California State Rail Plan 2005-06 to 2015-16

Chapter XIII – Environment and Land Use
CHAPTER XIII
ENVIRONMENT AND LAND USE
ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS FOR THE INTERCITY
PASSENGER RAIL PROGRAM
The Department has established ten-year goals for the Intercity Passenger Rail
Program related to congestion relief, travel mode share, air quality, and energy
efficiency.
By 2016 as the result of intercity rail travel:
• Congestion Relief - cut annual vehicle miles traveled in the State by a total
of 433 million miles (a net reduction of 178 million annual vehicle miles
traveled compared with 2005).
• Travel Mode Share - increase the intercity rail mode share by 2½ to
3 times.
• Air Quality:
o Continue to achieve a net annual decrease in pollution from
hydrocarbons and carbon monoxide in the State.
o Continue to keep emissions on all State-owned locomotives below State
and Federal maximum allowable levels for all pollutants.
• Energy Efficiency - save the State a net of almost 11 million gallons of
gasoline annually.
CONGESTION RELIEF
The impact of intercity rail on congestion was measured by calculating the vehicle
miles saved as a result of intercity rail passenger services. The first step in the
calculation was estimating the vehicle (automobile) miles that would be saved by
passengers using State-supported intercity rail service in 2005 and the expanded
service proposed in the State Rail Plan for 2016. To determine vehicle miles
saved, first the number of State-supported intercity train passenger miles for each
year was estimated. Then an average vehicle occupancy rate of 1.43 passengers
per automobile was applied to the passenger miles to derive vehicle miles saved in
each of the two years (2005 and 2016). The vehicle miles saved as a result of
State-supported intercity rail service were 270 million miles in 2005 and
433 million miles in 2016, for a net reduction of 178 million vehicle miles.
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