Transportation's Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions ...

Transportation’s Role in Reducing U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Volume 2
Assuming an annual 3 percent increase in ridership 2010 through 2050 at the same
operating cost would result in a cumulative operations cost of $740 per ton CO2e reduced.
This cost-effectiveness calculation excludes bus replacement costs and vehicle operating
cost savings.
Cobenefits
Cobenefits from intercity passenger service expansion include user benefits that accrue to
passengers, such as shorter journey times and improved personal comfort while traveling.
These services provide additional alternatives that some travelers may prefer, and can
support mobility for low-income populations who may benefit from economical intercity
bus travel. Intercity passenger service also has the potential to complement urbanized
area public transportation as well as land use patterns that reduce car travel. Improved
intercity passenger rail service could potentially benefit national security by increasing
redundancy in the transportation system and facilitating mass evacuations, since a
disruption that has major effects on one mode might still allow travel by other modes.
Feasibility
While costs represent a primary barrier to the expansion of intercity bus and rail services,
interactions with existing freight railroads also represent a constraint on rail service
expansion or reliability improvement. About 95 percent of Amtrak’s 22,000 route miles of
service are on track owned by the private freight railroads. The rail industry is already
straining to meet the growing demand for rail freight transportation, and it must add
capacity to handle a projected 60 percent more tonnage and 73 percent more ton-miles by
2035 (Cambridge Systematics 2007a). With capacity tightening on most freight rail lines,
the freight railroads may be less willing or able to accommodate expansion of the intercity
rail program.
High-speed rail lines may be built on new right-of-way in order to avoid conflicts with
existing freight users as well as to provide grade-separated trackage that supports high
operating speeds. However, construction of new rail lines may have potentially significant
environmental and community impacts, and must proceed through the NEPA
environmental review process like any major Federally project. Major upgrades to existing
rail lines—for example, straightening curves, separating grade crossings, or electrifying
track—may also encounter environmental or community constraints.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) allocates $9.3 billion for the
development of intercity and high-speed passenger rail. ARRA provides a significant
funding opportunity to potential intercity and high-speed rail project sponsors. Of the
total identified, $1.3 billion is available for capital improvements and security upgrades for
Amtrak. The remaining $8 billion is provided for the development of new intercity and
high-speed rail passenger service.
Since intercity bus operators will be reluctant to operate services that are not profitable, the
primary Federal policy lever for expanding intercity bus service would be subsidies to
serve additional markets or improve the frequency or quality of service in existing
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