The effects of commuter rail establishment on commuting and deconcentration

Historians and others have chronicled the role of highway construction in population deconcentration in the United States, but little is known about whether commuter rail produces similar outcomes. This paper studies the role of commuter rail stations in population deconcentration, modelled through the relationship between in-migration and out-commuting from census tracts. It finds that increased migration in station areas suppresses population deconcentration, seemingly enabling node-based development. However, this effect does not hold across all stations. Preliminary evidence suggests that commercial development in station areas facilitates migrants working locally, decreasing deconcentration–and possibly helping regions work toward sustainability goals.