Details:

Creators:
Ferrell, Christopher E.
Corporate Creators:
Mineta Transportation Institute
Corporate Contributors:
United States. Dept. of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology
Subject/TRT Terms:
[+]
Benefit Cost Analysis Economic Factors Health Care Jobs Public Transit Rural Areas Savings Small Cities Traffic Congestion Urban Areas
Publication/ Report Number:
CA-MTI-15-1425
Resource Type:
Tech Report
Geographical Coverage:
United States
Corporate Publisher:
Mineta Transportation Institute
Abstract:
This white paper presents the findings from a review and analysis of the available literature on benefit-cost (b-c) estimates of

existing U.S. transit systems. Following an inventory of the literature, the b-c estimates from each study were organized according

to the type of study area (e.g., rural, small urban, urban, etc.). Through this process, categories of monetary transit benefits were

identified. The estimated dollar value for each benefit category was divided by the total estimated costs of providing the transit

services, thus creating a benefit-specific b-c ratio for each category and allowing benefits from each study to be compared on

an equal basis. Some of these differences are attributable to the population size and densities of the service areas (context)

with rural and small urban areas generally yielding lower b-c values than urbanized areas. However, differences remained even

after the context was accounted for; suggesting appropriate transit investments in rural and small urban areas can yield benefits

substantially greater than costs. The benefits of transit were measurable and strong in a variety of operating environments; not

just in large cities. Key findings from this review and analysis were:

• Transit benefits often substantially exceed costs in rural and small urban areas—not just big cities;

• Transit typically pays for itself in congestion relief benefits for mid- to large-sized urban areas;

• Jobs and economic stimulus are among the largest benefit categories of transit;

• Transit improves health care access and outcomes while reducing costs;

• Transit saves people money, with transit in larger urban areas benefiting more people;

• Low b-c ratios aside, transit saves lives, with evidence presented that b-c analysis methods are likely undervaluing the role

transit plays in reducing accidents and their costs to society; and

• Greenhouse gas emissions, air quality, and other important but undervalued transit benefits categories should be considered

in future studies.


Format:
PDF
Funding:
DTRT12-G-UTC21
Collection(s):
US Transportation Collection University Transportation Centers
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:8ce78f6527b1e4d657dc86c0ad88d622d8656cf93f40325727e1170bd003f82f
Download URL:
https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/29054/dot_29054_DS1.pdf
File Type:

Supporting Files

• No Additional Files

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