Ruggles Station Platform Study

Transcription

1 Error! Main Document Only.

2 RUGGLES STATION PLATFORM STUDY Prepared For: MASCO Inc. Prepared By: Jacobs Edwards and Kelcey Date:

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY... 1 CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND Ruggles Commuter Rail Station Objectives CHAPTER TWO: EXISTING CONDITIONS Introduction Track Layout Transit Providers and Operation Schedules CHAPTER THREE: CURRENT RUGGLES RIDERSHIP Introduction Ruggles Express Passenger Survey CHAPTER FOUR: RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE FORECASTS Introduction New Inbound Commuter Rail Trips to Ruggles Station Reduced Travel to Back Bay & South Stations Forecast Revenue Impacts Forecasts of Future Ridership to Ruggles Station CHAPTER FIVE: ENGINEERING ANALYSIS Introduction and Summary Existing Conditions Property Ownership Platform Design Options Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Option Platform West of Busway Bridge Option Platform under Busway Bridge Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Estimated Construction Costs Stakeholder Review Recommended Option (5A) 800 Platform East of Busway Bridge CHAPTER SIX: CAPITAL AND OPERATING COST ESTIMATES Capital Costs Station Platform and Accessibility Improvements Rolling Stock... 73

4 Parking Requirements Additional Costs Operating Costs Fuel Costs Transportation Costs Mechanical Costs Facility Costs MASCO Shuttle Bus Costs CHAPTER SEVEN: ECONOMIC EVALUATION Introduction and Summary Program For Mass Transportation Travel Measures Efficiency Measures Economic Evaluation Capital Cost Travel Time Ridership Project Funding FTA Small Starts Program CHAPTER EIGHT: IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY AND NEXT STEPS Project Benefits and Next Steps

5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Medical Academic Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) secured the services of Jacobs Engineering to prepare a planning and engineering study evaluating the physical, operational and financial feasibility of full Commuter Rail service at Ruggles Station; recommend a preferred alternative; and develop a strategy to advance the concept. MASCO provides support services to the 23 institutions in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA) of Boston, the second largest employment center outside of downtown with more than 40,000 employees, 18,000 students, and 26,000 patients and visitors each day. Improved transportation and access is critical for the economic development of the area. The need for improved transit service is both immediate and required in the future to support 1,000 new jobs produced each year. Ruggles Station is served by all Commuter Rail trains in the outbound evening peak but less than two-thirds of trains during the inbound morning peak. The team confirmed that the principal reason for this imbalance lies in a station design deficiency. The principal inbound Commuter Rail track does not have a passenger platform at Ruggles Station, making it difficult to operate full inbound peak service. Despite the service imbalance, Ruggles Station is the Commuter Rail s fourth busiest destination station behind only South Station, North Station and Back Bay Station. It is also the MBTA s busiest inner ring station with 1,800 daily commuters using the station for Commuter Rail trips. Each afternoon, it handles nearly twice as much Commuter Rail traffic as Porter Square, the number five destination station. Currently, one-third of the morning riders are forced to take Commuter Rail to Back Bay Station, where they transfer to the Orange Line for travel back to Ruggles Station since many Commuter Rail trains during the morning peak period do not stop at Ruggles Station. This 13-minute detour is a major barrier to ridership growth. With more frequent direct service, the team conservatively projects that 2010 ridership would grow approximately 30% to almost 2,400 daily commuters including at least 700 working in the LMA. Consulting with MASCO, the MBTA, and Northeastern University, the team developed a platform design for the unserved track that is estimated to cost approximately $13 million to construct. The design requires use of a small part of adjacent property owned by Northeastern University. The recommended design would simplify the MBTA s operations by increasing service flexibility and reliability while also stimulating ridership. Page 1 of 103

6 An economic evaluation of the recommended alternative compared the proposal to other projects of similar scale in the MBTA s capital planning process. It found the recommended station and service improvement ranks extraordinarily favorably when compared with other projects presently recommended for construction in the MBTA s Program for Mass Transportation (PMT). The team recommends that MASCO continue to advocate for the MBTA s evaluation, planning and construction for the project, first, by petitioning for its inclusion in the PMT, being updated in 2008 for the next 5-year period; second, by meeting with Northeastern University and the MBTA to discuss project requirements and explore synergies that may arise from other areas of mutual interest. OBJECTIVES This study covers three substantive topics: 1. Market Analysis to estimate changes in MBTA ridership that would result from including Ruggles as a stop for all MBTA services passing through the station and to estimate how many new Ruggles trips would be oriented toward the LMA. 2. Engineering Analysis to develop, document and recommend options for the construction of a platform serving Track Two at Ruggles. 3. Economic Evaluation to estimate the costs and benefits of constructing the necessary facilities and adjusting operations for all MBTA Commuter Rail trains currently passing through Ruggles to stop at the station in the future, and compare Ruggles Station expansion with other public transport investments under consideration by the Commonwealth. EXISTING SERVICES Because the track typically used for inbound (northbound) trains does not have a platform, the MBTA stops somewhat less than two-thirds of all morning peak trains at Ruggles. The morning contrasts sharply with evening peak service where all peak trains stop at Ruggles (see Table ES.1). The principal focus of this project is to document the costs and benefits that would be expected if the MBTA were to construct a platform on Track Two that would allow all trains to stop at the station. Page 2 of 103

7 Table ES.1: Frequency of Commuter Rail Service Passing Ruggles Station: Number of Trains Morning Inbound Service Trains Arriving Before 9:15 am Evening Outbound Service 3:45pm until 6:45pm Line Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent Providence % % Stoughton % % Needham % % Franklin % % Total % % MARKET ANALYSIS The planning team found that a very high level of Commuter Rail ridership exists at Ruggles Station despite the fact that only a fraction of morning peak trains passing the station stop to provide direct service. As a result of this deficiency in service almost one third of the 1,800 round trip passengers using Ruggles each weekday detour in the morning via Back Bay returning to Ruggles on the Orange Line adding approximately 13 minutes to their inbound trip. This detour adds considerably to the overall commuter trip length for a railroad commuter and deters many from traveling to Ruggles from the southern suburbs by rail. Table ES.2 summarizes the forecast ridership impacts of providing full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles Station. Overall, the number of passengers riding Commuter Rail directly to Ruggles would conservatively increase by 86% to approximately 2,324 passengers. This increase would be due to a combination of an estimated 522 new riders attracted to Commuter Rail and an estimated 552 current riders spared the inconvenience of the Back Bay Detour. Table ES.2: Forecast Commuter Rail Network Travel Demand Impacts of Full Ruggles Service (2008) Status Quo Full Service Change Percent Direct Passengers to Ruggles 1,250 2,324 1,074 86% Back Bay Detour Passengers % Total 1,802 2, % Beyond the positive impacts to riders, the additional travel time associated with additional stops at Ruggles is estimated to have a small negative impact on demand for travel to Back Bay and South Station. A conservative estimate indicates the magnitude of the negative impact could be a loss of up to 348 passengers or approximately 3% of riders using the Franklin, Providence and Stoughton services. Overall, the net impact on Commuter Rail ridership would be at least a 1% increase in total daily ridership on the affected services from Franklin, Providence and Stoughton. Page 3 of 103

8 With full service to Ruggles Station, Commuter Rail ridership to the area surrounding the station will grow as station area employment and suburban population grows. Using MBTA and CTPS data, Jacobs conservatively estimates that, the current ridership of 1,802 outbound boardings would to grow to 3,886 weekday riders if full service were provided (see Figure ES.1). A survey of passengers using the MASCO Ruggles Express shuttle bus linking Ruggles Station with the heart of the LMA found more than one-quarter (28%) of all Commuter Rail passengers using the station ride this shuttle bus to access jobs. With the investment in a Track Two platform and full service to Ruggles, the number of LMA employees using a combination of Commuter Rail and Ruggles Express shuttles to reach their jobs will rise from approximately 450 today to approximately 1,100 in ,000 3,500 3,886 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, ,802 2,324 2,382 Weekday Outbound Passengers 0 Status Quo Figure ES.1: Forecast Demand for Full Commuter Rail Service to Ruggles Station ENGINEERING ANALYSIS Railroad Tracks 1 and 3 at Ruggles abut the existing conventional rail platform. This island platform is approximately 1,000 feet long and 20 feet wide. It is connected to the station headhouse by two staircases and an elevator. The dedicated northbound track (Track 2) on the southern edge of the right-of-way has no platform access. Since it is operationally onerous to route all northbound trains onto Tracks 1 and 3, especially when traffic is most dense during the morning peak, only a portion of northbound morning Page 4 of 103

9 peak trains stop at Ruggles. Figure ES.2 shows the existing Commuter Rail track configuration between South Station and Ruggles Station. Figure ES.2: Track Diagram between South Station and Ruggles Station (Red Circle indicates the Ruggles Station Commuter Rail Platform) The study team reviewed engineering plans for the station and railway, performed site inspections, and evaluated ownership information concerning the rail right-of-way and abutting parcels. The review and inspections identified several features which constrain construction of a platform for Track Two. In general, there is an offset of approximately eight feet between the centerline of Track 2 and structures to its south. 1 Major structures to the south of Track 2 that affect the design of any passenger platform on the south side of Track 2 are shown in Figure ES.3 and include: 1. Ruggles MBTA Station Building 2. MBTA Busway (and Pedestrian) Bridge 3. Various Retaining Walls (not labeled) 4. NEU Columbus Parking Garage 5. NEU Pedestrian Bridge 6. Amtrak Catenary Structures 1 For the purposes of describing the findings of the engineering analysis, Back Bay and South Stations are considered East of Ruggles Station. Page 5 of 103

10 N NEU PED BRIDGE MBTA BUSWAY & PED BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE NEU DORMS & PARKING RUGGLES MBTA STATION Impacted Catenary Poles Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure ES.3: Location of Structures and Recommended Track 2 Platform (Option 5A) With accessible paths to Forsyth Street at Ruggles Station

11 The overall design challenge posed by creating a Track Two passenger platform is the MBTA minimum platform width of ten feet. With a required platform offset of 5-3 from the centerline of the track, the back side of any new platform would extend at least 15-3 south of the centerline of Track Two. Thus, the new platform would extend approximately seven feet southward into the various walls and structures that line the southern perimeter of the railway cut. The design team explored strategies that minimize impacts on major structures to the south of the railway while respecting concerns related to train operations, safety, and accessibility. By and large, the options with the least impact on major structures would be the most economic to construct. It is notable that all land south of the railway cut and east of the Busway Bridge is the property of Northeastern University. Permission from Northeastern to use a six to seven foot strip of its property for the back edge of the passenger platform is essential to advancing the project. Track 3 Track 1 Track 2 Figure ES.4: Ruggles Headhouse above Commuter Rail Platform Looking East Page 7 of 103

