There have been two recent studies that provided a cursory examination of the possibilities of rail transit in the greater Rochester region. The first, the 1996 Rochester Regional Transportation Corridors Study, conducted by the Genesee Transportion Council, examined on a cursory level the potential of rail transit in five key travel corridors. The second study, the 1998 Rochester Light Rail Transit Economic Development Feasibility Study, conducted by the City of Rochester, expanded upon the results of the first study by examining the economic impact of a north-south LRT line from the Charlotte neighborhood through downtown to the University of Rochester.

RRTC is urging local leaders to proceed with further planning and study. The most pragmatic option appears to begin with a "starter line" that would use cost-effective construction in a single initial corridor. The cost estimates included in the Rochester Light Rail Transit Economic Development Feasibility Study were based on very conservative estimates of a full-build scenario. Cities such as Sacramento and Baltimore have used starter-line techniques such as using single-track segments.

The existing Broad Street tunnel of Rochester's former subway can bring transit into the heart of the city at a fraction of the cost of building a new tunnel. Light rail lines could connect neighborhoods to downtown, the University of Rochester, the Marketplace area, RIT, Kodak Park, and the airport. Commuter rail lines could radiate from Rochester to as far as Lyons, Batavia and Brockport. An integrated bus/rail transit system would serve the entire region.

What our region requires the most in order to get rail transit built is the will and leadership from our elected officials. Other cities have seized the initiative to build new transit lines and are now reaping the rewards. It is not a matter of finding the money for rail transit, it is a matter of getting our transportation priorities straight. Of the four largest cities along I-90 in Upstate NY, Rochester is the only one which does not have a plan for implementing a "starter line" or expanding existing rail transit.