The Massachusetts Executive Office of Transportation commssioned a study to examine the feasibility of establishing commuter rail service to the state’s South Coast Region, as part of a broader strategy to improve the region’s quality of life, business attraction and economic growth. The economic impact and land use study was lead by Goody, Clancy Associates with AECOM and FXM. The study team applied TREDIS, the Transportation Economic Development Impact System, to assess the long-term economic impacts of investing in this project.
The analysis utilized the multimodal aspects of TREDIS to estimate the economic growth consequences of travel-cost savings for new commuter rail riders, as well as corridor congestion reduction cost and time savings for car and truck users. The analysis also utilized the accessibility elements of TREDIS to assess how changes in labor market size, job access and worker mobility can lead to improved business and labor productivity benefits. Finally, the analysis utilized the industry linkage aspects of TREDIS to identify how a commuter rail link from the South Coast to Boston would particularly attract jobs in higher-paying professional services sectors. The results indicated an opportunity to generate nearly $500 million in new economic activity every year, with over 3500 net new jobs that would not occur without the train. The summary report on appendix on TREDIS use are available from the agency web site.