12 Figure ES.5: MBTA Busway Bridge from Orange Line Platform Figure ES.6: Busway Bridge and Ruggles Headhouse atop Columbus Garage Page 8 of 103

13 The recommended design (referred to as Option 5A) provides a full length (800 ), tenfoot wide passenger platform on the south side of Track Two. The platform would run from the abutments supporting the east end of the bus bridge spanning the railway, eastward toward Back Bay and South Stations (see Figure ES.3). Construction of the new station platform would entail reconstructing Northeastern s pedestrian bridge spanning the railway at its Columbus Garage. The reconstruction would lengthen the bridge by approximately 6 feet. The project would require reconstructing pedestrian connections to the bridge (stairs and ramps) to the south of the railway. The close proximity of the Columbus Garage, approximately 45 feet from centerline of Track Two, requires a redesign of the existing ramp system. The project would also entail constructing accessible ramps to the pedestrian walkway on the bus bridge to provide a short accessible path from the new platform to Forsyth Street. The new accessible pedestrian ramps for the bus bridge walkway would provide an independent utility for Northeastern, were it to develop facilities in the future south of the railway, reconnecting a divided campus. The estimated construction cost of the recommended design is $12.9 million. ECONOMIC EVALUATION The economic evaluation explicitly considers how the proposed station improvement and related service adjustments would rank compared with other transit service improvement initiatives currently ranked highly in the region s mass transit capital improvement process. For that purpose, the planning team reviewed the most recent edition (2003) of the MBTA s Program for Mass Transit (PMT) to develop evaluation metrics for the Ruggles project that are comparable to those used for other transit projects in the region, and to select a set of high and medium ranked peer projects of similar scale and scope to the proposed Ruggles initiative. The PMT is the MBTA s long-range capital planning document, which defines the 25- year vision for public transportation in eastern Massachusetts. The MBTA updates the PMT every five years and uses its priorities to guide preparation of the annual Capital Investment Program (CIP). Seven high-to-medium scoring peer projects were identified. Page 9 of 103

14 Table ES.3 compares the recommended Ruggles project with the average scores of the peer projects on several key economic criteria. It compares favorably. In particular, the Ruggles Station and service improvement project compares well on: Capital cost Annual operating cost Travel time savings Capital cost per new transit rider Capital cost per traveler hour saved Operating cost per new transit rider Operating cost per traveler hour saved Table ES.3: Comparison of Ruggles Commuter Rail Station Improvements with similar High and Medium Priority Transit Projects in 2003 PMT Average of 7 High and Medium Priority Projects of similar scale in 2003 PMT Recommended Design Option Capital Cost ($ Millions) $12.9 $14.9 Annual Operating Cost $69,662 $1,329,257 Daily Ridership Increase on Mode 1,074 5,994 Net Increase in Daily Transit Ridership Travel Time Savings (Hours per Weekday) Capital Cost Per New Transit Rider $24,716 $37,250 Capital Cost/Travel Time Benefit (Weekday Travel Hours Saved) $22,438 $168,029 Operating Cost per Weekday/New Transit Rider $ 0.53 $12.11 Operating Cost/Travel Time Benefit (Weekday Travel Hours Saved) $ 0.48 $79.81 The project scores lower than the average of the peers on only three criteria, all related to the overall scale of the project. Projects with higher ridership and travel time benefits are much more extensive than the proposed Ruggles project. As would be expected options that provide entirely new or dramatically new services would have a greater overall ridership impact than adjustments to service at an existing station. However, notably few of these more ambitious or extensive projects are projected to be as cost-effective as the Ruggles Station Improvement Project. PROJECT BENEFITS The technical analyses described in this report identify an attractive transit facilities and service investment opportunity that would benefit all of the stakeholders in the Ruggles study area. The findings of the project are very favorable to the construction of a Page 10 of 103

15 passenger platform on Track Two and the operation of full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles. LMA Institutions The healthcare, academic and scientific community in the Longwood Medical and Academic (LMA) area would enjoy improved access for employees, students and visitors from Norfolk and Bristol Counties as well as Rhode Island. The improvement in access will extend the range of these institutions for recruiting and lower transportation costs for many current travelers. Northeastern University The University will also enjoy improved access from Norfolk and Bristol Counties as well as Rhode Island. The improvement in access will extend Northeastern s range for recruiting and lower transportation costs for current faculty, staff, and students. Just as importantly the MBTA s ADA improvements at the Busway Bridge will provide a convenient new accessible route across the railway cut allowing the university to improve connections from the southern portions of their campus along Columbus Avenue. The Fenway Cultural District will also enjoy improved access from Norfolk and Bristol Counties as well as Rhode Island. More Commuter Rail travel options for visitors to the cultural district should draw new visitors to attractions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston Arts Academy, and the Huntington Theatre. Students and staff will also have new expanded travel options. The MBTA The transit agency will enjoy a much more flexible and robust physical plant where trains on any track will be able to stop at Ruggles. Presently, the circumstance that trains scheduled to serve the station cannot use Track Two is a complication in the daily delivery of service, especially during disruptions when a disabled train, switch malfunction or other problem makes it difficult to route Ruggles trains on Tracks 1 and 3. The Authority will also enjoy increased ridership and revenue by improving service to the rapidly growing Ruggles travel market. Neighborhood Residents will enjoy new travel options as more trains stop at Ruggles in both directions into and out of Boston during all hours of the day. Page 11 of 103

16 Next Steps In the immediate term, the MBTA should be encouraged to use this study as the basis for its own independent evaluation of the project within the context of the 2008 PMT update. It is expected that the Ruggles initiative will score high in that evaluation providing the justification the MBTA requires to advance the initiative toward funding, construction and implementation. As the PMT progresses, Northeastern and the MBTA should meet directly to discuss the project requirements and explore synergies that may arise from areas of mutual interest between the university and transportation authority. MASCO should continue to advocate the MBTA s evaluation and planning for the project in the PMT, and foster collaboration among all stakeholders. As the project moves forward, other stakeholders including the City of Boston and neighborhood residents will need opportunities to review and provide input on plans. Page 12 of 103

17 CHAPTER ONE: BACKGROUND RUGGLES COMMUTER RAIL STATION Ruggles Station opened in 1987 when the work of the MBTA s Southwest Corridor rail project was complete. This project reconstructed the former New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad mainline. Linking Boston to Providence, New Haven, New York City and beyond, the railway in the corridor had been on an embankment that blighted the neighborhood. The new railway was in a cut with parkland and development parcels created where there had been industrial and warehousing areas. The railway carries MBTA commuter services to Providence, Stoughton, Needham and Franklin as well as Amtrak services to New York City and Washington, D.C. The project also relocated the MBTA Orange Line from a decrepit steel elevated structure on Washington Street to the same cut as the railway. The new Orange Line featured nine new stations to replace the six stations on the old el that had been eliminated. Since the Orange Line was now in the same alignment as the railway, new service opportunities were created, including new combined rapid transit/commuter Rail stations at Ruggles and Back Bay Stations. Ruggles was developed as a key node on the new line because of its proximity to major educational and employment centers and its relationship to the vicinity of Dudley, a key station on the old Orange Line alignment. 2 When it opened the station was a lonely structure in the vast field of empty development parcels. Twenty years later it is among the most successful development sites along the corridor. The once prominent station façade is now surrounded by high rise buildings including medical clinics, college classrooms, dormitories and the Boston Police Headquarters. Despite the fact that the railway operates on three tracks through Ruggles Station, passenger platforms were developed on only two tracks. The missing platform, on a track predominately used by northbound traffic, proved to be a deficiency recognized nearly as soon as the station opened. Without the northbound platform, it has proven difficult to offer a complete schedule of northbound trains to Ruggles without adversely affecting the overall delivery of service on the railroad. In 1993 after the station had been open for less than five years, the MBTA was interested in developing a passenger platform on Track 2 to correct this oversight of the original station design. Despite the limited service available with a two platform station, Commuter Rail ridership to and from Ruggles has blossomed to the point where it is the busiest destination station on the Commuter Rail network after the three main terminals of South Station, North Station and Back Bay. Figure 1.1 compares outbound peak weekday 2 Now the southern terminal of the Silver Line. Page 13 of 103

18 boardings for seven Commuter Rail destination or subway-interchange stations on the MBTA Commuter Rail network. Observed peak boardings at Ruggles are nearly twice ridership at Porter Square, the number two performing station in this group. The three largest traffic generators associated with commuter travel to Ruggles Station are the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Northeastern University, and the Fenway Cultural District. 1,200 1,100 1,158 1, Ruggles Porter Yawkey JFK Quincy Ctr Malden Figure 1.1: Outbound Peak Commuter Rail Boardings 3 Braintree The Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA) is a 213-acre district three miles southwest of downtown Boston, adjacent to the neighborhoods of the Fenway and Mission Hill, and to the Town of Brookline. The LMA s unique concentration of 23 institutions include three major Harvard affiliated teaching hospitals, two research treatment centers, three Harvard schools and six colleges. Over 73,000 people travel to the LMA each day, including over 40,000 LMA employees, 18,200 students, and 12,900 additional vendors, construction workers, contract employees, and volunteers. This constitutes Boston s densest concentration of employment outside the downtown central business district. There are also more than 26,000 patients and visitors to the LMA per day. 3 Source: MBCR October 2007 Passenger Counts. Page 14 of 103

19 With 21,000 students and faculty situated on 67 acres of land bisected by the rail line, Northeastern University is a leading private university. The school offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in six undergraduate colleges, eight graduate schools, and two part-time divisions. In 2008, the university received over 35,000 applications for 2800 seats in the freshman class ranking it among the top 10 private universities in the U.S. in terms of the total number of applications received The Fenway Cultural District is an entertainment and cultural destination with attractions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Berklee College of Music, New England Conservatory of Music, Boston Arts Academy, and Huntington Theatre. These establishments attract an estimated 2.5 million visitors each year. In addition, Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox, is a major tourist destination in New England with an estimated 3 million visitors annually. OBJECTIVES This market analysis, sponsored by the Medical Academic Scientific Community Organization (MASCO) serving the Longwood Medical and Academic Area (LMA) west of Ruggles Station, is designed to forecast changes in MBTA ridership that would result from reconfiguring Ruggles Station s Commuter Rail platforms allowing it to be a stop for all MBTA services passing the station and to estimate how many new Ruggles trips would be oriented toward the LMA. Specifically, the report describes existing conditions at the station, current ridership on MBTA Commuter Rail services to Ruggles, and projects the number of new riders who would utilize full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles from the Needham, Franklin and Providence/Stoughton Lines. The report also estimates the number of riders to Back Bay and South Station who might be discouraged from using Commuter Rail by the small amount of added travel time that an added stop at Ruggles would entail. It also estimates the MBTA revenue impacts of changes in ridership that would result from including Ruggles as a stop for all MBTA services passing the station. Page 15 of 103

