Business View - October 2015 11
said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy.
“In addition, the millennial generation and younger
adults will lead the way with their preferences to
have a multi-modal transportation system that sup-
ports their lifestyle. It is critical that we include im-
plementation of high-speed rail as we look to plan
for the nation’s future transportation needs.”
In the survey “High-Speed Rail in America 2015”, con-
ducted by TechnoMetrica for APTA, the likelihood of
respondents using high-speed rail for their work and
leisure travel increases as they were informed that it
will be less expensive than flying and that it will take
less time than driving to their destination. When
told of these cost and time saving benefits, Millenni-
als and young people (18-44) strong likelihood of use
at 71 percent jumps to 76 percent. Those respon-
dents who identify as Republican represent the larg-
est growth of intended use, their likelihood of using
high-speed rail increases from 58 to 65 percent, fol-
lowed by Independents, 61 to 67 percent, and Dem-
ocrats’ already strong likelihood of use goes from 73
to 75 percent when informed of the savings of time
and costs.
“A high-speed rail network will have a tremendous
benefit to our entire transportation system,” said
Melaniphy. “It will enable America’s air, rail, bus,
ferry, and highway systems to each function effec-
tively and efficiently as we face a dramatic popula-
tion growth that adds more travelers than our cur-
rent capacity can accommodate.”
The survey also revealed that Americans overwhelm-
ingly support efforts to streamline government reg-
ulations that will promote real-estate development
near high-speed rail. This development could in-
clude amenities such as popular retail shops, walk-
able neighborhoods, and unique dining experiences.
Overall, nearly three quarters of respondents (71
percent) support reducing regulations so that ame-
nities can be built near high-speed rail stations.
“High-speed rail not only provides a great transpor-
tation option, but the public’s interest in amenities
near high-speed rail stations is another way to cre-
ate economic growth and jobs in local communities
across the country,” said Melaniphy. “If we have
strong investment in high-speed rail, it will be an
opportunity to generate real-estate and land use in-
come for the private sector as well as local tax rev-
enue for communities for decades to come.”
