New York Empire Corridor Economic Impacts of High- Speed Services

For NYSDOT, EDR Group (now EBP), under subcontract to HNTB, prepared an economic impact analysis and benefit-cost assessment that evaluated improved passenger rail services along the Empire Corridor -  a 465-mile passenger rail corridor connecting New York City with Buffalo and Niagara Falls, NY.  This report documented the methodology and results of an Economic Benefit Evaluation of the effects on the economy of New York State of various maximum allowable speed (MAS) build alternatives.  This evaluation focused on the potential effects of the proposed Empire Corridor passenger rail improvements from three perspectives: 1) Economic Impacts – The effects of the travel cost savings and market access productivity improvements; 2) Benefit-Cost Analysis – A comparison of each alternative’s travel cost, mode shift, safety, emissions, and productivity benefits with life cycle capital and operating costs; and 3) Station Area Development.