20 CHAPTER TWO: EXISTING CONDITIONS INTRODUCTION This chapter describes existing conditions and services at Ruggles MBTA Station. The station is an interchange point between five different transit services, operated by the MBTA, MASCO, and the Boston Red Sox. Currently the station spans five tracks with platforms on four and provides bus loading and unloading platforms for public and private bus services. TRACK LAYOUT Ruggles has three conventional railway tracks utilized by the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak, and two rapid transit tracks used by the MBTA Orange Line. The two different sets of tracks are separated by a crash wall. Among the conventional railway tracks, only Tracks 1 and 3 abut the existing conventional rail platform. This island platform is approximately 1,000 feet long and 20 feet wide. It is connected to the station mezzanine by two staircases and an elevator. Currently only the southern portion of the platform is open to passengers. The northern end of the platform has been barricaded for many months due to the deteriorating condition of the concrete. Track 2, the dedicated northbound track, has no platform access. Figure 2.1 shows the existing Commuter Rail track configuration between South Station and Ruggles Station. Figure 2.1: Track Diagram between South Station and Ruggles Station (Red Circle indicates the Ruggles Station Platform) All the conventional rail tracks at Ruggles are signaled for bi-directional running. The original plans for the tracks called for single direction running on the two outer tracks and Page 16 of 103

21 bi-directional service on the center track, Track 1. Track 1 is designed to serve traffic in the direction of current peak flow, while Track 2 serves northbound trains, and Track 3 serves southbound trains. However, during the morning peak, northbound trains have been observed on Track 3. All the Amtrak trains which pass through Ruggles Station are pulled by electric engines powered by the overhead catenary wire. These trains are confined to Tracks 1 and 2, due to the lack of a wire on Track 3. There are catenary cranes on Track 3, however, no wire has been strung. TRANSIT PROVIDERS AND OPERATION SCHEDULES Transit Services Presently, five different transit services stop at Ruggles. Three services are operated by the MBTA, one is operated by MASCO, and one by the Boston Red Sox. Specifically these services are: 1. MBTA Commuter Rail service, operated by MBCR. 2. MBTA Orange Line service, operated by the MBTA. 3. MBTA Bus service, operated by the MBTA. 4. LMA Ruggles Express, operated by MASCO. 5. Red Sox Ruggles Shuttle Service, operated by Local Motion on behalf of the Boston Red Sox Additionally, Amtrak intercity rail service to New York City and Washington D.C. passes through the station but does not stop at Ruggles. MBTA Commuter Rail The MBTA Commuter Rail operates four branches of service (Providence, Franklin, Stoughton and Needham branches) which pass through Ruggles between 4:00 am and 12:00 am every weekday. Track 2, the typical northbound track, does not have a platform at Ruggles Station. For this reason, 36% of trains running northbound (inbound) do not call on Ruggles Station during the busy morning peak (see Table 2.1). However, all northbound trains do stop at Back Bay station, 1.1 miles to the north. Passengers traveling to Ruggles on the 36% morning peak inbound trains not stopping at Ruggles must switch at Back Bay Station and take the Orange Line back to Ruggles Station. The time for the inconvenience of making a return trip from Back Bay Station to Ruggles adds an average of 13 minutes in commute time for passengers. Between the morning and afternoon peaks, 75% of all northbound trains passing through Ruggles Station call on the station during a typical weekday. During afternoon peak service, when the majority of rail passengers are leaving the city, southbound service usually utilizes the bidirectional middle track, which prevents all northbound service Page 17 of 103

22 from stopping. This makes Commuter Rail an unattractive option for evening inbound trips to the Ruggles area. It also makes Ruggles an unattractive origin station for reverse commuters. Following the evening peak, in total, only four northbound Needham trains stop at Ruggles. In all, only 16% of northbound trains after 3:45 PM stop at Ruggles Station. In total, 30 trains, or 48% of all weekday northbound service passing through Ruggles, stop at the station. Table 2.1: Frequency of Northbound (Inbound) Commuter Rail Calling at Ruggles: Number of Trains Peak Morning Service Mid Day Service First Train until 9:15am 9:15am until 3:45pm Line Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent Providence % % Stoughton % % Needham % % Franklin % % Total % % Reverse Peak Service Evening Service 3:45pm until 6:45pm 6:45pm until last train Line Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent Providence 3 0 0% 2 0 0% Stoughton 4 0 0% 6 0 0% Needham 3 0 0% % Franklin 0 0 0% 3 0 0% Total % % Note: The count of Franklin Line trains does not include the six trains which operate via the Fairmont Branch, and therefore never pass through Ruggles. Due to conflicts in serving morning peak direction trips, only 21% of the morning reverse peak trains service Ruggles Station (see Table 2.2). The island platform between Tracks 1 and 3 allows for all outbound trains after 3:45 PM to stop to discharge and receive passengers. Table 2.2 shows the number of southbound trains that stop at Ruggles by line and time of day. Page 18 of 103

23 Table 2.2: Frequency of Southbound (Outbound) Commuter Rail Calling at Ruggles: Number of Trains Reverse Peak Service Mid Day Service First Train until 9:15am 9:15am until 3:45pm Line Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent Providence % % Stoughton 5 0 0% % Needham 3 0 0% % Franklin 2 0 0% % Total % % Peak Afternoon Service Evening Service 3:45pm until 6:45pm 6:45pm until Last Train Line Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent Providence % % Stoughton % % Needham % % Franklin % % Total % % Note: The count of Franklin Line trains does not include the three trains which operate via the Fairmont Branch, and therefore never pass through Ruggles. When combined with the northbound trains, the lack of a platform on Track 2 allows for only 74% of all outbound trains stop at Ruggles, and 61% of all inbound and outbound MBTA Commuter Rail trains stop at Ruggles Station per weekday. Orange Line The MBTA Orange Line stops at Ruggles on every trip it makes. The Orange Line links Ruggles with Back Bay Station, located 1.1 miles to the northeast. The train travel time between the two stations is approximately four minutes including the time for the stop at Massachusetts Avenue Station. The headway between trains varies depending upon the time of day. Table 2.3 shows typical weekday headways on the Orange Line. Table 2.3: Orange Line Operating Frequency: Time Between Trains Morning Peak Service Mid Day Service Afternoon Peak Service Evening Service Late Night Service 5 Minutes 8 Minutes 5 Minutes 13 Minutes 13 Minutes Page 19 of 103

24 The most recent ridership statistics released by the MBTA show approximately 8,500 people board the Orange Line at Ruggles every day. 4 NEU PED BRIDGE N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE LMA RUGGLES EXPRESS PICKUP NEU DORMS & PARKING RUGGLES MBTA STATION Figure 2.2: Aerial View of Ruggles Station and Vicinity MBTA Bus Service Twelve MBTA bus lines serve Ruggles. Eight of these routes begin and terminate at Ruggles. Arriving buses enter Ruggles from the southwest driveway, discharge passengers, cross the railway on the overhead bridge at the north end of the station then pick up passengers at the bus platforms to the east of the station. Most routes offer more frequent service during the morning and afternoon peaks. However, some routes are operated with the same service intervals all day. The operating characteristics of these bus routes are summarized on the proceeding page. 4 Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Ridership & Service Statistics, 10 th ed., 2006, pp Page 20 of 103

25 Table 2.4: MBTA Bus Services Stopping at Ruggles Station Typical Weekday Weekday Inbound Weekday Outbound Route From To Boardings 5 Trips Trips CT2 6 Sullivan Ruggles 1, CT3 7 Longwood Medical and Academic Area Andrew 1, Harbor Point/U Mass Kenmore 5, Kane Square Ruggles 6, Fields Corner Ruggles 2, Ashmont Ruggles (Via Talbot) 8, Ashmont. Ruggles (Via Washington) 12, Mattapan Station Ruggles 12, Park Street Station Ruggles 2, Jackson Square Ruggles 4, Franklin Park Ruggles 3, Central Square (Camb.) Ruggles. 2, LMA Ruggles Express Ruggles is the closest Commuter Rail station to the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. However, Ruggles is nearly a mile from the heart of the LMA, a distance which is too far for many people to walk. Therefore, to encourage LMA employees to use the Orange Line and Commuter Rail, MASCO operates a free shuttle bus between Ruggles Station and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. The Ruggles Express picks up and drops off passengers at the cul-de-sac at the end of Forsyth Street on the Northeastern University Campus (see Figure 2.2). A fleet of two buses is able to offer service on an eight-minute headway during peak commuter hours. The stops along the route are listed in Table Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Ridership & Service Statistics, 9 th ed., 2004, pp. 3B Referred to as Route 708 in Ridership & Service Statistics, 9 th edition. 7 Referred to as Route 747/748 in Ridership & Service Statistics, 9 th edition. Page 21 of 103

26 Table 2.5: LMA Ruggles Express Stops AM Stops PM Stops Ruggles Station BIDMC-West Simmons College 75 Francis Street Vanderbilt Hall Children's MBTA Stop 333 Longwood Ave Vanderbilt Hall Joslin Park Simmons College 75 Francis Street Ruggles Station Outside of the peak times, shuttle frequency is reduced, consistent with the lower demand for service. Shuttle service from Ruggles is offered from 6:00 am until 2:00 pm. Service from the Longwood Medical and Academic Area to Ruggles is offered beginning at 10:30 am and operates until 8:45 pm. See Figure 2.3 for a map of the MASCO Ruggles Express. Figure 2.3: MASCO Ruggles Express Route Map Page 22 of 103

27 Red Sox Ruggles Shuttle Local Motion operates four buses on behalf of the Boston Red Sox to provide free shuttle service to and from Ruggles Station to ticket holders on game days. The shuttle picks up and drops off passengers at the cul-de-sac at the end of Forsyth Street on the Northeastern University Campus. Buses depart Ruggles Station every 10 minutes, beginning 90 minutes before game time. Service back to Ruggles Station begins at the start of the seventh inning and ends one hour after the end of the game. Page 23 of 103

