Alternative Transportation Options: an Overview and Look at Feasibility ISSUES TO CONSIDER a White Paper July 2016
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce charlestonchamber.net
Alternative Transportation Options: an Overview and Look at Feasibility The Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce formed the Infrastructure Visioning Task Force in the fall of 2011 to develop an infrastructure priorities platform for the Chamber s Business Advocacy efforts. The purpose of the Task Force was to prioritize the short- and long-term infrastructure needs of the region. Each year, the set of priorities is published and currently includes 16 priorities. Employers in the region know how critical transportation infrastructure is, not only for enabling their workforce to commute to and from work each day, but also because of the critical role of transportation and infrastructure in getting goods and services to the market. The Charleston region has serious transportation needs today and, unless we address them, the issues will only worsen over time. The answer is not just in building new roads and bridges or expanding current arteries - alternative forms of transportation need to be incorporated into the region s comprehensive transportation plan. The following white paper is designed to outline alternative transportation options, costs and feasibility as the region struggles to ease over crowded roads and alleviate congestion. Many of the alternative options are only feasible if the needed population density is in place. Currently, the Charleston Metro has 190.75 housing units per square mile, the lowest of the comparable metros identified in the annual 2016 Regional Economic Scorecard. If the region wants to plan for alternative options, land use must be tied to transportation planning. Steps should be taken now to plan for higher density nodes in order to develop the needed density to support options such as Bus Rapid Transit, Commuter Rail and Light Rail. Without the needed density, these are not feasible options for our region. Bus Rapid Transit Water Ferry Light Rail Commuter Rail Options in the Interim Shared mobility - a growing trend 1 2 3 4 5 7
BUS RAPID TRANSIT Overview Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is a mass transportation system which has a fully dedicated right of way for its fleet of buses, but can operate either in a fixed lane or in mixed traffic. While BRT does not eliminate traffic, it typically reduces congestion by moving buses out of main travel lanes and reducing cars on major roadways. When properly executed, BRT can provide a reliable transportation source that is convenient enough that people choose to use BRT over driving their own cars, especially to and from work. Estimated Cost Depending on a number of factors, BRT can cost anywhere from $2 million per mile to $27 million per mile. The cost of a BRT system in Charleston would depend on a variety of things including how many miles of transit lanes would be appropriated. According to the recent Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) I-26 Alternative study, the cost estimate for the chosen plan would be $15.5 million per mile for 23.12 miles from Summerville to downtown Charleston. Successful Example One extremely successful BRT system is the Metro Area Express (MAX) in Kansas City, Missouri. The first MAX line was implemented in July 2005 and has gained continued national recognition for its instant success and affordable execution. The key features of the MAX include: wide availability, with lines running seven days a week from 5:30 a.m. to midnight; frequent stops: every 10 minutes at peak times and 15-30 minutes during off-peak times; 3.75 miles of transit lanes; and 40 station shelters that have real-time arrival signs. The total cost of the MAX was $21 million, with 80% of the funding coming from federal funds and 20% coming from local funds. Feasibility for the Charleston Region One of the major positives about BRT is that it can be extremely affordable compared to other mass transit options due to the buses flexibility of going from fixed lanes to mixed traffic. Further, should other options become feasible in the future, there would already be some fixed lanes in place to be utilized. 1
WATER FERRY Overview Ferry transportation used to carry passengers as part of public transportation systems operate in many cities by the waterside, allowing transit between points at a lower cost than that of bridges or tunnels. Washington State and New York City are the largest and most traveled ferry systems in the United States. When used properly, ferry systems can be an efficient form of transportation. In order to be a viable option, the region must have a large enough population to support it. Estimated Cost As of now there is no estimated cost associated with a ferry system in our region. Several factors will need to go into a cost analysis: location of terminals; improvement in docks, ramps, pilings and floats; parking structures/surface parking; and land improvements. Finally, for this type of public transportation to be a sustainable solution, population must be in place to make the fares affordable. Successful Example Washington State has the most extensive ferry system in the United States. There are over 10 routes on the Puget Sound. The system has 20 terminals and 24 operating vessels. In 2014, the ferry system in Washington carried 23 million passengers, making it the fourth largest ferry system in the world. Feasibility for the Charleston Region At this time a major passenger ferry system is not a feasible option. The system has not been properly studied and several questions must be answered: are the current waterways near enough to the major population hubs in the region; how much will the cost be to build the necessary infrastructure; and will commuters use this form of transportation. Additionally, our metro region does not have population centers large enough to make this a fiscally responsible solution at this time. 2
