Whither the Mid-Hudson Commuter? MTA in a Changing Region William Wheeler Director of Special Project Development & Planning Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Travel in the New York Region has changed from the days of the commute… 1
…to a 9-5 Office Job in Manhattan 2
Today, our customers work in the CBD, the outer-boroughs and the suburbs… Midtown Manhattan Metrotech, Brooklyn Downtown White Plains 3
…in bourgeoning fields like Education, Technology and Health Care Tompkins County…had the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5.6 percent. The lower Hudson Valley counties of Putnam, Rockland and Westchester had the next lowest. 4
They still travel in rush hour, but also Midday, late nights and weekends… 5
…and their numbers are growing… Bus/Subway Ridership 1990-2012 2,500,000,000 2,000,000,000 1,500,000,000 1,000,000,000 500,000,000 0 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 Subway Crowding Subway Bus Metro-North Ridership Growth 1990-2012 90,000,000 85,000,000 80,000,000 75,000,000 70,000,000 65,000,000 60,000,000 55,000,000 50,000,000 Fordham Reverse Commuters 6
…while auto usage is tapering off nationwide 7
Demographic Trends • Mid-Hudson Employment projected to keep growing… …while growth rate for available local Labor Force tapers off 8
Work Travel Trends Journey To Work Travel Growth 1990-2008 County JTW Increase % Increase Orange 36,552 26% Dutchess 13,816 11% Westchester 8,193 2% Putnam 4,760 11% Rockland 2,722 2% Distribution of 2008 Journey to Work Trips County In-County NYC Trips Other Mid-Hudson Trips Trips Westchester 64% 28% 2% Putnam 32% 13% 47% Dutchess 69% 6% 19% Rockland 60% 17% 9% Orange 66% 10% 13% 9
Mobility Trends • Travel to the Manhattan CBD will grow “ Manhattan remains the region’s undisputed employment center… ” (Federal Reserve Bank) • But, travel to non-Manhattan CBD destinations and intra-suburban travel will also grow o Continued growth in reverse commuting o Longer trips to further destinations • More “Off-Peak” travel (midday / night / weekends) • More non-work trips 10
MNR at a Glance • MNR is now the nation’s busiest railroad o Average weekday ridership: 287,219 (December, 2012) o 721 Trains o 10 Connecting Bus Services o 2 Trans-Hudson River Ferry Services o 121 Stations o 5 Main Line & 3 Branch Line services Key Mid-Hudson Station Usage Station Trains Boardings Growth (2011) (2011) (1991-2011) White Plains 86 9,456 +84% Tarrytown 52 2,684 +34% Harriman 13 763 +67% Pearl River 17 357 +18% 11
Transit Plays a Critical Role • Metro-North Commuters Add Billions of Dollars to the Lower Hudson Valley Economy o Metro-North commuters earn significantly more than non rail users Household Income of MNR customers in Westchester is 130% higher than average. o Metro-North commuters import over $9.8 billion in earnings to the Lower Hudson Valley o That’s $5.2 billion more than their non-rail counterparts County Income earned by Spending by Rail Commuters Rail Commuters Westchester $8.8 Billion $6.8 Billion Putnam $285 Million $192 Million Dutchess $245 Million $181 Million Rockland $261 Million $190 Million Orange $243 MIllion $186 Million 12
Looking Ahead • NYC-based commuter rail network must now adapt to changing economy o new reverse commutation o intra-suburban travel o non-work markets • Heavy demand on equipment as the peak spreads, the off-peak shrinks and weekend travel grows • What should be the role of transit in the I- 287 Corridor to meet new travel needs? 13
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