28 CHAPTER THREE: CURRENT RUGGLES RIDERSHIP INTRODUCTION This chapter describes the current usage of Ruggles Station by MBTA Commuter Rail passengers and compares the level of Commuter Rail passenger traffic at Ruggles with other similar stations on the MBTA network. Data presented in this chapter was collected by Jacobs staff on Tuesday January 22, 2008 or provided by the relevant service operator. COMMUTER RAIL As discussed in Chapter Two, not all morning peak inbound trains stop at Ruggles. Passengers on the Franklin, Stoughton and Providence services who are bound for the Longwood Medical and Academic Area, Northeastern University or other destinations close to Ruggles are presented with two alternatives. The quicker and more attractive alternative is to catch a train which stops at Ruggles Station. The less attractive alternative is to ride a train that does not stop at Ruggles, alight at Back Bay Station and then ride the Orange Line back to Ruggles Station. 1,200 1,100 1,000 Commuter Rail Passengers Figure 3.1: Inbound Ridership by Time of Day Inbound Ridership by Time of Day South Station and Back Bay Ruggles 1,250 Daily Inbound Ruggles Passengers :00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 Figure 3.1 and Table 3.1 present data on the numbers of inbound Commuter Rail passengers using Ruggles on a typical day. Ruggles passengers in Figure 3.1 are based on counts collected by Jacobs in January 2008 on a day when Northeastern University was in session. Jacobs counted all Page 24 of 103

29 passengers boarding and alighting MBTA trains from the start of service until shortly after 8:30 pm. Ridership after 8:32 pm is an estimate based on the average fraction of total MBTA ridership on each train that was observed using Ruggles Station. Total MBTA ridership counts reflect the first three weeks of December 2007, the most current relevant data available from the MBTA. Ruggles ridership on all trains serving the station averaged nine percent (9%) of total boardings. Table 3.1: Passengers Counts At Ruggles Station During Peak Morning Service Number of Passenger Alightings from Inbound Trains Branch Train Number Time (AM) Jacobs Count Jan 22, 2008 MBTA Count Oct 12, 2007 Providence 800 6: Providence 802 6: Needham 600 6: Franklin 704 7: Providence 804 7: Needham 602 7: Franklin 706 7: Franklin 708 7: Needham 604 8: Stoughton 906 8: Needham 606 8: Franklin 710 8: Needham 608 9: Providence 812 9: Total Passengers 1,049 1,015 Table 3.1 compares the Jacobs 2008 counts with MBTA peak counts from The two sets of ridership counts are very similar, indicating the data observed in January are consistent with typical ridership patterns at the station. 8 Overall, both the MBTA and Jacobs data agree on the absolute and relative levels of Ruggles Commuter Rail ridership. 8 Observed ridership on each train was not completely consistent between the two dates. Overall Jacobs observed more ridership on most trains but much less on Trains 708 and 906. Such variations fall within the realm of normal variation in overall ridership patterns. The specific reasons for the discrepancy on Trains 708 and 906 are not known. Page 25 of 103

30 During the evening, all outbound trains stop at Ruggles, consequently the observed level of outbound ridership at the station was 44% greater than the inbound total. It is apparent that 30% of all Commuter Rail passengers using Ruggles arrive in Boston on trains that do not directly serve Ruggles. This third of the Ruggles market rides beyond Ruggles to Back Bay then backtracks to Ruggles via the Orange Line each morning. This daily detour adds approximately 13 minutes to a typical inbound trip and is endured by approximately 550 of 1,800 Commuter Rail passengers. Figure 3.2 illustrates the fraction of current Ruggles passengers forced to start their workday with the Back Bay Detour. In the evening, all passengers make use of full direct service to the south from the station. Figure 3.2: Passenger Arrivals at Ruggles Station 31% Back Bay Detour Direct Service 69% Figure 3.2: Passenger Arrivals at Ruggles Station Table 3.2 (shown on the proceeding page) compares the Jacobs and MBTA counts for evening peak trains. Again, the two data sources show a high degree of consistency. 9 Passengers boarding at Ruggles constitute 8% of the total ridership on afternoon peak trains stopping at Ruggles. However, because many more trains stop at Ruggles in the afternoon peak that 8% is lower than the morning figure. 9 As in Table 3.1 the observed ridership on each train was not completely consistent between the two dates. Such variations fall within the realm of normal variation in overall ridership patterns. Overall, Jacobs observed more ridership on half of the trains. The specific reasons for the discrepancies are not known. Page 26 of 103

31 Table 3.2: Passengers Counts At Ruggles Station During Peak Evening Service Number of Passenger Boardings onto Outbound Trains Jacobs Count MBTA Count Branch Train Number Time Jan 22, 2008 Oct 12, 2007 Providence : Stoughton : Needham : Franklin : Stoughton : Providence : Needham : Stoughton : Franklin : Providence : Franklin : Stoughton : Needham : Franklin : Providence : Stoughton : Needham : Providence : Franklin : Needham : Total Passengers 1,176 1,158 Even with the service deficiencies described earlier in this report, the overall fraction of Commuter Rail passengers on the Needham, Providence, Stoughton and Franklin services who use Ruggles is close to one out of every ten passengers on every train. This is a very substantial proportion of the overall ridership on the line and underscores the importance of Ruggles to the overall ridership performance of the Commuter Rail network. In fact among destination stations on the MBTA Commuter Rail network, Ruggles is clearly the most heavily used station after the main three terminals of South Station, North Station and Back Bay. Figure 3.3 shows how the 1,800 outbound weekday passengers at Ruggles are distributed over the course of the day. Page 27 of 103

32 1,300 Commuter Rail Passengers 1,200 1,100 1, Figure 3.3: Outbound Ridership by Time of Day Outbound Ridership by Time of Day South Station and Back Bay Ruggles 1,802 Daily Outbound Ruggles Passengers :00 7:00 8:00 9:00 10:00 11:00 12:00 13:00 14:00 15:00 16:00 17:00 18:00 19:00 20:00 21:00 22:00 23:00 0:00 Figure 3.4 (shown on the proceeding page) compares outbound peak weekday boardings for seven Commuter Rail destination or subway-interchange stations on the MBTA Commuter Rail network. Observed peak boardings at Ruggles are nearly twice the ridership at Porter Square, the number two performing station in this group. Yawkey station is the third heaviest node with approximately 200 peak outbound boardings. The remaining four stations all average fewer than 100 peak outbound travelers during the evening rush hour. Page 28 of 103

33 1,200 1,100 1,158 1, Ruggles Porter Yawkey JFK Quincy Ctr Malden Figure 3.4: Outbound Commuter Rail Boardings 10 Braintree Comparing service levels at Ruggles with this group of peer stations it is notable that the overall fraction of inbound trains serving Ruggles is only slightly greater than the fraction of inbound trains serving Yawkey. Service to Yawkey, like Ruggles, is constrained by trains traveling on some tracks that cannot stop at the station. In contrast, all inbound and outbound trains passing Porter Square and Malden Stations stop at these inner ring stations. Circumstances on the shared single track trunk of the Old Colony Lines between Braintree and South Station severely limit the MBTA s capacity to serve JFK/UMass, Quincy Center and Braintree while maintaining fluid operation of the network. Despite these limits a larger overall fraction of inbound trains serve Quincy Center and Braintree than serve Ruggles. Peak ridership using Ruggles is greater than Porter, JFK, Quincy Center, Malden, Braintree, and Yawkey combined. Additionally, the frequency of Commuter Rail trains calling at each Inner Ring station is shown in Table Source: MBCR October 2007 Passenger Counts. Page 29 of 103

34 Table 3.3: Frequency of Commuter Rail Trains Calling at Inner Ring Stations Lines Station Inbound Trains Outbound Trains Total Stopping Percent Total Stopping Percent PVD, STO, FRK, NDM Ruggles % % FIT Porter % % HAV Malden % % WOR Yawkey % % MID, PLY, GRN JFK/UMass % % MID, PLY, GRN Quincy Ctr % % MID, PLY Braintree % % Average % % RUGGLES EXPRESS - As discussed in Chapter 2, MASCO sponsors a free employee shuttle bus between Ruggles and the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. The Ruggles Express picks up and drops off passengers at the cul-de-sac at the end of Forsyth Street on the Northeastern University Campus (see Figure 2.4) Figure 3.5: MASCO Ruggles Express: AM Ridership Passenger Loadings :30 AM 6:00 AM 6:30 AM 7:00 AM 7:30 AM 8:00 AM 8:30 AM 9:00 AM 9:30 AM 10:00 AM A fleet of two buses is able to offer service an eight-minute headway during peak commuter hours. On January 22, 2008, the same date that Jacobs counted passengers boarding and alighting Commuter Rail trains at Ruggles, the shuttle operators counted peak passengers on the Ruggles Express service. The findings of the ridership counts are summarized in Figures 3.5 and 3.6. Page 30 of 103

35 70 60 Figure 3.6: MASCO Ruggles Express: PM Ridership Passenger Loadings :30 15:00 15:30 16:00 16:30 17:00 17:30 18:00 18:30 19:00 19:30 20:00 20:30 A total of 1,373 morning passengers were reported between 5:30 and 9:50 am. In the afternoon 1,457 passengers were reported between 2:30 and 8:45 pm. During the January 2008 data collection, it was not determined what fractions of the LMA passengers arrived at Ruggles by Orange Line, Commuter Rail and MBTA bus. A follow-up survey was conducted in April 2008 and its results are graphically described below :30 Figure 3.7: Morning Peak Ruggles Ridership by Time of Day 5:45 6:00 6:15 6:30 6:45 7:00 7:15 7:30 7:45 8:00 8:15 MBTA Commuter Rail MASCO Ruggles Express 8:30 8:45 9:00 9:15 9:30 9:45 10:00 Page 31 of 103

36 Figures 3.7 and 3.8 show how observed Commuter Rail traffic and reported Ruggles Express ridership varied by trip over the day of January 22, The charts show that since the ridership of both services was substantial and because the Ruggles Express ridership includes Orange Line as well as Commuter Rail travelers, it is impossible to determine what fraction of the Ruggles Express travelers are oriented toward Commuter Rail versus the Orange Line Figure 3.8: Afternoon Peak Ruggles Ridership by Time of Day MBTA Commuter Rail MASCO Ruggles Express 20:30 20:15 20:00 19:45 19:30 19:15 19:00 18:45 18:30 18:15 18:00 17:45 17:30 17:15 17:00 16:45 16:30 16:15 16:00 15:45 15:30 15:15 15:00 14:45 14:30 RUGGLES EXPRESS PASSENGER SURVEY In order to estimate how many LMA employees use Commuter Rail service via Ruggles, the Jacobs planning team and MASCO collaborated and surveyed Ruggles Express passengers to determine their mode of access to Ruggles and where they entered the network of MBTA services. The survey was conducted on Thursday April 3, 2008 and covered all morning inbound bus trips between 5:30 and 9:50 am. A single card survey was distributed to passengers and collected at the end of their short trip from Ruggles Station to the Longwood Medical and Academic Area. A total of 1,350 surveys were distributed; 605 usable responses were returned for an effective response rate of approximately 45%. Principal findings of the survey are reviewed below. Page 32 of 103

