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

<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).
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