LIGHT RAIL Overview Light Rail Transit (LRT) is a public transportation system having an exclusive right of way and rail lines using tramcars or multiple units coupled to form a train. Often LRT is separated from other traffic for part or much of the line. LRT cars are typically powered electrically by being drawn by overhead electric. They are driven by an operator on board the car and have either high platform loading or ground level boarding using steps. LRT rail are used most during peak travel times in the morning and evening. Estimated Cost There are many factors in the costs of LRT. In BCDCOG s 2016 I-26 Alternative study, for the most logical line with the most density to support LRT, the estimated cost is $90 million per mile. It is worth noting that the annual operating cost associated with the plan is nearly $14 million. Successful Example A successful example that is close to the Charleston Metro region is the LYNX system in Charlotte, NC which began operation in 2007. The initial Blue Line runs from the city s business district in Uptown Charlotte, south to near the South Carolina state line. LYNX operates weekdays from 5:30 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. with peak hour frequencies every seven minutes. The system operates on the weekends from 6 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. on Saturday and 7 a.m. to midnight on Sunday. Users pay a single fare of $2.20 to use the line. The line has 15 stations, seven of which have park and ride facilities. Project funding came from a mixture of federal, state and local funds costing $463 million. The average weekday ridership is 15,500 with annual passenger trips of nearly 5 million. Feasibility for the Charleston Region LRT is problematic for the Charleston Metro region for a couple of reasons. First, the cost associated for right-of-way acquisition and construction sends the final price tag over $2 billion. Further, the region may not have the current population densities needed to facilitate a LRT line without building large park-and-ride decks. The BCDCOG study compared our population, under a million citizens, to those cities with successful LRT lines: Charlotte, 1.3 million; Norfolk, 1.4 million; and Cleveland, 1.8 million. To put the costs differences in perspective, a similar BRT option will cost the region $359 million. 3
COMMUTER RAIL Overview Commuter Rail (CR) is a passenger train consisting of electric or diesel locomotives typically using existing rail lines. This makes this type of alternative transportation more problematic in our region as both CSX and Norfolk Southern are not accepting of shared rail lines due to the high volume of freight into and out of the Port of Charleston. Estimated Cost CR costs are typically less than that of LRT due to use of existing or abandoned rail used by freight lines and fewer stops on the route. Cost per mile varies from $3 to $25 million per mile. However, costs in our region would be far more than that range because the existing fright lines, CSX and Norfolk Southern, do not have any abandoned or rarely used lines. Thus, our region would have to purchase right-of-way and construct its own independent rail line. Successful Example Nashville s MusicCity Star is a successful example in the Southeast. The MusicCity Star connects Davidson and Wilson Counties with a 32-mile section of track, consisting of six stations. The trains provide service each weekday during peak hours and do not operate during the weekend. The MusicCity Star services over 252,000 riders per year and costs $5 to ride. The project cost just over $40 million. Feasibility for the Charleston Region This type of alternative transportation is nearly impossible due to the limitations the Charleston Region faces with lack of available rail lines and the CSX and Norfolk Southern having policies that do not allow passenger traffic. The cost would skyrocket with the need to purchase the necessary right-of-way, creating new track, building the stations and purchasing the cars. All of these factors make CR an unviable option for our region. 4
