Corridor Two Feasibility Study
Photo 1: Map of proposed alignment in the Harrisburg/Hershey/Lebanon Corridor Photo 2: Chairman of the Derry Township Board of Supervisors, Michael Pries, speaks at 9/8/09 news event Photo 3: MTP Chairman, Gerald K. Morrison, speaks with the media at the 9/8/09 news event Photo 4: Congressman Tim Holden speaks at the 9/8/09 news event in Hershey Photo 5: Lebanon County Commissioner Jo Ellen Litz touts the benefits of multi-modal mass transit in Hershey Photo 6: Prototype of premium coach to be used in the corridor. At a news conference held on September 8, 2009 at the new Hershey Multi-Modal Transportation Center, the MTP announced results of a Transit Service Study designed to address congestion along Routes 322 and 422 in Dauphin and Lebanon Counties. The Study, commissioned by the MTP, and conducted by Gannett Fleming, Inc., was financed by funds received from the PA House and Senate, matched by private dollars. It included assessment of three alternatives: doing nothing, Premium Coach (bus) Service and Commuter Rail. The MTP maintains that doing nothing is not an option due to the escalating pace of development along the corridor. The increasing traffic congestion has created challenges for visitors and tourists, and is already a concern for the Medical Center. The Study recommends premium coach service as a near-term solution for the Route 322/422 corridor. The concept is based on frequency, speed, amenities, superior overall convenience, and minimal community disruption. Premium coaches used for the service will be more comfortable than what is currently used by CAT or COLT regionally, but can be found in York and in other communities throughout Pennsylvania. This service will provide mobility improvements sooner, while helping to build a ridership base that can support the eventual introduction of commuter rail service. Longer term, the Study encourages the development of a commuter rail network that would work in tandem with dedicated connecting shuttle bus service. It calls for a new passenger track to be built along the existing Norfolk Southern main line through the Harrisburg/Hershey/Lebanon Corridor without interfering with the efficient movement of freight traffic. The Gannett Fleming Study determined that the Norfolk Southern mainline corridor can support a new third track for passenger use with minimal additional right-of-way. According to Congressman Tim Holden, “Premium Coach Service is the most feasible near-term solution due to its more modest operating cost and the fact that major capital projects are not required. However, commuter rail service is still an essential long-term transportation strategy for our region and should not be forgotten,” he added. The Route 322/422 transportation corridor, known as the Harrisburg/Hershey/Lebanon Corridor is the second corridor to be developed in the MTP’s original five-corridor regional transportation plan designed to identify mobility solutions for our growing population by offering transportation alternatives that help to alleviate traffic congestion and encourage sound land use practices. It is entirely possible that implementation of the Harrisburg/Hershey/Lebanon Corridor may precede the Capital Red Rose Corridor with the introduction of Premium Coach Service.
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