Results of the 2016 Hiawatha Service Passenger Survey

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Sperry ◽  
Tyler Collins
Keyword(s):  
Travel Behavior ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Survey Analysis ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Wisconsin Department ◽  
Work Commute ◽  
Profile Characteristics ◽  
Comparison Of The Results ◽  
Rail Service

The Hiawatha Service is an Amtrak intercity passenger rail service that operates the 90-mile route between Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. As part of its management and oversight role for the route, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) routinely conducts surveys of passengers traveling on the Hiawatha Service. The most recent survey was conducted in May 2016. This paper reports a summary of the key findings from the 2016 Hiawatha Service passenger survey. Analysis of more than 2,400 surveys reveals significant details of the travel behavior and demographic profile characteristics of Hiawatha Service passengers. A majority of passengers on weekday trains are traveling for work commute or business-related purposes while a majority of weekend passenger trips are leisure or personal trips. Approximately 70 percent of passengers would drive if the Hiawatha Service were not available, indicating that the train has a meaningful impact on highway congestion. Additional details on passenger motivations for using rail and the importance of on-board Wi-Fi service are also provided. Comparison of the results from 2016 with previous surveys conducted in 2002/2003, 2005, and 2011 demonstrates the role of the Hiawatha Service in the Milwaukee-Chicago travel corridor.

Planning Capacity Improvements in the Chicago – Milwaukee – Madison Rail Corridor Using the Rail Traffic Controller (RTC) Rail Operations Simulation Model

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Tobias ◽  
David House ◽  
Randy Wade
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Simulation Software ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Wisconsin Department ◽  
Commuter Rail ◽  
Canadian Pacific Railway ◽  
Planning Capacity ◽  
Rail Service ◽  
Rail Traffic

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) contracted HNTB Corporation (HNTB) to utilize the Rail Traffic Controller™ (RTC™) computer simulation software developed by Berkeley Simulation Software to analyze the rail capacity requirements for high speed (110 mph maximum) Chicago to Milwaukee to Madison passenger rail service. The purpose of this study was to determine whether sufficient capacity exists in the corridor to accommodate the projected growth in intercity passenger rail service as well as growth in freight and commuter rail service. Where capacity constraints were identified, the model was also used to evaluate the benefits of proposed infrastructure improvements. HNTB and WisDOT worked with Illinois DOT, the Canadian Pacific Railway, Metra and Amtrak to identify and test rail improvements that will provide sufficient capacity for projected future high speed, commuter and freight rail services in the corridor. The modeling results are shown through string lines and tables comparing the impacts of each case on the performance of each type of train. Metrics used include: • Average speeds. • Delay minutes per 100 miles. • On Time Performance (for passenger trains). RTC is a very useful tool for the simulation of current and proposed rail operations. It has helped identify bottlenecks and analyze the effectiveness of proposed improvements. The model results from this study are a critical component in WisDOT’s negotiations with CP over the extent and location of capacity improvements for high speed operations. The RTC model output also supported WisDOT’s application for federal stimulus funding for the corridor improvements.

Results From the 2011 Hiawatha Service Passenger Study

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Sperry ◽  
Curtis A. Morgan
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Major Elements ◽  
State Funding ◽  
Research Project ◽  
Trip Purpose ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Wisconsin Department ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rail Service

The Hiawatha Service is an Amtrak intercity passenger rail service operating a 90-mile route between Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Chicago, Illinois. The route has experienced a steady growth in ridership in recent years, carrying more than 815,000 passengers during the 12-month period ending September 2011. Owing to the route’s trip-time competitiveness with the automobile, frequent daily service, an intermodal connection with the airport in Milwaukee, and the multi-state funding partnership between the states of Wisconsin and Illinois, the Hiawatha Service is a model of how passenger rail can be an integral part of the multimodal transportation system in an intercity corridor. In January 2011, researchers from the Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) passenger rail research group, with financial support from the University Transportation Center for Mobility (UTCM) and in partnership with the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT), initiated a research project to examine the mobility impacts of the Hiawatha Service intercity passenger rail route. One of the major elements of this research project was an on-board survey of Hiawatha Service passengers, implemented in Spring 2011. This paper reports a summary of selected findings from the 2011 TTI/WisDOT Hiawatha Service passenger survey. The survey obtained valuable information about the current passengers, including data on passenger trip purpose, activities before and after the rail trip, travel alternatives to the Hiawatha Service if the route was not available, motivations for choosing rail for the trip, the impact of potential service changes on increasing ridership, and demographic profile data. A majority of passengers traveling on weekdays were regular commuters or business travelers while personal trips are dominant on weekends. Nearly 70 percent of passengers would drive if the rail service was not available, suggesting that the Hiawatha Service plays a critical role in relieving highway congestion in the region. The results of this study can be used by public agency planning staff and policymakers to guide the development of new intercity passenger rail services in similar corridors across the U.S.