OPTIONS IN THE INTERIM The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) conducted an I-526 Analysis in 2013, which included a survey that represented 16,300+ employees in the Palmetto Commerce Parkway corridor in North Charleston. Based on that survey, currently 97% of employees drive alone to work while only 3% of employees use transit, carpool, get dropped off or walk/bike to work. The results of this study clearly demonstrate a need for alternative transportation methods in the Charleston region. Since alternative transportation will not be available for a number of years, it is crucial that businesses in our region determine new ways to help decrease traffic and to help their employees avoid traffic in the short-term by employing any number of the following: Biking and Walking to Work While it is not an option that is available to everyone, walking and biking to work, school and extracurricular activities can greatly affect traffic in our region. Studies show that across the nation 25% of all trips are shorter than one mile, but that 75% of those trips are made by car. Businesses can help to encourage individuals to bike and walk to work by providing incentives for doing so, for instance, a discount on their health insurance or an extra day of paid time off. Staggered Work Times Staggering and varying work times/shifts is a simple and effective way to affect traffic flow during normal commute times. Quite a number of jobs do not require sitting at a desk during normal business hours in order to effectively perform the duties of the job. For jobs that do not require traditional shifts, businesses could enact staggered work times in order to 1) have an effect on traffic during those hours and 2) allow their employees to avoid heavy traffic times. 5
CARTA Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) is currently the most well known form of public transportation in our region. CARTA offers fixed routes service, flex service, express commute service throughout the region and Dash Trolley service in the Historic Peninsula Charleston area. Earlier this year, CARTA and BCDCOG completed a Comprehensive Operations Analysis giving the current system a complete evaluation. There will be short- and longrange phases to maximize the current system. Ridership within the region is over 5 million passengers annually. Once the BRT system is online in our region, CARTA buses can play an integral component to increase the ridership for BRT by acting as a shuttle to and from stops in larger residential areas and businesses nearby. Remote Work Days For jobs that are adequately performed remotely, businesses allowing flexibility with remote work days could have a significant impact on the number of cars on the road during commute times. Businesses could encourage remote work days as part of their benefits package, which could include a bucket of days in which employees can work from home. The benefit of this being available is two-fold: 1) when employees are unable to come to work but are still capable of working from home, they do not have to use sick or vacation days and improves quality of life for the employee; and 2) there are less cars on the road which helps with traffic flow. Rideshare Options The Trident Rideshare is an excellent resource when looking to carpool with others in your neighborhoods. They work with companies to promote ridesharing gift certificates and other incentives for employees who carpool to work. The web base service connects commuters who live near each other and have similar trip schedules. You do not have to rideshare every day and your information is secure online. There are also rideshare options for events in our area. This is a program that needs additional marketing to businesses in areas of North Charleston, Downtown Charleston and Summerville, among others, to encourage participation. 6
Shared Mobility a growing trend Shared transportation has grown tremendously in recent years as a renewed interest in urbanism and growing environmental, energy and economic concerns have intensified the need for sustainable alternatives. Simultaneously, advances in electronic and wireless technologies have made sharing assets easier and more efficient. Additionally, changes in demographics, preferences and expectations have also changed. Today, only about 60 percent of 18 year olds have a driver s license compared to over 80 percent just a couple of decades ago. Shared-use mobility comprises transportation services that are shared among users, including traditional public transit, taxis and limos to new trends including bikesharing, carsharing, ridesharing and ride-sourcing. BikeSharing Growing incredibly rapidly. In 2004, there were only 13 bikesharing systems. Today, there are more than 855 systems worldwide. The greatest growth is in IT-enabled public bikesharing, which provides real-time information and uses technology to assist in rebalancing demand for bikes at docking stations throughout a community. Carsharing A service that provides members with access to an automobile for shortterm usually hourly use. In 2014, U.S. carsharing membership reached approximately 1.34 million people. Ridesourcing Providers such as Uber and Lyft platforms connect passengers with drivers who use personal, non-commercial, vehicles. Ridesourcing has become one of the most recognized and ubiquitous forms of shared mobility. Uber, for example, is currently valued at more than $50 billion and operates in 60 countries and approximately 300 cities worldwide. 7 Source: Shared Use Mobility Center
Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce charlestonchamber.net
4500 Leeds Avenue, Suite 100 N. Charleston, SC 29405 843.577.2510 mail@charlestonchamber.org www.charlestonchamber.net