Amtrak and Megabus

Hi Sara, I don't have experience using Amtrak or Megabus for this credit but it seems reasonable to me. Perhaps the Megabus has a greater potential to be approved assuming it offers more frequent trips? Perhaps it is worth contacting GBCI just to confirm for sure?

I'm wondering if the distance/time on Megabus or Amtrak to the next major stop would also matter too? Thinking about if you were in DC and your next stop was Baltimore (~1 hour), I think that would definitely count as you could commute on that route. If you were in Minneapolis, however, and your next stop was Madison (~5 hours), then I don't know if I think it should count (or at least maybe not for M-F for an office).

I think you have a stronger case since you're just trying to count it for the weekend service as you could argue it's available to cut down passenger cars on vacations. But I could see them having problems with it (thinking about it conversely: my walking distance from work to Amtrak/Megabus doesn't really matter for the weekends if I work M-F and so then wouldn't be at work to then be able to walk to the train. I would be driving/taxing to the train anyway in that case...).

I think this is so subjective that I think you almost have to contact GBCI for a better confirmation. I'd be very curious to hear what they say though, so please update us!

Excellent points, Kristina!! Yes, please keep us posted, Sara!

A lot of commuters in the DC area do take Amtrak from Baltimore/Philadelphia/Delaware even so I think you should be able to count it.

Hi all, 

I emailed LEEDCoach and asked for clarification on their definitions of rail types. Hope this helps. I'm posting the response on the threads I can find where people are looking for clarifications.

"As you note, heavy and commuter rail stations are not defined in the Definitions section of this credit. Thus, teams should use their best judgment in determining if a rail system falls within these categories. Staff experts have provided additional details below to help with this determination for commuter rail:

Commuter rail transit typically includes 1-2 stops per city/town/suburb along a greater rail corridor, versus inner-city transit with stops as frequent as every few blocks (such as a subway line) which qualifies as "light rail". Additionally, commuter rail often operates on tracks located at ground/grade level. Well-known U.S. examples of commuter rail, for reference, include Metro-North (New York/Connecticut) and Metra trains (Chicago). Note that regional rail (i.e. Amtrack) typically would not comply, as these types of transit often have a significant distance between stops, comparable with flights, and are not utilized for daily commuting; however, some project-specific circumstances may justify contributions from this type of rail transit."