The UNO Transportation Institute wants residents to fill out a survey detailing what they would like to see from a hypothetical Baton Rouge to New Orleans passenger rail service.
Research Associate Tara Tolford says their survey asks commuters along the route in Gonzales, LaPlace, and Jefferson Parish how or if they would use the system.
“So if you were to hop up on the train there, how would they then get to where they are trying to go?” says Tolford
Rail service between the two locations is highly limited at the moment.
A 2010 survey indicated 39,000 riders a month may use the proposed system in the short term were it to be built, but Tolford says those numbers could change should the proposed stop-offs be built.
“Just based on where those station locations are proposed for what kind of ridership can we really expect in a way that goes a little bit beyond the broad guesses were for the previous sustainability study,” says Tolford.
That previous study indicated that up to 135,000 riders a month could use the system if the price and speed were adequate.
Tolford says they plan to use this data to further refine the BR to NOLA passenger rail concept. The data will be incorporated into a more comprehensive report in the future.
“If this is something that the state decides to pursue here are the factors that will make it a success and that they should be considering and planning for as they move forward,” says Tolford.
The survey takes about 15 minutes and can be found on UNO TI’s Facebook page.