Big Return on Rail Investment: Metro Hartford-Springfield

Connecticut’s Capitol Region Council of Governments has released a study detailing the enormous economic benefit of revitalizing the Metro Hartford-Springfield passenger rail corridor between New York City and Boston.

Title page of The Economic Benefits of Regional Rail Investment in Metro Hartford-Springfield (CRCOG, April 2021).

“The proposed [Inland Route] rail improvements would bring 20,000 to 40,000 professional services jobs, extensive transit-oriented development, and $47 to $84 billion in new regional GDP over 30 years.” (p. 19)

Figure 6 of the study maps the “extensive transit-oriented development” that could occur around existing and new stations, including a new station in Palmer —

Figure 6: Station Area TOD Capacity, One-Mile Radius, map of Inland Route showing each station's potential numbers for commercial square footage, housing units, and jobs. — Figure 6 in map form, showing Station Area TOD Capacity, One-Mile Radius, for all Inland Route existing and new stations.

“Palmer’s location in the regional mobility network amplifies its TOD potential, from a commercial/industrial as well as a residential standpoint.” (p. 17)

Read the full study here —

https://crcog.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/CRCOG_Final-Report_V6_042921.pdf