Paper No.

01-2558

Duplication for publication or sale is strictly prohibited Without prior written permission Of the Transportation Research Board.

Title:

Commuter Rail Station Governance and Parking Practices

Author(s):

David C. Wilcock

Transportation Research Board 80th Annual Meeting January 7-11, 2001 Washington, D.C.

David C. Wilcock

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to provide a summary of the current station governance and parking practices at the 19 commuter rail services in the United States and Canada and to describe any unique or innovative approaches used to address ownership, maintenance, and management issues. Unlike most urban transit systems, commuter rail authorities often do not control the stations or parking. A broad range of practices exists from outright ownership and control of the facilities by the authority to no control or ownership. In many cases, multiple agencies and the private sector, including freight railroads, are involved in the ownership and management of these facilities. The results illustrate the wide range of practices currently in use. Older, more established systems have the most complex ownership arrangements and operating practices. The authority, municipalities, and private sector all own and manage station buildings and parking facilities. Many authorities continue the practice of providing ticket agents at the stations and a fee is typically charged for parking that is often collected by the municipality. Passenger platforms are generally owned and maintained by the authority. Recently implemented commuter rail services have less complex practices. In several cases, the authority has nothing to do with either the station building or parking although they typically own and maintain the platforms. Many of the newer services also make more extensive use of technology including ticket vending machines to reduce the need for station personnel. Parking at the newer systems is generally provided free of charge, although a variety of ownership and operating situations exist. Several systems have developed innovative approaches to address parking capacity issues through funding of local shuttle bus services and accommodating bicycles at stations or on trains. Partnerships with municipal governments, private companies, and community organizations to share parking are also used to reduce agency expenditures for new parking.

KEY WORDS Commuter rail, transit, parking, planning

David C. Wilcock

Commuter Rail Station Governance and Parking Practices

David C. Wilcock

OVERVIEW The commuter rail station is often the first point of contact between a new customer and the service. The availability, location, and cost of parking along with the overall appearance and ease of use of the station are key to the retention of customers. A universal issue at commuter rail systems in the United States and Canada is the ownership, management, and maintenance of stations and parking facilities. Unlike urban transit systems,

commuter rail authorities do not always control and/or own the stations and parking. Ownership and management ranges from the local municipalities to private interests. Several authorities manage services that operate over tracks and use stations owned by the host freight railroad. As a result, the authorities are not able to consistently operate and manage the stations or provide adequate and affordable parking. Decreasing peak period traffic congestion by improving access to alternate modes of transportation is a key provision of the Transportation Efficiency Act for the 21st Century (TEA-21). Improving access to commuter rail systems includes numerous considerations most importantly sufficient parking to meet the increasing demands. Commuter rail authorities face numerous challenges as they develop strategies for new or expanded stations and parking facilities to meet these needs. Many of the stations on older established systems are located in developed neighborhoods or downtown areas with little available land for expansion. The authoritys need for station

improvements or parking expansions are sometimes at odds with the communitys interest. The lack of control in these situations can lead to a lengthy project development process for station and parking initiatives.

SURVEY OF PRACTICES This paper provides a summary of the station governance and parking practices at the 19 operating commuter rail systems in the United States and Canada. The governance issue focuses on the ownership and maintenance of the station buildings, platforms, and parking. It addresses the question of who owns and maintains these critical components of the commuter rail network. The station and parking practices issue focuses how the stations are

David C. Wilcock

operated, the number of spaces provided, and the cost of parking. In addition, any unique aspects of the agencys station governance and parking programs are noted, along with innovative approaches used to address governance or practice issues. Data was compiled from several sources including commuter rail authority web sites and printed materials, industry publications and periodicals, telephone interviews, and through the use of a specially designed survey form. The form was developed primarily to obtain specific information regarding the ownership, management, and operation of commuter rail stations and their associated parking facilities. Several questions were included

regarding innovative practices being implemented to address station governance and parking practices issues. Survey forms were distributed to and returned from 17 of the 19 commuter rail services. Findings on station governance and parking practices of the 19 commuter rail systems are summarized in the following paragraphs. System ridership and operating information has been provided to give a broad overview of the agencys commuter rail service. Table 1 summarizes the station and parking governance data and Table 2 the station and parking practices. TABLE 1 Station and Parking Governance Funding A/PR M/PR A A A/C A/PR A A/M/C A/M/C A A A/M/PR A A M/C A S/M A A/M A/S

