BRISTOL, Tenn. — The impact of extending passenger rail service to the Twin City would be felt far beyond its borders.
That was the general message Tuesday to consultants developing an economic impact study of what Amtrak service might mean to this area and what this area might mean for Amtrak. The city, Bristol Chamber of Commerce and local rail coalition are working to extend service from Roanoke to the Twin City. Roanoke welcomed its first daily train last October.
Representatives from AECOM — the contracted consulting firm — and the Community Transportation Association of America conducted a series of meetings Tuesday with leaders of both cities, business owners and executives, civic clubs, the Bristol Chamber of Commerce and members of the local rail coalition.
“We’re talking with as many people as we can in the greater Bristol area to ask these questions about economics and what the train would allow you to do that you can’t do now,” said Jill Cahoon, an AECOM transit planner. “We’re trying to get an idea of what economic development would be possible and ... information about economic benefit because of the train.”
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Bristol Virginia City Councilman Bill Hartley suggested their approach is too narrow.
“We’re the endpoint right now. Hopefully, the true impact goes beyond Bristol,” Hartley said. “You talk about outdoor recreation, and you’ve got a lot of organizations throughout Southwest Virginia working on that. I don’t know where the stops would be along the way — Abingdon, Marion, Wytheville — somewhere through there. Clearly, it will impact those communities, and I think the impact will be greater than just Bristol but all throughout the region.”
Cahoon said they are treating Bristol as “the hub” for people who might want to explore the region.
“I don’t think our range is super large beyond the metropolitan area of Bristol,” Cahoon said. “There has been a lot of discussion of, is Bristol the endpoint or is it a stop on the way to somewhere else? That is what we’re also looking at as we’re collecting this information and building this picture of economic trends in the region.”
Bristol Tennessee Councilman Chad Keen took it a step further and urged the consultants to expand their scope and consider speaking with Johnson City, Kingsport, Knoxville and beyond.
“Your work could really spark a much bigger conversation in the state of Tennessee, and you might want to think about that direction — at least into Knoxville,” Keen said.
In addition to collecting data and anecdotal data, the consultants plan to survey NASCAR race fans and riders at both Lynchburg and Roanoke to learn about spending and travel patterns and prepare ridership models, Cahoon said.
“We are meeting with stakeholders in Lynchburg and Roanoke [today] to get an idea of before and after — what they have done before the train came to their community and what changed from an economic development standpoint since the train service started in their communities,” she said.
If Bristol secures rail service, it would mean nearly all Virginia residents would live within an hour’s drive of an Amtrak station.
Chamber CEO Beth Rhinehart said that would also impact smaller communities across Southwest Virginia.
“Because this will be a regional draw,” Rhinehart said. “I think with so much conversation about ‘how will we work better together as a region,’ I think this will be one of those opportunities.”
AECOM’s study will cost about $160,000 and is expected to be completed by Aug. 31. It is being funded by the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission, Appalachian Regional Commission and CTAA, which received support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
It is far more complex than just bringing the train from Roanoke, according to Rich Sampson of CTAA.
“They [AECOM] are proving the value of passenger rail service here in Bristol in economic terms so, when it comes time to make the case to political leadership either at the state level or federal level, we’ll have some data on what expanded rail service would do for Bristol in terms of tourism, education and local businesses,” Sampson said.
An Amtrak ridership study forecasts an 11 percent increase in passengers coming to Bristol from Roanoke and beyond, along with an accompanying 17 percent increase in revenue.
The Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation previously earmarked funds in next year’s budget to conduct a cost analysis, state officials previously said.
“Norfolk-Southern will require a technical and fiscal study they will conduct themselves and outline exactly what physical infrastructure would be needed to make that service happen before we can even talk about getting that [rail service] funded,” Sampson said.
Sampson told those in attendance that securing rail service is a lengthy process, and they should remain engaged.
“Your enthusiasm, your emotion, your excitement for this project is really important, and it needs to continue for, probably, years,” Sampson said. “The train is not showing up this year, and it’s probably not showing up next year, but your work to make that happen needs to start this year, and the next few months are really important.”