Scott, Kevin M.2012-02-032012-02-242011-10Scott, K. (2011). How big are the environmental benefits of high-speed rail? A cost-benefit analysis of high-speed rail replacing automobile travel in the Georgetown-San Antonio corridor. Masters of Public Administration, Texas State University, San Marcos, Texas.https://hdl.handle.net/10877/3531An Applied Research Project Submitted to the Department of Political Science, Texas State University-San Marcos, in Partial Fulfillment for the Requirements for the Degree of Masters of Public Administration, Fall 2011.Purpose: The purpose of this study is to determine the environmental impact of a high-speed rail network operating in the Georgetown-San Antonio corridor. Methods: This research uses a cost-benefit analysis methodology in order to determine whether high-speed rail will reduce the annual carbon dioxide levels produced by automobiles in the Georgetown-San Antonio corridor. The data used for this study derive from existing published studies. The study then compares five types of high-speed rail technologies that are planned for use in the United States to determine which option has the lowest annual output of CO2 during operation. Results: The results show that high-speed rail significantly reduces annual carbon dioxide levels within the corridor due to the cancelling out of annual automobile trips in the Georgetown-San Antonio corridor. The German Intercity Express (ICE) is found to be the appropriate high-speed rail technology to have operating in the corridor, in producing the lowest annual emission cost of carbon dioxide of the five high-speed rail technologies. Conclusion: Operation of a German Intercity Express (ICE) high-speed rail network would benefit communities in the Georgetown-San Antonio corridor by reducing the annual amount of automobile carbon dioxide emissions.Text92 pages1 file (.pdf)encost-benefithigh-speed railenvironmentalPublic AdministrationApplied Research Project