Ownership Maintenance/Operations System Platforms Building Parking Platforms Building Parking MBTA A A A/M/P A A/M A/M/P ConnDOT New Haven Line A/P A/P A/P M M/P M Shore Line East R R R R R R MTA/MNRR A A/M A/M/P A A A/M/P MTA/LIRR A A A/M/P A A A/M/P NJT A A/M A/M/P A A/M A/M/P SEPTA A A A A A A MARC R R R R R R VRE A M/RR C/M A M/RR A TCCRA/Tri-Rail A A S/M/P A A A NICTD A A A A A A Metra A/R A/M/R A/M/P/R A/R A/M/R A/M/P DART/TRE A A A A A A CalTrain A A/M A/M A A/M A/M Metrolink M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C M/C NCTD/Coaster A A A A A A ACE A/M/O A/M/O A/M/O A/M/O A/M/O A/M/O GO Transit A A A A A A AMT A A A/M A A A/M WCE A A A A A A Key: A Commuter Rail Agency/Authority R Host Railroad S State or other Public Agency O Other M Municipal P Private C County PR Parking Revenue

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TABLE 2

Station and Parking Practices Station Practices Parking Practices Charge No. of Type Daily Fee Spaces 28,093 P/L $1-$3 F/P/L F/P(2) F/P/L P F/P/L P F/P(7) F/P(1) F F/P(3) F/P/L F P F/P(3) F F F F P $3-$6 $5.66 $1.50-$10.50 $0.50-$5 $1-$5 $0.50-$2 $1.75 $2.25 No Fee $1.50-$3 $0.50 - $3 No Fee $1 No Fee No Fee No Fee No Fee No Fee $(C)1

System

MBTA ConnDOT New Haven Line 65,000 35 14 O/B/T 14,850 Shore Line East 1,100 8 3(A) B/T 1,461 MTA/MNRR 113,700 84 31 B/T/V 31,733 MTA/LIRR 290,000 124 N/A B/T/V 62,000 NJT 95,000 154 N/A B/T/V 45,800 SEPTA 107,000 155 72 O/B/T 19,983 MARC 20,000 40 22 O/B/T 17,893 VRE 9,000 18 1(A) V 8,597 Tri-Rail 8,500 19 AR V N/A NICTD 13,000 20 7 O/B/T 6,000 Metra 280,000 226 80 B/T/V 73,000 DART/TRE 2,300 3 1(A) O/T 400 CalTrain 33,000 35 9 O/B/T 5,100 Metrolink 31,500 47 0 V 14,280 NCTD/Coaster 4,200 8 0 V 2,174 ACE 2,850 9 0 V 1,800 GO Transit 120,000 49 47 O/T 31,000 AMT 47,000 39 2 V 10,300 WCE 7,800 8 8 V 1,900 Key: (A) Amtrak Intercity Staff O Outlet B On board T Ticket Agent V Ticket vending machine F Free P Paid L Local permit required AR Tri-Rails contract operator staffs the busier stations as required (C) Canadian currency N/A Not available Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (Boston, MA)

Ridership (Trips/Day) 120,400

No. of Stations 119

Staffed Stations 5(A)/3

Ticket Sales O/B

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) operates 453 daily trains over 13 commuter rail lines that carry an average of 127,100 weekday trips. The MBTA owns all the commuter rail lines they operate over except for two short segments owned by CSX and Amtrak. All the stations and platforms are owned by the MBTA. The agency is responsible for maintaining the passenger platforms. Some of the station buildings (and associated parking) are leased to the municipalities. As part of the agreement, the municipalities are responsible for the maintenance of the leased facilities (except for the platforms). Of the 119 stations located throughout the system, five are staffed with Amtrak intercity agents and three are staffed with MBTA agents. At the remaining stations, tickets are sold through a network of sales outlets located at or near the station or on-board the trains. There are approximately 28,093 total parking spaces provided at commuter rail stations at a cost of $1.00 to $3.00. Several locations provide free parking. A majority of the parking lots are owned and maintained by the

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MBTA. The agency leases some of its parking (approximately 4,181 spaces) to municipalities or other state agencies. The party leasing the parking collects the fees and maintains the site. Municipal owned and maintained lots often restrict parking to local residents and require a permit. There are also four private parking lots totaling 557 spaces on the commuter rail system. The MBTA is currently looking at public/private opportunities to expand parking. Several years ago, the MBTA privatized its real estate department. As part of the agreement, the private management company is able to pursue partnerships and other special arrangements to develop new parking. The MBTA has also been working with the regional transit authorities (RTA) in Massachusetts to address station governance and parking issues. Over the past six years, the MBTA has turned over the management and operation of five stations and related parking facilities to RTAs.

