Draft Minutes from the 2023 Annual Meeting

A family enjoys level boarding in Utah.  

Thank you all for participating in and supporting the Annual Meeting of TRB's Commuter Rail
Systems Team.  

A summary of the afternoon's events and a list of participants can be accessed through the links below. 

Key research topics discussed at the meeting included:

• Ridership recovery from the COVID pandemic and the rise of the Work from Home movement

• What is the nature of the new ridership market?  How are the new riders different from before?  Who came back?  Who is new?  What service attibutes are attracting new riders? 

• What service attributes are most effective in attracting commuter rail passengers in the Work from Home era?   Fares?  All day service?  Freqency?   Other?

• How are commuter railroads adjusting their service offerings to attract new riders and respond to salient concerns related to equity, inclusion and climate change? 

• Level boarding - How can commuter railroads more quickly and efficiently develop facilities to provide level boarding at stations and terminals to reduce dwell times, improve safety, speed service delivery, reduce crewing costs and provide mobility benefits for travelers with physical, sensory or cognitive functional limitations.   Critical success factors to be considered might include: Station designs and building materials, freight clearance for shared track corridors, impact of emergency egress concerns on station designs and costs, role of regulation in promoting and inhibiting change.
  

If you have any other suggestions or comments, you are heartly encouraged to leave comments below or email david.nelson@jacobs.com or jberk@gfnet.com  

Click Here for Draft Meeting Minutes and List of Attendees