The Highway Economic Requirements System (HERS) computer model estimates investment requirements for the nation's highways by adding together the costs of highway improvements that the model's benefit-cost analyses indicate are warranted. In making its estimates, the model relies on extensive data on highway segments throughout the nation, such as pavement conditions and expected growth in traffic, which the states primarily collect and update. The model also uses information, such as vehicle operating costs and emissions, obtained
from other sources. The HERS model uses the data to (1) project the future condition and performance of the highway system, (2) assess whether any highway improvements are warranted, and (3) select and implement appropriate improvements. Such improvements range from resurfacing a highway to adding lanes and are based on a comparison of the construction costs and the lifetime benefits of the improvement. Adding a lane to relieve projected congestion, for example, has benefits because the increased capacity can reduce travel time and vehicle operating costs. FHWA uses the HERS model to estimate highway infrastructure improvement costs for certain highways under several different scenarios.
Federal and state governments have played a vital role in the nation'seconomy by facilitating the movement of people and goods throughsignificant inve...
The issue of whether users of public facilities "pay their way" has attracted both political and analytic interest for a long time, but the particular...
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