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
declining rail service, has become a region that is a victim <strong>of</strong> congestion, urban decentralization,
and socioeconomic inequity. From 1920 to the present, these issues have compounded, causing
the Northeast <strong>Rail</strong> Corridor (NEC) to focus on ways to address these issues throughout the entire
corridor from Boston to Washington D.C. (DeCerreno, 2007).
The declining passenger rail system, which was brought on by the development <strong>of</strong> the
automobile, has shifted riders from rail onto the road causing significant congestion. The typical
trips that were once by train slowly turned into more convenient, accessible, yet congested
automobile trips (DeCerreno, 2007). The passenger rail system’s inability to provide effective
and reliable service continued to reduce ridership. Lack <strong>of</strong> funding also led Amtrak and the
other owners to defer necessary maintenance, again decreasing ridership (Todorovich and
Vallabhajosyula, 2007). Figure 9 shows changes in transportation modes based on US vehicle
miles from 1994 to 2004.
Figure 9- Index <strong>of</strong> U.S. Vehicle Miles 1994-2004 (DeCerreno, 2007)
The two major travel modes that outpaced rail were air and highway (DeCerreno, 2007). Due to
the increase in automobile trips, the highway system was being constructed at a rapid rate to
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