37 Principal Mode of Commuting - Ruggles Station is served by MBTA Commuter Rail, rapid transit and bus services. The MASCO Ruggles Express shuttles LMA employees to and from the station. It predominately serves MBTA passengers using rapid transit and Commuter Rail trains. 8% 5% 3% Orange Line Commuter Rail MBTA Bus Automobile Walk 47% 37% Figure 3.9: Principal Mode of Commuting The survey findings indicate that approximately half (47%) of the employees using the Ruggles Express arrive in the morning at Ruggles on the Orange Line. More than one third (37%) arrive via Commuter Rail directly or via a transfer to the Orange Line (the Back Bay Detour and a very small percentage who take Commuter Rail to Malden and transfer to the Orange Line). Relatively few arrive by bus (8%), automobile (drive or ride 5%) or walk (3%). The Ruggles Express drivers counts from the January day of the Ruggles Commuter Rail passenger count indicate that 1,373 inbound passengers rode the shuttle during that day. Presuming that 37% of these trips arrived at Ruggles by Commuter Rail, it can be inferred that 508 Longwood Area employees used the Commuter Rail network via Ruggles on that date. These 508 passengers constitute 28% of the Commuter Rail passengers using Ruggles Station. The balance of the Ruggles Commuter Rail passengers (1,294) are presumed to primarily commute to Northeastern University and other destinations in the Fenway, Symphony and Roxbury neighborhoods nearby. Page 33 of 103

38 Based on a typical daily ridership of 2,451 Ruggles Express passengers the survey results imply on a typical day, that 453 Longwood commuters presently use Commuter Rail via Ruggles and that 575 travel via Ruggles using the rapid transit system as their principal means of travel. Where do the LMA Commuter Rail Passengers Come From? Review of the survey responses indicates that more than two-fifths of the LMA railroad commuters using Ruggles Station live along the Providence/Stoughton service. Another 31% live along the Franklin Branch. Approximately 17% live on the Needham Branch. Five percent of the Commuter Rail passengers report that they ride to Ruggles as reverse commuters from Back Bay or South Station. Another five percent use services that do not pass Ruggles including a relatively large fraction that ride the Haverhill Reading Line to Malden were they transfer to the Orange Line for a relatively direct and convenient trip across town to Ruggles (see Figure 3.10). 5% 2% 3% 17% 42% 31% Providence/Stoughton Franklin Needham From Downtown Haverhill/Reading Other Lines Figure 3.10: Commuter Rail Lines Used by LMA Commuters More peak period station stops provided with the addition of a platform on Track Two would increase ridership from the Providence/Stoughton and Franklin Lines which are respectively served by only 50% and 67% of available peak trains under the status quo. (All morning peak Needham Branch trains presently stop at Ruggles.) Where do the Orange Line Passengers come from? - While not part of the explicit scope of this project it is interesting to review where Orange Line rapid transit commuters to LMA report that they boarded the subway system. The majority of LMA Orange Line commuters ride from the outer ends of the Orange Line traveling to Ruggles from park Page 34 of 103

39 and ride stations in Jamaica Plain, Medford, Malden, and Melrose. A much larger fraction ride from the north (54%) than ride from the south (23%). Only 18% report that they boarded the network on the Red, Blue or Green Lines then transferred to the Orange Line in the downtown core. A relatively small fraction board the subway in the Downtown, Back Bay or Roxbury (9%) % 16% 18% Origin Stations of Orange Line Commuters 14% 12% 10% 15% 13% 11% 14% 8% 6% 4% 2% 0% 5% 4% 3% 2% 1% 0% 0% 2% 1% 0% 0% 3% 3% 3% Oak Grove Malden Wellington Sullivan Square Community College North Station Haymarket State St. Transfer Downtown Crossing Chinatown NEMC Back Bay Mass Ave Roxbury Crossing Jackson Stonybrook Green Street Forest Hills Figure 3.11: Commuters Arriving at Ruggles via Orange Line This constitutes the range of stations starting at North Station and ending Roxbury Crossing, not including transfer passengers. 12 Due to rounding, the percentages shown in Table 3.11 do not add to 100% Page 35 of 103

40 CHAPTER FOUR: RIDERSHIP AND REVENUE FORECASTS INTRODUCTION This chapter reports the methods and findings of an evaluation of potential ridership and revenue at Ruggles Station if all Commuter Rail trains, which currently pass through the stations, were to stop. Separate future forecasts for full service ridership in 2010 and 2025 target years are also presented. The organization of the chapter follows the sequence of four steps used to prepare the forecasts. First, the chapter projects the number of new riders today that would utilize full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles from the Franklin, Providence and Stoughton Lines. 13 Second, the chapter estimates the number of today s riders to Back Bay and South Station that might be discouraged from using Commuter Rail by the added two minutes of travel time that a new stop at Ruggles would entail for some trains. Third and finally, the chapter forecasts future demand for full service to Ruggles in the 2010 and 2025 timeframes. Table 4.1 summarizes the forecast ridership impacts of providing full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles Station. Overall the number of passengers riding Commuter Rail directly to Ruggles would increase by 86% to approximately 2,324 passengers. This increase would be due to approximately 522 new riders attracted to Commuter Rail from some other mode and to 552 current riders spared the inconvenience of the Back Bay Detour. The additional travel time impact of additional stops at Ruggles would be expected to have small negative impact on demand for travel to Back Bay and South Station. Overall the net impact on commuter ridership would be a 1% increase in daily ridership on the affected services from Franklin, Providence and Stoughton. Table 4.1: Forecast Commuter Rail Network Travel Demand Impacts of Full Ruggles Service (2008) Status Quo Full Service Change Percent Direct Passengers to Ruggles 1,250 2,324 1,074 86% Back Bay Detour Passengers % Passengers to Back Bay and South Station 13,768 13, % Total 15,570 15, % 13 Needham already enjoys full service to Ruggles Station. Page 36 of 103

41 With full service to Ruggles Station, Commuter Rail ridership to the area surrounding the station will grow as station area employment and suburban population grows. Using MBTA and CTPS data, Jacobs conservatively estimates that, the current ridership of 1,802 outbound boardings would to grow to 3,886 weekday riders if full service were provided (see Figure 4.1). NEW INBOUND COMMUTER RAIL TRIPS TO RUGGLES STATION Presently only 30 of the 63 weekday northbound Commuter Rail trains passing Ruggles Station stop at the station. Passengers on the remaining 52% of trains that do not serve Ruggles can reach the station inbound by riding north to Back Bay, transferring to the Orange Line then backtracking to Ruggles. This Back Bay Detour was described earlier in Chapter Three. 4,000 3,500 3,886 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500 1, ,802 2,324 2,382 Weekday Outbound Passengers 0 Status Quo Figure 4.1: Forecast Demand for Full Commuter Rail Service to Ruggles Station If all trains were to stop at Ruggles, there would be no need to backtrack, and travel times for many commuter journeys to the study area would be reduced. The ridership response to this change in average travel time was estimated using a simple elasticity based method, wherein the relative changes in travel time are translated into a forecast change in demand for the service. Page 37 of 103

42 Travel-Times Elasticities Model The elasticities which were employed were developed and reported by the Office of Service and Method Demonstrations in the USDOT Urban Mass Transportation Administration. 14 Elasticity Basics Elasticities represent the ratio of percentage changes. In this case the elasticity is a time-based elasticity of travel demand. It represents the ratio of the percent change in Commuter Rail travel time relative to the experimentally observed percent change in demand for Commuter Rail service. Using a set of before and after Commuter Rail travel time elasticities the forecasting team estimated the demand impact of reduced Ruggles Commuter Rail travel times. Percent change in travel time x = Percent change in travel demand Where is the travel time elasticity of demand. In this equation a 1% reduction in travel time indicates a 0.59% increase in the travel demand (passengers). This equation can alternatively be written as: Change in time x = Change in Passengers Total Time Total Passengers This model relies on the difference between the current average time to Ruggles and the future average time if all the trains were to stop. It does not predict increased ridership on trains which already stop at Ruggles. All Needham peak directional trains currently stop at Ruggles Station. No increase on these trains is predicted. To accurately reflect the change in time if all the trains stopped, a weighted average travel time to Ruggles was computed. For each suburban station, with direct service to Ruggles an average travel time was computed. This average includes the travel time to Ruggles for all trains that directly stop at the station and the travel time to Ruggles using the Back Bay Detour for trains that do not stop at Ruggles. There are 21 suburban stations on the three lines with partial service to Ruggles. For each direct trip to Ruggles from each of these stations, the trip time to Ruggles by direct Commuter Rail service was computed. Travel times via the Back Bay Detour were developed based on the parameters presented in Table United States Department of Transportation. Patronage Impacts of Changes in Transit Fares and Services. Washington, D.C., 1980, pp. 69. Page 38 of 103

43 Table 4.2: Time for the Back Bay Detour Time (mm:ss) Activity Commuter Rail time to Back Bay Station from Ruggles Station 3:00 Walk from Commuter Rail Platform to Orange Line Platform at Back Bay 3:30 Average Wait for an Orange Line Train 2:30 Transit by Orange Line back to Ruggles 4:00 Total 13:00 The MBTA routinely reports inbound boardings at each station. The most recent report is for April 6, The study team used the information from this report to determine how many passengers from each station typically ride trains to Ruggles. This same distribution was then applied to the number of outbound boardings counted by Jacobs in January 2008, in order to estimate the distribution of destinations for outbound trips from Ruggles. For stations such as Route 128 where trains from more than one branch stop, the passengers were apportioned according to the volume of service from each branch. Table 4.3: Forecast Increased Travel to Ruggles Line New Passengers Franklin 111 Stoughton 189 Providence 222 Total 522 The estimates of changes in travel combined with the estimates for current ridership and the travel time elasticity, forecast that full service to Ruggles in 2008 would add 522 new round trip passengers to the station in addition to the 1,802 passengers observed at the station in January This brings the total daily travel at the station to 2,324 alightings (and a corresponding 2,324 boardings). Of these 522 new travelers using the Commuter Rail, it is estimated that 146 (28%) would be Longwood employees. Table 4.4: Forecast Commuter Rail Traffic at Ruggles with Direct Service Northbound Southbound Current Direct Travel 1,250 1,802 Back Bay Detour Trips (Eliminated) 552 NA New Direct Travel Trips Total 2,324 2,324 Page 39 of 103

