CONNECT NEC 2035 (C35) is a 15-year plan representing the most ambitious reinvestment program in the Northeast Corridor Commission (NEC)’s history and a new way of planning: a multi-agency, multi-year, shared action plan guided by a long-term vision. C35 is the first phase of the long-term vision for the corridor established in the Federal Railroad Administration’s 2017 NEC FUTURE plan, making significant improvements to NEC rail service for both existing and new riders, on both commuter rail systems and Amtrak.
Foursquare ITP led the development of the economic benefits metrics and messages included in the NEC CONNECT 2035 Summer 2020 project brochure and was a key contributor in the analysis of economic development benefits at the corridor-wide and territory levels for the C35 plan. We worked directly with Northeast Corridor Commission staff and the broader consultant team to identify how best to convey the economic benefit provided by Northeast Corridor service.
We worked directly with Northeast Corridor Commission staff to identify how best to convey the economic benefit provided by Northeast Corridor service, which resulted in four focus areas for economic messaging: the individual-level, community-level, regional-level, and national-level benefits. In each of these areas, Foursquare ITP led the identification of specific economic metrics. Metrics developed included information on the impact of the NEC on downtown redevelopment in Newark, New Jersey and Providence, Rhode Island; the role the NEC has played in supporting Wilmington, Delaware’s financial services sector; and the role the NEC plays in supporting the Northeast as a mega-region and its importance to the national economy.
Solutions and Outcomes
- Implemented a modern and resilient railroad with safe, reliable, and more frequent service.
- Identified connections to new markets.
- Reduced travel times between communities.