Connecticut Department of Transportation The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) manages two commuter rail services: The New Haven Line and Shore Line East. The New Haven Line service includes the 72-mile main line from New Haven to Grand Central Station in New York City, the 32-mile Waterbury Branch, the 24-mile Danbury Branch, and the 8mile New Canaan Branch. Shore Line East service operates between New London and New Haven over a 51-mile segment of Amtraks Northeast Corridor.

New Haven Line The New Haven Line services commuters in both Connecticut and New York. ConnDOT contracts with MTA/Metro North Railroad (MNR) to operate and maintain all aspects of the New Haven Line service in Connecticut. Over 65,000 daily trips are carried on 250 trains from 35 stations located in 22 Connecticut communities. ConnDOT owns 29 stations, private corporations two, and municipalities the remaining four stations. The 29 state owned stations are leased back to the communities at no cost. The communities are allowed to sub-let space in the buildings and collect parking fees with the receipts being used to offset the annual maintenance and operating expense of the station and parking facility. Approximately 14,850 parking spaces are available at the 35 stations. There are few restrictions placed on the municipalities by ConnDOT regarding the operation of the stations. This practice has resulted in a variety of policies and fees. The municipalities at 26 of the 35 stations issue parking permits (monthly, quarterly, or annual).

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Based on 1997 data (1), the fees range from $10 to $525 for an annual permit, $90 to $225 for a quarterly permit, and $23 to $90 for a monthly permit. At 16 of the 25 stations with permit parking, either daily or hourly fee parking is also available. The fees range from $0.25 per hour (metered parking) to $8 a day. Free parking is available at nine stations. Fourteen of the 35 stations are staffed on a limited basis. The majority of the staffed stations are open weekday mornings. Both the New Haven and Stamford stations, which also serve as Amtrak stops, are open seven days a week for approximately 16 to 17 hours. Station personnel are provided by MNR at all stations and are paid for through the operating agreement between ConnDOT and MNR. Early in 2001, ConnDOT plans to commence a rail station governance study. The purpose of the study is to assess how ConnDOT manages the stations they own and determine if any changes should be made in how the rail stations and parking facilities are governed. The study will be examining the physical condition of the facilities,

reviewing governance practices, and the annual expenses and revenues associated with the stations and parking.

Shore Line East The Shore Line East service carries approximately 1,065 trips a day between New London and New Haven. Amtrak, the host railroad and operator of the service, owns and maintains seven outlying stations and passenger platforms (excluding New Haven that is covered in the New Haven Line discussion). The New London and Old Saybrook stations serve as Amtrak stops and are staffed seven days a week for approximately 16 to 17 hours a day. The five remaining stations are not staffed. Approximately 1,460 parking spaces are available at the seven stations. Of this total, 900 spaces at a cost of $1.00 per hour, $5.66 a day, and $31.33 per month are located in a private garage near the New London station (1). The remaining 560 spaces are free of charge. The majority of these

spaces are owned and maintained by Amtrak. The annual maintenance cost of the stations and parking is part of the operating agreement between ConnDOT and Amtrak.

MTA/Metro North Railroad MNR is one of five transportation organizations controlled by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) in New York. They operate commuter rail service along five lines in New York transporting over 113,700 trips each weekday. Service is provided to 84 stations in New York that are owned and maintained by the agency or the

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municipality. All of the platforms are owned and maintained by MNR. The agency provides ticket agents at 31 of the 84 stations. They also have been installing ticket vending machines (TVM) at select outlying stations and at Grand Central Terminal in New York City. A total of 31,733 parking spaces owned by the agency or municipality are provided. The municipal operators charge a variety of rates to residents and non-residents ranging from $1.50 to $10.50 daily, $45 to $245 quarterly, $100 to $500 semi-annually, and $35 to $2,100 annually. A small number of municipal operators restrict parking to residents only. MNR has a non-restrictive commuter parking policy at the facilities it owns. The agency,

municipality, or private contract operators maintains the parking facilities using the parking revenue and funds from MNRs capital program. MNR has conducted several long-term studies to assess the demand for parking. Expansion projects are underway in several regions to develop new surface lots and garages. These projects are separate from the expansion of existing facilities. The agency has also entered into a public/private partnership with a parking contractor. The private company was hired to operate MNR owned facilities that the agency is in the process of taking back from municipal operators.

