The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term economic impact of rail abandonment. To assess these long-term effects, counties in Arkansas that had no rail service prior to 1980 or had experienced rail abandonments prior to 1996 were compared to counties that had not lost rail service during that period. Conditions relating to population, employment, income, banking, manufacturing, wholesaling, and retailing and changes in those measures between 1980 and 2000 were analyzed, using data from the County and City Data Book (U.S. Census Bureau 2007). The next section provides an overview of the railroad industry and its importance. This is followed by a discussion of the decision process in transportation mode selection and organizational response to changes in competitive environments. Provided next is a review of state and federal policy on rail abandonment and then an overview of the literature on the economic impact of rail abandonment. The methodology used in the study is then presented, followed by the results of the analyses. Finally, the conclusions and recommendations are discussed.
The general purpose of this research was to investigate and develop an applied methodology for determining the potential economic viability of inter-m...
Due to the effects of congestion and rising fuel costs, the need for green transportation and energy security, and the increasing revenue gaps to fina...
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