44 Of the 552 passengers relieved of the Back Bay Detour, it is estimated that 154 would be Longwood employees. The analysis indicates the direct beneficiaries of full direct service to Ruggles, if the service were implemented today, would include 300 Longwood employees who would use the Ruggles Express. REDUCED TRAVEL TO BACK BAY & SOUTH STATIONS Adding more service to Ruggles will add travel time to Back Bay and South Station for some trips operating between the southwestern suburbs and downtown Boston. This section describes the forecast methods and findings concerning the potential impacts of expanded Ruggles service on suburban ridership to South Station and Back Bay. KKO Boston Commuter Rail Boardings Model - To facilitate a Commuter Rail route evaluation and service improvement project conducted for the MBTA, a Commuter Rail demand projection model was developed by KKO and Associates to predict boardings at Commuter Rail stations. The model was developed using 1995 and 1996 MBTA boardings data and simple "least squares" multiple regression techniques. The projection model directly predicts station boardings as a function of level of service and station location. The model can be used to estimate the change in boardings at any station in response to a change in service or it can be used to forecast the ridership that would be expected from a new station. In this case, it provides a conservative estimate of the potential number of passengers that may no longer take Commuter Rail to South Station or Back Bay due to the two minutes of increased travel time associated with a stop at Ruggles Station. The 1996 model indicates that overall ridership is very sensitive to frequency and travel speed. For example, the average affect of increasing the speed between a station and downtown by one mile per hour is equivalent to adding thirteen parking spaces at the same station. A reduction of one mile per hour in peak service velocity to downtown reduces the forecast ridership by 13.5 daily inbound boardings. Table 4.5: 1996 Boston Commuter Rail Boardings Model 15 Service Characteristic Coefficient Average MPH to Boston 13.5 Parking Spaces at Station 1.0 Number of Weekday Trains 13.0 Less than 10 miles from Boston Y Intercept Control Factors: Y Intercept = , South/North Dummy = 206.0, R - Squared =.87, Degrees of Freedom = 88, SSE=149. Non-origin and selected inner band stations excluded from estimation data set. Page 40 of 103

45 The model does a reasonable job of predicting boardings as a function of level of service. Figure 4.1 shows the predicted and actual values for each of the stations in the estimation data set. Stopping all trains passing through Ruggles will cause the quality of service to Back Bay and South Station from the 21 stations beyond to slightly deteriorate. The passengers who are riding trains that presently do not stop will experience a slightly longer ride, and as a result, a slightly slower average speed. Predicted versus Actual Boardings by Station Predicted Boardings Actual Boardings Predicted Figure 4.2: Predictive Accuracy of Boston Commuter Rail Boardings Model Application Application of the model for the Ruggles case presented several methodological challenges. The most salient being that the model tended to over predict the overall travel between the 21 southwest suburb stations and downtown Boston by 22%. Consequently the results were scaled down by this amount. It was possible to estimate how stopping more trains in Ruggles would affect average travel speeds to downtown Boston by adding two minutes of travel time to all trains that do not presently stop at Ruggles. With the scaling adjustment in place, it is possible to estimate how the increased travel time to Boston from each of the 21 affected suburban stations might impact demand for travel to Back Bay and South Station. Page 41 of 103

46 Findings - Application of the model found that the reduction in average travel speeds to Boston had a relatively minor potential impact of reducing demand for travel to South Station and Back Bay by 3% - approximately 348 inbound passengers (see Figure 4.6). Table 4.6: Passengers Alighting at Back Bay or South Stations 2006 Reported 13,768 Estimated with Full Ruggles Service 13,420 Total Difference 348 If all trains were to stop at Ruggles Station today, the model indicates that up to 348 weekday passengers may no longer use Commuter Rail to travel to South Station and Back Bay. FORECAST REVENUE IMPACTS Table 4.7 summarizes the forecast ridership impacts of providing full Commuter Rail service to Ruggles Station. Overall the number of passengers riding Commuter Rail directly to Ruggles might be expected to increase by 86% to approximately 2,324 passengers. This increase would respond to two factors: 1. approximately 522 new riders would be attracted to Commuter Rail from some other mode; and, 2. approximately 552 current riders spared the inconvenience of the Back Bay Detour. The travel time impact of additional stops at Ruggles would be expected to have a negative impact on demand for travel to Back Bay and South Station of approximately 348 passengers or approximately 3% of affected riders. Table 4.7: Forecast Commuter Rail Network Travel Demand Impacts of Full Ruggles Service (2008) Status Quo Full Service Change Percent Direct Passengers to Ruggles 1,250 2,324 1,074 86% Back Bay Detour Passengers % Passengers to Back Bay and South Station 13,768 13, % Total 15,570 15, % Overall the net impact on commuter ridership would be a 1% increase in daily ridership on the affected services from Franklin, Providence and Stoughton. It should be noted that these estimates are based on demand in Demand for Commuter Rail is up with increases in automotive fuel prices in Demand for Commuter Rail service is also likely to continue to increase as employment opportunities around Ruggles Station continue to expand, as described below. Page 42 of 103

47 Using a single average revenue per passenger estimate of $3.56 provided by MBTA Railroad Operations, the net impact on weekday revenue would be approximately $620 if it is assumed that all Back Bay Detour trips are made by monthly pass holders. If half the Back Bay Detour trips pay a full rapid transit fare of $2.00 and other half get a free transfer using a monthly pass, the positive impact on MBTA passenger revenue would be reduced to $67. Weekday MBTA revenue estimates can be converted into annual forecasts with a multiplier of 275 yielding an estimate of the annual revenue impact lying in the range of $18,000 to $170,000 per year. FORECASTS OF FUTURE RIDERSHIP TO RUGGLES STATION Demand for future Commuter Rail travel to Ruggles was forecast using a generalized direct transit demand estimation model developed under the auspices of the United States DOT Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP). 16 The generalized model forecasts transit travel demand from specific origin communities to specific destination areas based on demographics. The model assumes full service between the suburban communities and urban destination. Using 2010, 2020 and 2030 demographic population and employment forecasts provided by CTPS for the affected communities, the model was employed to forecast 2010 and 2025 full service Commuter Rail travel demand to Ruggles Station. Table 4.8: Study Employment and Population Forecasts Year Ruggles Area Employment Forecast (Jobs) Commuter Rail Service Area Population Forecast , , , ,208 The Generalized Direct Transit Demand Estimation Model A model developed for the United States DOT Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was used. The TCRP model 17 was developed using data from six U.S. cities with large Commuter Rail systems, including Boston. This linear regression model estimates the number of total daily boardings at each station along each line based on the following variables: 1. If there is parking available at the origin station 2. If there is a feeder bus providing service to the origin station 3. Average household income at the origin station 16 Transportation Research Board. Transit Capacity and Quality of Service Manual, Report 16, Vol. 1, Part II, Washington, D.C., 1996, pp Ibid. Page 43 of 103

48 4. Residential density at the origin station 5. Miles from the origin station to the terminal station 6. Employment density in the terminal station The first two variables are binary they are equal to 1 if there is parking available at the station or if there is a feeder bus, and zero otherwise. It was determined that reliable feeder bus service only exists in Providence. Additionally, although parking exists at many of the Commuter Rail stations, most, if not all, of it has already been taken by existing riders on the system. At most stations along the three affected lines no parking is available. However the MBTA indicates that substantial parking is generally available at two stations: Route 128 and Forge Park/495. Table 4.9: TCRP H-1 Commuter Rail Demand Estimation Model 18 Linear Service Characteristic Transformation Coefficient If parking present at Origin Station None If feeder bus at Origin Station None Average household Log of household income at Origin Station income Residential density at Log of population Origin Station Miles to Terminal Station (1) Miles to Terminal Station (2) Employment density at Destination Station density Log of miles to Terminal Product of Miles to Terminal and Log of Miles to Terminal Log of terminal area employees per acre The next three variables are characteristics of each individual station. Data from the 2000 census was used for the socio-economic characteristics of the population surrounding the Commuter Rail station (Variables 3 and 4). In order to better study the travel patterns, the census tracts are divided up into Traffic Analysis Zones (TAZ) which vary in size from 1/500 th of a square mile to 5 square miles. They are drawn based on population and employment density, travel access, and distance from Boston. For all stations more than ten miles from Ruggles Station, all TAZ s that fell within a 1½ mile radius were included in the analysis. For stations within ten miles of Ruggles, the radius was shrunk to a ½ mile. Variable 5 is simply the distance from each station to the terminal station. 18 Ibid. Page 44 of 103

49 The final variable is the employment density for the area surrounding the destination station. The total 2010 employment for the Ruggles study area shown in Figure 4.3 is forecast to be 52,000 jobs as estimated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council Forecast - Based on these predictions, in 2010 a total of 2,382 passengers would use Ruggles in 2010 if it enjoyed full Commuter Rail service. This 2010 forecast is remarkably consistent with the 2,324 estimate prepared by the project team for 2008 conditions. It is estimated that 666 would be Longwood employees using the Ruggles Express service. Figure 4.3: Relevant Employment area for Ruggles Station 19 Forecast data from MAPC provided to study team by MASCO at the outset of the project. The land area associated with public parks, parking garages and dormitories was excluded from the employment density calculation. Page 45 of 103

50 Table 4.10: Forecast Future Demand for Full Commuter Rail Service to Ruggles Station Weekday Outbound Year Passengers Absolute Growth Percent Growth Status Quo 1, , % , % ,886 2, % 2025 Forecast Using the average of the Metropolitan Area Planning Council s population and employment forecasts for 2020 and 2030, a 2025 Ruggles forecast was developed. The model predicts that with increased population in the origin communities and increased employment in the Ruggles Station area that Commuter Rail demand for travel to Ruggles will swell by 74% to 3,886 weekday passengers using full service to Ruggles Station in 2025 (see Figure 4.1). It is expected that 1,088 would be Longwood employees using the Ruggles Express services. Page 46 of 103

51 CHAPTER FIVE: ENGINEERING ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY This chapter documents the design of a Commuter Rail passenger platform to serve Track Two at Ruggles Station. Five initial design options were developed for MASCO review with interested stakeholders including Northeastern University and the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority. Based on review of options with stakeholders, a single design (based on the initial five concepts) emerged as the preferred solution addressing the safety, economic, accessibility and encroachment concerns of the MBTA and Northeastern. The recommended design provides a full length (800 ) ten-foot wide passenger platform on the east side of Track Two. The platform would run from the abutments supporting the east end of the bus bridge spanning the railway, eastward 20 toward Back Bay and South Stations. Construction of the new station platform would entail reconstructing Northeastern s pedestrian bridge spanning the railway at Columbus Garage. The reconstruction would lengthen the bridge by approximately 6 feet. The project would require reconstructing pedestrian connections to the bridge (stairs and ramps) on the south side of the railway. The close proximity of the Columbus Garage, approximately 45 feet from centerline of Track Two, would require a redesign of the existing ramp system. The project would also entail constructing accessible ramps to the pedestrian walkway on the bus bridge to provide a short accessible path from the new platform to Forsyth Street. The new accessible pedestrian ramps for the bus bridge walkway would provide independent utility for Northeastern were it to develop facilities in the future south of the railway, reconnecting a divided campus. The estimated construction cost of the recommended design is $12.9 million. EXISTING CONDITIONS As discussed in Chapter Two, Ruggles has three conventional railway tracks utilized by the MBTA Commuter Rail and Amtrak. Of the conventional railway tracks, only Tracks 1 and 3 abut the existing conventional rail platform. This island platform is approximately 1,000 feet long and 20 feet wide. It is connected to the station mezzanine by two staircases and an elevator. Track 2, the dedicated northbound track, has no platform access. 20 For the purposes of describing the findings of the engineering analysis, Back Bay and South Stations will be considered East of Ruggles Station. Page 47 of 103