MTA/Long Island Rail Road The MTA also controls the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) which is comprised of nine branches extending over 120 miles from Penn Station in Manhattan to the eastern tip of Long Island at Montauk. An average of 290,000 trips a day is carried on 735 daily trains. Service is provided to 124 stations that are owned and maintained by the agency. All of the platforms are owned and maintained by LIRR. The agency provides ticket agents at many of its stations. They have been installing TVMs at select outlying stations and at its two major terminals, Penn Station and Jamaica Station. There are approximately 62,000 off-street parking spaces available that are owned and maintained by the agency, municipality, or county. The daily rate ranges from $0.50 to $5.00. Many municipal residents receive free parking permits while others pay up to $400 annually. Municipalities are allowed to restrict for resident use a percentage of the parking based on a pro-rated share of the communitys financial contribution. LIRRs parking program includes infrastructure improvements to attain better access to underutilized stations by directly linking parking facilities to the platform.

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New Jersey Transit New Jersey Transit (NJT) operates a system of 12 rail lines throughout the state primarily focused on carrying passengers into and out of the metropolitan New York City area. The 591 weekday daily trains service a network of 154 stations carrying an average of 95,000 trips on a typical weekday. The stations are owned and maintained by the agency or the municipality while the platforms are all owned and maintained by the agency. Many of the stations are staffed on a part time basis for ticket sales. NJT has installed TVMs at 14 Northeast Corridor and 8 Atlantic City Line stations at to reduce the need for station personnel. Nine of the stations have no parking available while at the remaining locations, approximately 45,800 spaces are provided under a variety of controls including the municipality, private businesses, and NJT. The municipalities

operate 81 parking facilities and contractors operate 25 facilities. Forty-one stations have free parking available, 61 have metered parking, and parking permits are required at 87 stations. Six locations rely on private lots for some or all of the station parking (2).

Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority The Railroad Division of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) operates service along seven regional rail lines that carry approximately 107,000 trips a day in the greater Philadelphia area. The seven lines provide rail service to 155 stations located in four counties and two adjacent states. The three stations in Delaware and two stations in New Jersey are not owned or managed by SEPTA. Amtrak owns and manages 30th Street Station in downtown Philadelphia. SEPTA owns and maintains the remaining 149 stations located in Pennsylvania. Sixty-eight stations are staffed on weekday mornings from 5:30 AM until noontime. The three downtown stations (Market East, Suburban Station, and 30th Street Station) and the Fern Rock Transportation Center in North Philadelphia have extended weekday hours and are also open one or both weekend days. TVMs are provided at the three downtown Philadelphia stations. Approximately 19,983 parking spaces are provided at 131 stations. All five out of state stations offer off-street parking facilities. The parking at the 126 in-state stations is owned and managed by SEPTA. A daily fee of $0.50 is charged at the in-state stations. Permit parking is available at a cost of $10 per month.

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Mass Transit Administration/MARC The Maryland Rail Commuter Service (MARC) manages the operation of three commuter rail lines into Washington DCs Union Station for the Maryland Mass Transit Administration (MTA). The three lines combine to carry approximately 20,000 trips a day. The Penn Line service from Perryville operates over the Northeast Corridor using stations owned and maintained by Amtrak, the host railroad. Similarly, the Camden and Brunswick Line services from Baltimore and Martinsburg (West Virginia) operate over track and use stations owned and maintained by CSX. In both cases, the host railroads contract with MARC to operate the service. Station maintenance costs are primarily funded by MARC and paid to the host railroads through the operating agreements for the commuter rail service. Some funding is made available from municipalities and the counties for station maintenance. Of the 40 total stations served by MARC trains, 22 are staffed with ticket agents. Amtrak provides the personnel at four of the five staffed stations on the Penn Line since the stations are also intercity service stops. On the Camden and Brunswick lines, CSX personnel staff the majority of the 16 stations with ticket agents. The terminal station for all three lines, Union Station in Washington DC, is staffed by Amtrak. The smaller stations with agents are generally open for three or four hours in the morning and again in the evening on weekdays. Larger staffed stations are open for extended hours weekdays. Four stations New Carrollton, BWI, Baltimore Penn Station, and Washington Union Station are open daily. The staff costs are funded through the operating agreements with the contract operators of the service. At 38 of the 39 outlying stations, approximately 17,900 parking spaces are available. There is no parking at the Silver Spring Station. Parking is free at 31 of the 38 stations that host 8,330 spaces (47 percent). Four of the seven locations with paid parking are also Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) Metrorail stations (6,418 spaces). The other three locations with paid parking are the two downtown Baltimore stations (1,554 spaces) and the Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport station (1,600 spaces).

