract the necessary investment needed to retain passenger traffic (Von Eckardt, 1964). However, the specific factors that led to the decline <strong>of</strong> passenger rail include, but are not limited to, the development <strong>of</strong> the automobile, shifts in residential patterns, modal competition, and changes in rail management. The passenger rail lines provided the initial transportation “spine” <strong>of</strong> the Megalopolis corridor which then expanded with the development <strong>of</strong> the automobile. Starting as early as the 1920’s the development <strong>of</strong> the automobile began to alter the Megalopolis corridor by reducing passenger rail ridership. The automobile was more than a technological advancement; it was a means for personal travel, an agent <strong>of</strong> suburbanization, a motivation for highway construction, and a stimulant <strong>of</strong> modal competition with the passenger rail service. During the 1930’s and 1940’s, the automobile became present in almost every household across America (Gottmann, 1961). In 1940, there were approximately 27.4 million passenger cars registered in the United States and by 1957 there were approximately 55 million privately owned automobiles (Gottmann, 1961). The increase in motor transportation led to a high demand for a sufficient nationwide highway network (Gottmann, 1961). Figure 7 displays the average daily highway traffic in the United States in 1952 based on the established highway network (Gottmann, 1961). 10
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Influence of Passenger Rail on the BosWash Megalopolis Corridor ...

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