The real value in commuter rail is pulling drivers off the road so traffic doesn't degrade further. A 30 mile alignment though isn't very extensive, and ridersh

The real value in commuter rail is pulling drivers off the road so traffic doesn't degrade further. A 30 mile alignment though isn't very extensive, and ridership is unsuprising considering the 3+ mile station spacing, hour long headways, and other issues. On a 3 lane freeway, the daily ridership of this train is as though you pulled the drivers filling one lane off the road. With shorter headways and collector routes feeding each station, its likely the ridership could see a significant increase.