Virginia Railway Express The Virginia Railway Express (VRE) is a cooperative effort of Potomac Rappahanock Transportation Commission (PRTC) and the Northern Virginia Transportation Commission (NVTC). VRE manages the operation of two commuter rail lines into Union Station in Washington DC. The Fredericksburg Line operates over track owned and maintained by CSX and the Manassas Line operates over Norfolk Southern and CSX track. Twenty

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daily trains carry an average of 9,000 trips to and from 17 suburban stations. VRE owns and maintains all the platforms but does not own or maintain any station buildings. There are five station buildings that are owned by CSX (Quantico), Amtrak (Alexandria), and municipalities (Fredericksburg, Woodbridge, and Manassas). In

addition, Amtrak owns Washington Union Station. Passengers may purchase tickets for travel from TVMs located at each station. On-site vendors provide cash sales of tickets at the Woodbridge and Broad Run/Airport stations. A network of sales outlets near commuter rail stations also sell tickets. Amtrak ticket agents sell VRE tickets at Union Station. There are approximately 8,600 parking spaces provided at 14 of the 17 outlying stations. There is no parking available at the LEnfant, Crystal City, and Alexandria stations. Either the county or the municipality owns 13 of the parking facilities and does not charge for parking. WMATA owns the facility at the Franconia/Springfield station and charges a daily fee of $2.25. A total of 3,000 paid parking spaces (35 percent of the 8,600) are provided at this location. The 100 spaces located at the Fredericksburg station, although free of charge, are permit parking for city residents only. Likewise, the 348 spaces located at the Manassas station require a permit but are open to anyone and are free. VRE maintains all of the parking facilities except for the WMATA station.

Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority/Tri-Rail The Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority (TCCRA) operates 28 weekday daily trains between West Palm Beach and Miami carrying an average of 8,500 trips a day. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) purchased the 71-mile rail corridor from CSX prior to the initiation of service. The 19 stations located along the corridor are owned and maintained by TCCRA. Five of the stations are shared with Amtrak. Passengers may purchase tickets for travel from TVMs. Station personnel provided by the contract operator are located at the busier stations. Free parking is provided at 18 of the 19 stations. There is no parking available at the Palm Beach Airport station. Four of the stations Cypress Creek, Fort Lauderdale (Broward Boulevard), Sheridan Street, and Golden Glades use FDOT owned park & ride lots for commuter rail parking. A total of 3,435 park and ride spaces are

available at these four facilities. At the other 14 stations, either the municipalities or private interests own the parking facilities. These 14 parking lots are maintained by TCRRA as part of the station facility maintenance.

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Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District/South Shore Line The Northern Indiana Commuter Transportation District (NICTD) operates the South Shore Line commuter rail service over an 89-mile line from South Bend, Indiana to Randolph Street Station in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Forty-one trains a day carry approximately 13,000 trips between 20 stations. NICTD owns and maintains 70 miles of the rail line and the 13 stations and platforms from South Bend to Kensington Station. The 19 miles and seven stations from Kensington to Randolph Street are part of the Metra Electric route to University Park. Six of the 13 NICTD stations are staffed generally on half-day basis (5 AM to 12:30 PM) weekdays. Only the South Bend Airport and Carroll Avenue stations have extended weekday hours. The only weekend staffing is at the South Bend Airport. Approximately 6,000 parking spaces are provided at the 13 NICTD owned stations. There is no parking available at the seven Metra stations on the University Park line. Approximately half of the spaces are free while paid parking is located at three stations South Bend Airport, Gary, and Hegewisch. The airport authority operates the South Bend Airport parking. The Gary Public Transportation Corporation operates the Gary parking. Parking fees range from $0.75 a day to $5 a day. The revenue at the airport station parking goes to the airport authority. The NICTD maintains the parking at the other 11 stations.

Metra Commuter rail service in the Chicago area is managed by Metropolitan Rail (Metra), the commuter rail division of northeast Illinois Regional Transportation Authority (RTA). Service is provided over a 470-mile rail network comprised of 11 lines and 226 stations. Metra owns and operates four of the rail lines, operates and leases three lines, and contracts for service provided by the host railroads over the remaining four lines. The commuter rail system carries approximately 280,000 trips a day. Ownership and maintenance of Metras stations and parking facilities include the agency, municipalities, and host freight railroads. Many of the stations and lots owned by the freight railroads are leased to private vendors while municipalities operate and maintain their own or Metra funded lots. The passenger platforms are owned and maintained by Metra or the host railroad. The agency or the municipality funds annual maintenance of the station buildings and platforms. Metra funds passenger platform maintenance while the parking revenue funds the

maintenance of the parking facilities.

