MBTA Old Colony Commuter Rail Service Restoration (1998 Passenger Survey)

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Posted January 2000

This report presents the final results of a survey of passengers on the Old Colony lines of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) commuter rail system, conducted by the Central Transportation Planning Staff (CTPS) in September 1998. The Old Colony lines consist of two routes, the Middleborough/Lakeville Line and the Plymouth/Kingston Line, with common trackage between Braintree Station and South Station in Boston. Service on these lines was instituted by the MBTA in September 1997. Previous passenger service on the lines had ended in 1959.

The survey was one element of an ongoing project to monitor the impacts of Old Colony service implementation on its users and on other transportation facilities. The survey form (a copy of which appears at the end of this report) contained 24 questions covering objective travel characteristics such as origin, destination, and trip purpose, and subjective views of service quality. Space was also provided for written comments and suggestions. The form was similar to that of the survey conducted by CTPS in 1993 on all MBTA commuter rail lines then in operation. Some questions on the Old Colony survey were reworded to improve clarity, and some new questions were added to determine how Old Colony users had previously made their trips.

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