52 NEU PED BRIDGE N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE LMA RUGGLES EXPRESS PICKUP NEU DORMS & PARKING RUGGLES MBTA STATION Figure 5.1: Structures at Ruggles Station and Vicinity The study team reviewed engineering plans for the station and railway, performed site inspections, and evaluated ownership information concerning the right-of-way and abutting parcels. The review and inspections identified several features which constrain construction of a platform for Track Two. The key features are labeled in Figure 5.1. In general the relationship between Track Two and structures to its south provides an offset of approximately 8 feet between the centerline of the track and many of these obstructions. Structures to the south of Track Two that affect the design of a passenger platform on the south side of Track Two include: 1. Ruggles MBTA Headhouse 2. MBTA Busway (and Pedestrian) Bridge 3. Various Retaining Walls (not labeled) 4. NEU Columbus Parking Garage 5. NEU Pedestrian Bridge 6. Amtrak Catenary Structures The overall design challenge posed in creating a Track Two passenger platform is the MBTA minimum platform width of ten feet. With a required platform offset of 5-3 from the centerline of the track, the back side of any new platform would extend at least Page 48 of 103

53 15-3 south of the centerline of Track Two. Thus the new platform would extend approximately seven feet southward into the various walls and structures that line the southern perimeter of the railway cut. The design team explored strategies that minimize impacts on major structures to the south of the railway while respecting concerns related to train operations, safety, and accessibility. By and large, the options with the least impact on major structures would be the most economic to construct. Each of the structural elements that constrain the design options are discussed below: 1. The Ruggles MBTA Headhouse includes an overhead mezzanine and headhouse that spans the tracks. The support columns and walls supporting the headhouse are approximately 8 feet south of the centerline of Track Two. Since the minimum allowable MBTA platform width is 10 feet, any new platform under the building would require the construction of new support system for the building. No options entailing reconstruction of the headhouse supports were considered by the engineering team (see Figure 5.2). Figure 5.2: Aerial View of Ruggles Headhouse Page 49 of 103

54 Track 1 Track 3 Track 2 Figure 5.3: Ruggles Headhouse above Commuter Rail Platform Looking East 2. The MBTA Busway Bridge spans the railway approximately 315 feet east of the station building. It carries buses from the bus arrival platforms on the north side of the station to the departure platforms on the south side of the station. The arrival platforms are on the same level as the mezzanine. The departure platform is at the same lower level as the railway platforms. The ramp on the south side of the busway slopes downward approximately 12 feet from the bridge to the level of the land in vicinity of the Northeastern University dormitories and surface parking approximately four feet above the top of rails. The Busway Bridge also carries a pedestrian walkway across the tracks. Access to the walkway is provided by stairways to the north and south of the railway. There is currently no ADA accessible path to this walkway. Pedestrian access to the busway and bus ramp is restricted by a fencing system. Page 50 of 103

55 Figure 5.4: MBTA Busway Bridge from Orange Line Platform Figure 5.5: Busway Bridge and Ruggles Headhouse atop Columbus Garage Page 51 of 103

56 Figure 5.6: Looking West to Busway Bridge and Stairs to Busway Bridge Pedestrian Walkway 3. A high retaining wall runs between the station and the Busway Bridge. At its highest point the wall is approximately 16 feet above the top of rail, supporting the earthen structure of the bus ramp. Several platform design options that would require reconstruction of the Busway Bridge and high retaining wall were developed and evaluated. North of the Busway Bridge, the top of the retaining wall is much lower, approximately six feet above top of rail. The grade of the parking lot behind the wall is approximately four feet above the surface of the railway tracks. The top surface of the passenger platform would essentially be level with the parking lot. Several platform designs that would encroach on the parking lot approximately six feet were developed and evaluated. Where the platform would extend southward into the parking lot, automobiles would be separated from the railway facility by a rank of bollards. Page 52 of 103

57 Bus Bridge Retaining Wall Pedestrian Bridge Track 1 Track 2 Figure 5.7: Retaining Wall, Bus Bridge and Pedestrian Bridge From Commuter Rail Platform looking East Track 2 Track 1 Figure 5.8: View of Retaining Wall from Commuter Rail Platform Looking West Page 53 of 103

58 4. Northeastern s Columbus Parking Garage is located approximately 830 feet east of the Ruggles headhouse (see Figure 5.9). It is located approximately 45 feet south of the centerline of Track Two. The exit from the garage leads to an 18-foot wide drive between the railway and north side of the garage (see figure 5.10). Room for a fire lane must be maintained between the fencing on the south side of the railway and the nearest wall of the garage. The minimum width for a fire lane is 18 feet. 21 No options were considered that would affect the structure of the parking garage. Figure 5.9: Columbus Garage as seen from surface parking lot south of garage Figure 5. 10: Space between North Wall of Columbus Garage and the railway retaining wall 21 Commonwealth of Massachusetts Fire Prevention Regulations. 527 CMR 10.03(10). Page 54 of 103

59 5. North of the garage, Northeastern maintains a Pedestrian Bridge spanning the railway, approximately 1,000 feet east of the Ruggles headhouse. Access to the bridge is afforded by a system of ramps and steps between the railway fencing and the driveway/fire lane north of the Columbus Garage. The bridge also spans the fire lane connecting directly to the second story of the garage. Access between the various levels of the garage and the bridge is provided by a staircase and elevator inside of the garage structure adjacent to the bridge. One option was developed and evaluated that would reconstruct the pedestrian bridge. Two options were developed and evaluated that would entail replacing or eliminating the stairs and ramps leading to the pedestrian bridge. North of the Pedestrian Bridge, the low retaining wall extends to the Orange Line s Massachusetts Avenue Station approximately 1,350 feet north of the Ruggles headhouse. Pedestrian Bridge Accessible Ramping System Figure 5.11: Pedestrian Bridge Looking East Page 55 of 103

60 Figure 5.12: Pedestrian Bridge Surface 6. The southern edge of the railway is studded with support columns for Amtrak s overhead catenary system. The metal columns affixed to the retaining walls are approximately 80 feet apart. Construction of a full length 800 platform would require relocating up to ten support columns and lengthening the beams that suspend that catenary wire structure above the railway. Figure 5.13: Catenary Pole at Ruggles Station Page 56 of 103

61 PROPERTY OWNERSHIP The ownership status of the land underlying the property necessary to build a platform serving Track Two is unclear. The engineering team s research of MBTA files and Northeastern University s assertions agree that some of the land underlying Track Two is actually owned by the University. It appears that when the new railway right-of-way was established in the 1980 s oversights occurred in deeding property along the expanded transport corridor. Some property to construct the new railway had been owned by the Penn Central Railway. Other property in this area had been owned by the City of Boston as a decommissioned street - St. Cyprians Way. In any event, it is evident that any platform development option that would extend a new Track Two platform eastward beyond the MBTA Busway Bridge would entail the use of some land owned by Northeastern University. PLATFORM DESIGN OPTIONS Five design options for a passenger platform to serve Track Two were developed and evaluated. Each of the five designs was reviewed with MASCO and stakeholders. The recommended option was developed to satisfy operational, safety, economic, accessibility and encroachment concerns of the affected stakeholders principally the MBTA and Northeastern University. Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Option 1 minimizes construction impacts to the railroad, the headhouse, Busway Bridge, and access to the Northeastern University campus. A 425 platform would be constructed between the Busway Bridge and ramps leading to the pedestrian overpass (see Figure 5.14). The option s principal drawback is that the MBTA will be unable to fully berth a maximum length nine car train, making for longer station dwell times and raising safety concerns. Only five complete cars (portions of six) would fit at the 425 platform. Passengers wishing to disembark from other cars would need to walk through the train to reach to cars adjacent to the platform. Another drawback of this option is the accessible pedestrian path to the Forsyth Street location where MASCO passengers would transfer to the Ruggles Express shuttle bus service. The accessible path (1,050 feet), shown in Figure 5.14 is more than 50% longer than the shortest non-accessible travel path to the same key point (685 feet). Finally, Option 1 would require a strip of land from Northeastern University for the construction of the platform. Five catenary support structures would be affected. Option 1 provides convenient access to the Northeastern University campus. Access from the north to the platform on Track 2 would be provided by the two existing pedestrian bridges spanning the railroad. Page 57 of 103

62 N MBTA BUSWAY & PED BRIDGE RUGGLES MBTA STATION Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.14: Option 1 Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street All the construction work for the platform could take place during non-revenue hours allowing the track to remain open during the construction period. The design would allow the movement of all vehicular, railroad, and pedestrian traffic to remain the same during construction of the platform. Option Platform West of Busway Bridge Option 2 also minimizes construction impacts to the railroad. The headhouse, and the Busway Bridge would be unaffected by this option. A 315 platform would be constructed between the headhouse and the Busway Bridge (see Figure 5.15). The option s principal disadvantage is that a portion of only four cars of the commuter trains could be berthed at this platform. Passengers wishing to disembark from other cars would need to walk through the train to reach cars adjacent to the platform. Page 58 of 103

63 Construction of Option 2 will be entirely on MBTA property. No parcel of Northeastern University land would be needed for this option. This option offers the fewest mobility improvements for Northeastern University but provides an acceptable 375-foot pedestrian and accessible path to Forsyth Street and integrates well into the existing Ruggles Station. All the construction work for the platform would take place during non-revenue hours allowing the track to remain open during the construction period. The construction between the headhouse and Busway Bridge would affect bus operations and access to the headhouse from the south. However, it is likely that impacts on bus service and access to the headhouse could be acceptable during the construction period. Access to the existing pedestrian bridges would be unaffected. Five catenary support structures would be affected. N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE RUGGLES MBTA STATION Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.15: Option 2 Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street Page 59 of 103

64 Option Platform under Busway Bridge Option 3 incurs the Busway Bridge construction impacts avoided by other options, and instead provides a full length 800 high-level platform close to the Ruggles headhouse by lengthening the Busway Bridge by six feet. An 800 platform would be constructed from the Ruggles headhouse eastward (see Figure 5.16). Unlike Options 1 and 2, this design could allow a full length nine-car Commuter Rail train to berth at the platform. All doors of a nine car train would open onto the platform. No passengers would be required to travel between cars to reach the platform. N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE RUGGLES MBTA STATION Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.16: Option 3 Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street The construction impacts of Option 3 are much greater than Options 1 and 2. Bus operations would be affected at the station when the busway is lengthened by six feet. This option has substantially higher construction costs than all other options, since it requires reconstruction of the Busway Bridge. The option also requires a six foot strip Page 60 of 103

