In the past years, NJ TRANSIT added or enhanced off peak service on several lines, including the Pascack Valley line, the Montclair Boonton line, the Main and Bergen lines, and the Northeast Corridor line. As a result of these additions and enhancements, ridership has substantially increased on these lines. However, little is known about other effects of these additions and enhancements, such as the generation of revenue, reduction in vehicle miles traveled (VMT), and reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) and other types of emissions. The primary objective of this research is to estimate these effects for the Pascack Valley line (PVL), where off peak service was added in October 2007. A secondary objective of the research is to examine the effect of parking constraints at station lots on PVL ridership. This research involves a review of literature and practices, analyses of data from past NJ TRANSIT onboard surveys and other secondary sources, as well as extensive analyses of data from an onboard survey and two focus groups involving PVL passengers. The focus group participants clearly indicated that they benefited from the off peak service because of greater travel options and reliability of transit service. The onboard survey indicated that a large number of current PVL passengers drove to their destinations prior to the introduction of off peak service, while many others traveled to distant transit stations on other lines or ferry terminals. The reduction in VMT from these diversions is substantial. The reduction in the number of vehicle trips and VMT contributed to a significant reduction in the emission of GHG and other pollutants. Although the additional transit service modestly contributed to GHG emissions in the region, there was a net reduction in GHG from the off peak service because of the substantial reduction in automobile-generated emissions. This research also examined the effects of station parking constraints on PVL ridership. The analysis suggests that PVL ridership could be significantly higher in the absence of station parking restrictions.
Off Peak Rail Transit Service Study: Importance for Auto Reduction and Peak Ridership Growth
2011
81 pages
Report
No indication
English
Metropolitan Rail Transportation , Railroad Transportation , Transportation & Traffic Planning , Transportation , Rail transit , Ridership , Railroad commuter services , Peak service , Revenue , Vehicle miles traveled , Greenhouse gases , Emissions reduction , Parking facilities , Passengers , Surveys
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