surprising analysis by Harvard-educated urban planner Eric Beaton adds more meat
to the bones of some faint but persuasive arguments that call into question the value
of fixed-rail mass-transit systems."
Report doubts impact of rail money - Fitchburg Sentinal and
Enterprise 11/06/06 - "Every perk, no matter how big or small, has to start with
dialogue," DiNatale said. "Maybe the Harvard study will be shown to be accurate.
Well, you're going to have to prove it."
Commuter rail can take us only so far - Boston Globe 11/03/06 -
"Beaton's findings do not mean that we should cancel planned rail lines or close down
existing lines. But they do suggest that we should rigorously analyze whether
proposed, planned, and perhaps even existing commuter rail are efficient and
equitable ways to achieve important public goals. The data also suggest that in doing
so, we should focus most heavily on transportation benefits, such as reduced
congestion or faster travel times."
Study: Rail benefits small - Fall River Herald News 10/31/06 - "Beaton
explained that population density levels don't seem to be impacted by the addition or
removal of a commuter stop. Rail stations are most likely to affect land-use patterns
when they are tied to local development policies, he said."
Growth from rails limited, study says - Boston Globe 10/30/06 - "The
study, conducted by the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston at Harvard University,
questions some of the key "smart growth" arguments for spending hundreds of
millions of dollars on commuter rail to promote development that encourages the use
of public transit."
Fisher GIS Prize Awarded - Harvard Gazette 6/15/06 - "...use of
innovative spatial analysis, particularly in the creation of accessibility points and
polygons. It is immediately clear how the results of this project might be of practical
use... "