65 from the Northeastern parking lot for construction of the platform beyond the bus bridge. Ten catenary support structures would be affected. Like Option Two, the 375-foot accessible path to Forsyth Street for Option 3 would be roughly equivalent to the non-accessible path (see Figure 5.16). The option also integrates well into the existing Ruggles Station. Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Option 4 attempts to maximize the length of platform provided without replacing any of the bridge structures. As in Option 1, a platform would be constructed between the MBTA Busway Bridge and the pedestrian overpass (see Figure 5.17). This option would provide additional platform length by removing the access ramp from the pedestrian bridge, with a total of 545 of platform provided. It was thought that travel to and from the bridge could be provided through the staircase and elevators in Northeastern University s Columbus Garage, but it was determined that public access is restricted. Five catenary support structures would be affected. The option s principal disadvantage is that only six Commuter Rail cars (portions of seven) could be berthed at this platform. Passengers wishing to disembark from other cars would need to walk through the train to reach to cars adjacent to the platform. Option 4 would provide strong access to the Northeastern University campus for passengers using the Track 2 platform. Access to the platform on Track 2 would be from the two existing pedestrian foot bridges and from Ruggles Station. The accessible path of travel to Forsyth Street for this option (1,050 feet) would be as long and as unattractive as the path for Option 1 (see Figure 5.17 on the proceeding page). Page 61 of 103

66 NEU PED BRIDGE N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE RUGGLES MBTA STATION Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.17: Option 4 Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street Option Platform East of Busway Bridge Option 5 minimizes construction impacts on the headhouse and Busway Bridge by building east of the bus bridge (see Figure 5.18). An 800 platform would be constructed extending eastward from the Busway Bridge under a lengthened pedestrian bridge at the Columbus Garage. Like Option 3, this design would berth a full length MBTA Commuter Rail train. One drawback of this option is that the pedestrian bridge would be removed and replaced. Like Options 1 and 4, the accessible path to Forsyth Street (1,050 feet) would also be over 50% longer then the shortest non-accessible travel path (685 feet) (see Figure 5.18). A six-foot strip of land from the Northeastern parking lot would be necessary for the platform. Finally a new stair and ramping system for public access to the pedestrian bridge would be required, assuming that Northeastern would not allow public access to the stairs and elevator in the parking garage. Page 62 of 103

67 This option provides good access to the main Northeastern University campus from the new platform. Northeastern access to the new platform on Track 2 would be from pedestrian bridges at the eastern and western ends of the new platform. Eleven catenary support structures would be affected. All the construction work for the platform will take place during non-revenue hours allowing the track to remain open during the construction period. The headhouse and Busway Bridge would remain open during construction allowing vehicular and railroad traffic patterns to be unchanged during the construction period. NEU PED BRIDGE N MBTA BUSWAY MBTA & PED BUSWAY BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE NEU DORMS & PARKING RUGGLES MBTA STATION Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.18: Option 5 Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street Page 63 of 103

68 ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS The engineering team developed construction cost estimates for each of the five designs. The estimates are based on general construction costs using algorithms and factors typically employed for MBTA projects. The estimates were made using existing information without the benefit of detailed survey and engineering analyses. No estimates for the value of Northeastern land that would be required for some designs were included. The estimates are intended for general economic evaluation of the various design options. Table 5.1: Construction Cost Estimates Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Option 4 Option 5 $4,300,000 $4,300,000 $25,600,000 $5,300,000 $10,300,000 STAKEHOLDER REVIEW The study team reviewed the five design options with the MBTA and Northeastern University. MBTA Railroad Operations indicated very strong support for the project to improve the operational capacity and flexibility of Commuter Rail operations along the Northeast Corridor Mainline between Providence and South Station. The circumstance that northbound trains scheduled to serve Ruggles can only berth from Tracks 1 and 3 presents daily complications for the management of operations that would be obviated if northbound trains could serve Ruggles from Track Two. The MBTA expressed substantive concerns about Options 1, 2 and 4 since they would not allow all cars from a full length train to berth at the platform. Substandard platform lengths tend to add to station dwell time as passengers move between cars to exit the train at a car on the platform. Since the density of service on this line is quite high, designs that add to station dwell time are not favored. More importantly, substandard length platforms create a potential safety hazard as passenger could potentially let themselves out of the train from a car that is not berthed at the platform. Such passengers would find themselves trapped on the track bed between Track Two and the southern retaining wall with less than three feet of clearance from passing trains. Under such a circumstance, the potential for accidents and severe injuries is great. Based on these operational and safety concerns, the MBTA indicated it would only endorse designs that provided for a full length platform serving Track Two. Finally, the MBTA expressed substantive concerns regarding ADA compliance issues that would arise if the accessible path of travel from the new platform to key destinations is much longer than the non-accessible path. As presented to the MBTA, Options 1, 4 and 5 would require wheelchair passengers to travel a much longer and more circuitous Page 64 of 103

69 1,050-foot path to reach the MASCO shuttle stop on Forsyth Street than would be used by able-bodied passengers using the 685-foot path via the busway s pedestrian passage. This disparity in trip lengths raised concerns with potential compliance to federal regulations promulgated under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Northeastern University s initial comments concerning the designs focused on five topics. The university is interested in construction of a platform on Track 2 as it would allow for improved commuter rail service for Northeastern University faculty, staff, and students, while reducing demand for drive and park trips to the campus. It would provide improved reverse commute options for Northeastern students and Roxbury community. It also would allow for increased access to areas near Ruggles (e.g., LMA, nearby colleges and universities, and cultural centers), and improve connections between the southern and northern portions of the Northeastern campus. These general goals are supported by the university s initial comments, and are described below: First, Northeastern is interested in knitting together the southern and more established northern portions of campus. When Ruggles opened in 1987, Northeastern s use of land south of the railway was much less extensive than it is 20 years later. Northeastern s specific plans for its campus south of the railway will be clarified as it initiates a master planning process later this year. Generally however, the University is interested in knitting the southern campus together with larger northern campus across the barrier created by the railway corridor. Second, Northeastern is interested in developing a more direct full-time accessible route between its new dormitories on Columbus Avenue and the northern portions of campus. New dormitory beds will be occupied next year in the tower under construction at the corner of Ruggles Street and Tremont Street. Students traveling between the dorms and most facilities north of the railroad will find the most direct accessible path to be through the MBTA headhouse which is open approximately 19 hours each day. Late at night and early in the morning, the MBTA headhouse will be closed, forcing the students to use Ruggles Street as the accessible route across the railway and the stairs to the busway ramp walkway as the most direct non-accessible route to the northern campus. The University would likely be interested in improvements to Ruggles Station if short-term improvements in direct paths of access between the northern and southern portions of the campus were realized. Third, as an urban university with limited land for expansion and redevelopment, Northeastern wants to preserve as much of its property for its own uses as possible. In recent years plans to develop the Columbus surface parking lot as an athletic facility were cancelled when it was determined that the dimensions of the parcel were several feet too small. Under these circumstances, the University is reluctant to cede land along the railway that it may discover it later wants for some other purpose. Page 65 of 103

70 Fourth, a minimum buffer must be maintained between the railway and the Columbus Garage. The Columbus Garage sits approximately 45 feet south of the centerline of Track Two. Presently, the 45 feet is occupied as listed in Table 5.2. Northeastern is vitally concerned that any platform design must maintain adequate clearance for vertical access to the pedestrian bridge and for driveway/fire lane clearance along the north wall of the garage. Table 5.2: Width of Uses between Center Line of Track Two and North Wall of Columbus Garage Approximate Width (Feet) Land Use Train Passage Envelope 5 Railway Roadbed 3 Retaining Wall 1 Ramps to Pedestrian Bridge 18 Fire Lane and Driveway 18 Total 45 Fifth, Northeastern cannot open the staircases and/or elevators of its Columbus Garage as a public route of access to the pedestrian bridge. Presently, the garage is closed and stairway/elevators are locked each night and every Saturday, Sunday and Holiday. RECOMMENDED OPTION (5A) 800 PLATFORM EAST OF BUSWAY BRIDGE In reviewing the issues and concerns of the MBTA and the University, the study team determined that Option Five, with a full length platform at a comparatively modest cost, came closest to responding to the concerns of interested stakeholders. However, it was also identified that some refinements and modifications could be made to address more of their concerns. Outstanding concerns surrounding the Option 5 design include: Equitable accessible paths to key destinations near the station primarily the Forsyth Street area of the Northeastern Campus. (MBTA) Ensuring adequate clearance between the railway and the north wall of the Columbus Garage. (Northeastern) Page 66 of 103

71 N NEU PED BRIDGE MBTA BUSWAY & PED BRIDGE PARKING GARAGE NEU DORMS & PARKING RUGGLES MBTA STATION Impacted Catenary Poles Pedestrian Path ADA Path Platform Figure 5.19: Recommended Option (5A) with Platform Location and Paths to Forsyth Street

72 The recommended design is based on Option 5 with the following modifications and refinements (see Figure 5.19). 1. Accessible ramps would lead from the platform and parking lot to the busway s pedestrian walkway, and would require Northeastern University to lose as many as 15 existing parking spaces in the Columbus surface parking lot. It is likely that these ramps may replace the present staircases that lead to the walkway from the north and south. With this improvement, the accessible and non-accessible paths from the platform to Forsyth Street would both be approximately 675 feet. 2. Sensitive design of the vertical access ramp system between the pedestrian bridge and the platform/parking lot north of the Columbus Garage would be provided (see Figure 5.20). The ramp would be constructed atop the retaining wall without the switch back that doubles its present width. This sensitive design would preserve the 18-foot clear passage for automobiles and fire apparatus between railway and the garage (see Table 5.3). Table 5.3: Proposed Uses between Center Line of Track Two and North Wall of Columbus Garage Approx. Width (Feet) Land Use Train Passage Envelope 5 Passenger Platform 10 Retaining Wall 22 0 Ramps to Pedestrian Bridge 9 Fire Lane and Driveway 21 Total 45 It is estimated that these refinements would raise the capital cost of Option 5 to $12.9 million including contingencies. 22 Ramps built above the retaining wall. Page 68 of 103

73 Figure 5.20: Space between North Wall of Columbus Garage and the railway retaining wall Figure 5.21: Pedestrian Walkway on Busway Bridge and location of proposed future ramping system Page 69 of 103

74 Figure 5.22: View from Pedestrian Bridge looking West Figure 5.23: View from Pedestrian Bridge looking East Page 70 of 103