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Metra continues the practice of staffing some of the stations on a part time or full time basis. Of the 226 stations, three downtown and 74 outlying stations are staffed with ticket agents. Vendors are also used to sell tickets at 36 suburban stations. Two additional downtown locations and one outlying location provide both ticket agents and vendors. One line, the Metra Electric service to University Park, has been equipped with TVMs. There are approximately 72,800 parking spaces provided. Both the agency and the municipalities set the rates that range from $0.50 to $3.00 for daily parking, $10 to $35 for monthly permits, $30 to $140 for quarterly permits, $90 to $132 for semi-annual permits, and $150 to $240 for annual permits. Approximately 5 percent of the spaces (3,640) are free of charge. Several of the municipalities restrict parking to residents only. Overnight parking and short-term parking (outside of the daily peak commuting periods) is provided at some locations. The overnight parking is provided to assist reverse commuters who leave a car at an outlying station or air travelers using commuter to access one of the area airports. The parking revenues collected by the municipalities go into a station/parking fund for the annual maintenance of the facilities. Revenue that does not go into this special fund goes back into the agencys general operating fund. Metra has been quite successful in local communities to take on the responsibility of station building maintenance. The agency continues to fund the major capital improvement projects but the municipality will pay for the on-going, routine maintenance. To better utilize the existing parking inventory, the agency has a program to sell unused permit parking spaces and a second program to promote the joint use of existing parking. The Metra Space Program allows a commuter to park in a vacant permit space during off-peak periods. Generally after the last morning peak period train has departed, a commuter can park in any unfilled permit space and pay a daily fee for its use. They simply fill out a short form identifying both their vehicle and the space number that is deposited in a special box or given to the ticket agent. The joint use program is targeted at organizations like churches or recreational businesses such as a racetrack with available weekday parking. Those organizations that choose to participate are allowed to collect a fee and keep all of the revenue. Metra provides indemnification at no cost as well as appropriate signing. The agency has also developed a program of shuttle bus services from remote parking locations.

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Trinity Railway Express Trinity Railway Express (TRE) is a joint effort of the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and Fort Worth Transportation Authority (T). The first phase of the service operates over a 10-mile route between Dallas Union Station and South Irving. Approximately 2,300 trips a day are carried on 52 weekday trains. There are three stations located at the South Irving Transit Center, Medical Market Center, and Union Station. Union Station is privately owned and maintained. DART owns and maintains the two outlying stations and platforms. At South Irving, there are 400 parking spaces available free of charge which DART also owns and maintains. Maintenance of the two stations and parking at South Irving is funded through the DART annual budget.

SCRRA/Metrolink The Southern California Regional Rail Authority (SCRRA) manages the Metrolink commuter rail service. Six regional lines carrying approximately 31,500 daily trips are operated from Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to 47 suburban stations. SCRRA purchased several of the lines over which the service is operated and has trackage rights agreements for the other lines with the host railroads. Union Station is owned, operated, and maintained by a private corporation. The 47 outlying stations and platforms are owned, managed, and maintained by the municipality or the county. All ticket sales are done through TVMs eliminating the need for Metrolink station staff. At stations with intercity rail service, Amtrak provides station personnel that will assist Metrolink passengers. A total of approximately 14,280 parking spaces are provided at 38 of the 48 stations. Ten stations (including Union Station in Los Angeles) do not offer parking. A parking fee is charged at three of the stations. The remaining 35 stations provide free parking. Similar to the buildings and platforms, the parking is owned, managed, and maintained by the municipality or the county.

CalTrain CalTrain commuter rail service is managed by the San Mateo County Transit District (SamTran), one of three members of the Peninsula Corridor Joint Powers Board (PCJPB). Service operates along a 77-mile corridor between downtown San Francisco and Gilroy, California. The PCJPB owns the right-of-way from San Francisco to San Jose

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and hold operating rights from the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) for the segment from San Jose to Gilroy. Sixtyeight weekday trains carry approximately 33,000 trips along the Peninsula Corridor. There are a total of 35 stations located along the route. The stations are owned and maintained by either the agency or the municipality. All of the passenger platforms are owned and maintained by CalTrain. Nine of the 35 stations are staffed and open on a limited basis. Seven stations are open for approximately 6 hours from 5 AM or 5:30 AM. The downtown San Francisco station is open from 5:30 AM to 10 PM and the San Jose station is open from 5:30 AM to 8 PM. Approximately 5,100 total parking spaces are available at 28 of the 35 stations. Either the agency or the municipality own and maintain the parking facilities. Parking is free at all six stations south of San Jose. A daily fee of $1.00 (set by CalTrain) is charged at the other 22 stations that provide parking. CalTrain offers a monthly permit for $10 as part of a higher value fare package. All of the parking receipts are returned to the general revenue fund. CalTrain has several shared parking situations at transit oriented developments and in central business districts with retailers. The agency continues to explore these types of arrangements to increase the parking capacity on the system. As an alternative to driving and parking, CalTrain provides bicycle lockers at stations and local shuttle bus services. Currently there are 725 bicycle lockers available for use. These lockers cost $30 for a six-month rental. CalTrain also allows bicycles to be brought on board all trains every day. To accommodate the bicycles, they have modified the cab-control cars to store 12 bicycles. Twelve weekday trains have a second modified coach in the train consist allowing up to a maximum of 24 bicycles per train. No special permit is required or additional fare charged to bring a bicycle onto a train. The on board bicycle space is provided on a first come, first serve basis.