State Rail Plans: The Integration of Freight and Passenger Rail Planning

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Keller
Keyword(s):  
Implementation Strategies ◽  
The State ◽  
Rail Transportation ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
The Public ◽  
Rail Network ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
The Us ◽  
Rail Service

The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (PRIIA) was created to reauthorize the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, better known as Amtrak, and strengthen the US passenger rail network by tasking Amtrak, the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), States, and other stakeholders in improving service, operations, and facilities. PRIIA also tasks States with establishing or designating a State rail transportation authority that will develop Statewide rail plans to set policy involving freight and passenger rail transportation within their boundaries, establish priorities and implementation strategies to enhance rail service in the public interest, and serve as the basis for Federal and State rail investments within the State. In order to comply with PRIIA, State rail plans are required to address a broad spectrum of issues, including an inventory of the existing rail transportation system, rail services and facilities within the State. They must also include an explanation of the State’s passenger rail service objectives, an analysis of rail’s transportation, economic, and environmental impacts in the State, and a long-range investment program for current and future freight and passenger infrastructure in the State. The plans are to be coordinated with other State transportation planning programs and clarify long-term service and investment needs and requirements. This paper and presentation will illustrate the steps required in preparing a State rail plan and the benefits of having a properly developed plan.

Examining the Role of the Hiawatha Service in the Milwaukee-Chicago Corridor

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Sperry ◽  
Ethan Johnson
Keyword(s):  
The United States ◽  
Transportation Policy ◽  
Service Planning ◽  
Regulatory Environment ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Policy Perspective ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
The Right ◽  
Rail Service

In recent years, the policy and regulatory environment for intercity passenger rail in the United States has shifted dramatically. To support the resulting increase in intercity passenger rail planning activities, there is a need to understand the roles for passenger rail service in an intercity corridor, including who is using the service and how it is being used. Using on-board passenger survey data, this paper examines the role of the Hiawatha Service in the modal mix of the dense Milwaukee-Chicago intercity corridor. Primary trip purposes among Hiawatha Service travelers include personal trips, work commutes, and business trips. In the absence of the Hiawatha Service, more than 85 percent of passengers would travel via alternative travel modes. Consequently, it is estimated that the Hiawatha Service removes nearly 400,000 vehicles and 32 million vehicle-miles (51 million vehicle-km) traveled from the congested Milwaukee-Chicago corridor annually. As the nation moves forward with significant investment in intercity passenger rail, there are lessons to be learned from the Hiawatha Service, both for rail service planning and the formation of transportation policy. For rail planning, this research indicates that the proper service configurations can result in a variety of trip purposes being accommodated on the route; this raises additional challenges when considering service elements such as on-board amenities. From a policy perspective, these findings present a compelling argument for continued investment in intercity passenger rail because they demonstrate that the availability of high-quality passenger rail service in the right corridor can have meaningful impacts on highway congestion, regional economic development and job access, and air quality and greenhouse gas emissions.

An integrated pricing/planning strategy to optimize passenger rail service with uncertain demand

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 435-448 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoqiang Zhang ◽  
Lin Li ◽  
Scott Le Vine ◽  
Xiaobo Liu
Keyword(s):  
Uncertain Demand ◽  
Planning Strategy ◽  
Passenger Rail ◽  
Rail Service

Noise Issues of Concrete-Pavement Texturing

2000 ◽  
Vol 1702 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Jaeckel ◽  
David A. Kuemmel ◽  
Yosef Z. Becker ◽  
Alex Satanovsky ◽  
Ronald C. Sonntag
Keyword(s):  
Second Phase ◽  
Department Of Transportation ◽  
Portland Cement Concrete ◽  
Noise Levels ◽  
The Road ◽  
Wisconsin Department ◽  
Noise Characteristics ◽  
Texture Parameters ◽  
Noise Measurements ◽  
Using Data

The second phase of a project researching the texture and noise characteristics of portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements was sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation and FHWA. The team of Marquette University and HNTB Corporation measured and analyzed the noise and texture parameters of 57 test sites in Colorado, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. Conclusions pertaining to tire-and-pavement noise were drawn using data from several types of acoustical tests, including objective noise measurements (exterior and interior), subjective noise evaluations, and a prominent frequency analysis. Texture parameters of all test sites were measured with the road surface analyzer (ROSAN). ROSAN texture measurements proved invaluable in analyzing why different textures exhibited different noise characteristics. Both uniform and random transverse tining provide higher interior and exterior noise levels than skewed or longitudinal tining. Transverse tining, even in some random-spaced textures, can cause a discrete frequency or whine. As the depth and width of tining increased, so did the noise levels. Randomly spaced patterns are sensitive to spacing. Ground PCC pavement exhibited no discrete frequencies. Recommendations include the need for better quality control over tining and a wet-pavement-accident study of longitudinal tining. If noise considerations are paramount, longitudinal tining is recommended. If texture is paramount, skewed tining is recommended. If a skew is not possible, then carefully constructed random transverse is recommended.

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