On behalf of the New York State Empire State Development Corporation, New York City Economic Development Corporation, and the Alliance for Downtown New York, HR&A developed projections of the economic benefits if the commuter rail extended to lower Manhattan from Midtown. HR&A analyzed the effects on firm and visitor behavior; the nature of the benefits that accrue from changes in behavior; and the identity of the beneficiaries such as firms, employees, landowners, and government. We also looked at the distribution of benefits among various geographical locations including Manhattan, lower Manhattan and New York State, and how particular alignments might affect the projections.