Altamont Commuter Express The most recent new start commuter rail service is the Altamont Commuter Express (ACE) which commenced operations on October 19, 1998. The San Joaquin Regional Rail Commission (SJRRC), one of three members of the ACE Joint Powers Commission (JPC), manages ACE. It operates service over an 86 mile route between San Jose and Stockton, California that is owned by the UP. There are a total of nine stations along the route including the southern terminus at San Jose Diridon Station, a CalTrain Peninsula Service station. The agency, municipality, or the county owns and maintains the eight outlying stations, platforms, and parking along the route. All maintenance

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activity is funded through a local sales tax and Measure K. Ticket sales are all handled through TVMs. A total of 1,800 parking spaces are provided free of charge.

North County Transit District/Coaster The North County Transit District (NCTD) manages the Coast Express Rail (Coaster) commuter rail service between San Diego and Oceanside. Eighteen weekday daily trains, operated under contract by Amtrak, carry approximately 4,200 trips. Coaster trains serve eight stations located in seven communities along the 42-mile route it purchased from the Santa Fe Railroad. The stations, platforms, and parking are owned and maintained by the agency. Passengers may purchase tickets for travel from TVMs at all eight stations. A total of 4,212 free parking spaces are provided at six of the eight stations. The other two stations do not provide any parking. Coaster is presently developing plans to expand parking at four stations. They also offer designated spaces for bicycle parking at the stations.

Agence Metropolitaine de Transport In Montreal, the Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) operates three commuter lines the DorionRigaud, Deux Montagnes, and the recently opened Blainville that carry approximately 47,000 trips a day. There are two terminal stations in Montreal Windsor Station and Central Station and 37 outlying stations. AMT owns and maintains all 37 stations (buildings and platforms). A new proof of payment system was recently adopted for the commuter rail service. Passengers purchase tickets from TVMs located at each of the stations. Tickets are also available from ticket agents at the two downtown Montreal stations. Approximately 10,300 parking spaces are provided free of charge at the 37 outlying stations. Ten parking lots on the Dorion-Rigaud were built by the provincial government and transferred to the municipalities for ownership and management prior to the creation of AMT. The other 27 facilities are owned and maintained by the agency. The annual operating and maintenance costs for the stations are provided in AMTs budget. The municipalities are charged 40 percent of the total operating expense of the service. The provincial government will fund up to 75 percent of the cost for a new parking space to a maximum of $(C)3,500. AMT has been developing partnerships with the municipalities for the shared use of parking.

Commuters are able to use the parking weekdays and the municipalities can use it weekday evenings and weekends

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for special events. The agency also offers secure bicycle parking at many of its stations as an alternative to driving and parking.

GO Transit Since 1967, GO Transit has been the provider of commuter rail service in the greater Toronto, Ontario area. Service radiates from downtown Toronto along seven regional rail lines. The service, which operates over rail lines owned by the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CP) and Canadian National Railroad (CN), carries approximately 120,000 trips a day. The CP and CN are the contract operators of the rail service. There are 48 suburban stations located along the seven regional lines. All of the lines pass through Union Station in downtown Toronto. GO Transit owns and maintains all 49 stations and the associated passenger platforms. Annual maintenance costs are funded through the fare (passenger) revenues. Forty-seven of the 49 stations are staffed. Most of the suburban stations are open weekday mornings for a limited time period (generally between 5:30 AM and 9:00 AM). A few of the stations also have weekday evening hours. Several of the larger suburban stations and Union Station in downtown Toronto are open for extended weekday hours and also have weekend hours. Approximately 31,000 parking spaces are provided free of charge at 39 of the 48 outlying stations. There is no parking available at nine of the stations. The maintenance costs of the parking facilities including snow removal rely on fare revenues. GO Transit offers reserved parking at their stations for customers willing to pay for the privilege. The program offers an alternative for those people that have to drive to the station but do not arrive early enough to get a space. For the privilege of a reversed parking space, the agency charges $(C)50.00 a month. The revenue from this program is invested in the expansion of parking facilities. Another program underwritten by GO Transit is to offer customers using local transit to access rail stations a substantial discount on the local bus fare. Typically the local transit provider offers a 75 percent discount to commuter rail customers. GO Transit reimburses the operator for the cost of the discount. The program costs GO transit less than expanding parking facilities and is justifiable since the cost of parking is built into the commuter rail fares.

