International Lessons for Promoting Transit Connections to High-Speed Rail Systems

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International Lessons for Promoting Transit Connections to High-Speed Rail Systems

Abstract: 

As the California High-Speed Rail (HSR) project becomes reality, many communities involved in, or affected by, the California HSR project have considered how to connect the new HSR passenger services to local urban transportation systems – such as bus and light rail systems – and how they can take advantage of HSR accessibility and speed throughout the state. European and other overseas systems have decades of experience in forging connections between HSR and various transportation options. This study examines international HSR stations and identifies patterns in transit connections associated with stations on the basis of size, population levels, and other characteristics. Additionally, a closer examination is made of the lessons that can be learned from a strategic sample of overseas HSR stations, correlated to similar cities in the planned California system. Generally, the findings from the comparison suggest that California cities must make significant strides to approach the level of integration and ease of access to other modes that systems outside the U.S. now enjoy.

Authors: 

STAN FEINSOD, MS

Stan Feinsod is a passenger rail and transit consultant with five decades of experience in transportation-related fields. With a background working with agencies, planning and engineering companies, manufacturers, operations and maintenance contractors and other public transportation organizations in project planning, development, and execution in the passenger rail field, Mr. Feinsod has also served as the Board Chairman for McDonald Transit Associates Inc. and Fullington Auto Bus Company, where he assisted in the corporate governance, growth and expansion of both organizations. Mr. Feinsod was the Vice President of both Veolia Transportation and SYSTRA Consulting, where he worked to develop transportation activities in sixteen Western states and passenger rail systems throughout North America. He possesses a B.A. in Government from Columbia University and an MS in Transportation Planning from the Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn.

EDUARDO ROMO URROZ, MSC

Eduardo Romo Urroz has developed his career as an expert in railway systems for INECO (1986–1990), SIEMENS (1990–1991), and PROINTEC (1991–2010). He currently chairs the board of Fundación Caminos de Hierro, an independent research center on railway technologies. He has authored more than a hundred planning studies, preliminary studies, and railway infrastructure projects, especially in the fields of High Speed and Mass Transit railway systems, in different countries within Asia, America, and Europe, primarily in Spain. On the training and teaching side he has contributed on many specialized courses, published several technical papers, and participated in different Railway Technological Innovation projects. He has been nominated by the “high speed plenary committee” of the UIC as coordinator of the research study on “optimum speed for high speed lines” that was recently launched. He is member of the Spanish Institution of Civil Engineers (Colegio de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos) and the Spanish Association of the Civil Engineers (Asociación de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos).

PETER HAAS, PhD

Dr. Peter Haas has been a faculty member in the Master of Science in Transportation (MSTM) program at the Mineta Transportation Institute (MTI) at San Jose State University since 1999, and was appointed Education Director in October 2001. He earned a PhD in Political Science (Public Policy and Public Administration) from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1985. A former director of the SJSU Master of Public Administration program, he also has consulted at every level of government and for nonprofit agencies. As a Research Associate for MTI, Dr. Haas has authored numerous reports and other publications covering transportation, including topics relevant to high speed rail workforce development and station planning, as well as transportation finance and tax initiatives. Haas is also co-author of the text Applied Policy Research: Concepts and Cases

JAMES GRIFFITH, MPA

James Griffith is a financial analyst at the California Department of Public Health and works as a Consulting Associate for the Mineta Transportation Institute. James has served as an editor and student researcher for numerous MTI publications and recently published Continuity for Community-Based Non-Profits, a guide on continuity of operations for non-profits that contract with government agencies. In the past, James has worked at several non-profits in the field of public housing, serving as a housing program administrator, grant compliance analyst, and government liaison. James possesses a B.S. in Business Administration from San Jose State University and a Masters of Public Administration from San Jose State University.

Published: 
April 2016
Keywords: 
First mile
Last mile
HSR
High speed rail
Rail stations

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