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West Coast Express Commuter rail service in the Vancouver, British Columbia area is managed by West Coast Express (WCE), a subsidiary of Translink the local transit agency. WCE manages the operation of 10 weekday trips between Mission and downtown Vancouver, British Columbia. The 41-mile rail corridor is owned by the Canadian Pacific Railroad (CP) who is also the contract operator of the service. The service, which has been operating since November 1995, carries approximately 7,800 trips a day between eight stations. The stations, platforms, and parking are owned and maintained by the agency. The annual maintenance costs are funded primarily through the agency. The Province pays for some costs. Ticket vending machines are used at all eight stations for ticket sales reducing the need for station staff. The agency does provide an attendant during the morning commute hours at the seven outlying stations. In the evening, an attendant is provided at the downtown Vancouver station. A total of 1,900 parking spaces are provided at six of the eight stations. Two stations do not have any parking available. Parking fees, which are set by the agency, are a $(C)1.00 a day or $(C)15.00 a month. The fees are collected using an automated parking collection system. Monthly parkers are issued a permit. The parking revenue is used to offset the annual operating cost of the service. To meet the growing demand for service, WCE has expanded parking capacity where possible by leasing spaces from businesses and other nearby uses such as recreational centers that have excess capacity. The agency is also pursing public/private partnerships with businesses and municipalities to expand parking capacity.

SUMMARY OF FINDINGS The industry experience with ownership and management of commuter rail stations and parking facilities covers a broad range of practices. At many of the long established services like the MBTA in Boston, MNR in New York, and Metra in Chicago, a variety of situations exist. The commuter rail agency, municipalities, and private parties all own stations and parking facilities along the rail lines. These systems typically have some type of daily fee for parking. They also tend to have ticket agents in many of the outlying station buildings. The Boston situation is probably the least complex with the MBTA owning and maintaining many of the buildings and all of the platforms. Some of the stations are leased back to the municipalities who assume the building maintenance. The municipalities will lease space in the buildings to vendors who in turn sell tickets for the service. The parking facility ownership and management however, is spread across several interests including the MBTA, regional transit authorities,

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municipalities, and private owners. In Connecticut, the Department of Transportation owns most of the stations and parking facilities but leases them back to the municipalities at no cost. The municipalities are responsible for the maintenance of the facilities. The Metra situation in Chicago is complicated with some of the private freight railroads still holding title and control over stations and parking. Many of the stations and lots owned by the freight railroads are leased to private vendors while municipalities operate and maintain their own lots. All of the long established services still use ticket agents at outlying stations. Several of the systems are implementing the use of TVMs to reduce the need for station personnel. At the opposite end of the spectrum are the new start services like Metrolink, Virginia Railway Express, and TriRail. Six of the eight new start services use TVMs reducing the need for station personnel. Most of the systems offer free parking. At Metrolink, the stations and parking are owned, operated, and maintained by the county or municipality. The agency does not provide any station personnel as all ticketing is done through TVMs. Parking is free at Tri-Rail where the Florida Department of Transportation or the local municipality owns most of the lots. All three agencies are exploring joint public/private partnership programs to encourage development at stations and potential management of the station facilities. Several systems have developed innovative approaches to address parking capacity issues. GO Transit (Toronto) offers a substantial discount on the local bus fare for commuter passengers that use local transit to access the train station. CalTrain (San Francisco) offers both secure bicycle lockers at stations and a program that allows passengers to bring their bicycle on board the train. Other agencies also offer bicycle parking as an alternative to driving and parking. Commuter rail agencies are also continuing to develop public/private partnership arrangements to expand parking. Partnerships with municipal government partners and private companies to share parking are also being explored to reduce agency expenditures for new parking construction. Metra has been quite successful with their joint-use parking program that encourages community organizations to offer unused weekday parking to commuters. Another program implemented by Metra is the daily sale of unused permit parking spaces after the morning peak period. This program allows mid-day travelers to find parking at commuter rail stations.

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REFERENCES

1. 2.

1997 Connecticut Rail Passenger Factbook, Connecticut Department of Transportation New Jersey Transit Statewide Transit Guide, New Jersey Transit