ROAD USER BENEFIT ANALYSES FOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, PART 1, PASSENGER CARS IN RURAL AREAS

IN A STUDY OF HIGHWAY ECONOMICS, CONSIDERATION SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE FOLLOWING FACTORS: (1) SOLVENCY OF A SYSTEM OR GROUP OF SYSTEMS OF HIGHWAYS, (2) LAND AND COMMUNITY BENEFITS FROM HIGHWAYS AND THEIR IMPROVEMENTS, (3) COST OF CONSTRUCTION OR IMPROVEMENT OF HIGHWAYS, (4) COSTS OF MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION OF HIGHWAYS AND THEIR APPURTENANCES, (5) DIRECT BENEFITS TO ROAD USERS IN THE FORM OF REDUCED VEHICLE OPERATING COSTS AND SAVING IN TIME ON IMPROVED HIGHWAYS, (6) BENEFITS TO ROAD USERS IN THE FORM OF INCREASED COMFORT AND CONVENIENCES, AND (7) BENEFITS TO ROAD USERS IN THE FORM OF OVER-ALL ACCIDENT REDUCTION. A METHOD IS PRESENTED FOR MAKING SIMPLE AND PRACTICAL ANALYSIS FOR HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON BENEFITS TO ROAD USERS. IT IS AN ANALYSES OF THE RELATION OF ROAD USER BENEFITS TO CAPITAL COSTS. THE METHOD OF ANALYSES IS A COMPARISON OF THE DIFFERENCES IN ANNUAL COST TO ROAD USERS, WHEN VEHICLES USE AN EXISTING ROAD IN ONE CASE AND AN IMPROVED ROAD IN ANOTHER, WITH THE ANNUAL COST OF MAKING THE IMPROVEMENT. ROAD USER COSTS ARE SUMMARIZED IN TERMS OF BOTH THE DESIGNED FEATURES OF A HIGHWAY AND THE CONDITIONS UNDER WHICH THE ROAD IS USED. UNIT VALUES FOR ROAD USER COSTS ARE CALCULATED FOR PASSENGER CARS UNDER DIFFERENT CONDITIONS OF OPERATION ON HIGHWAYS OF VARIOUS TYPES. SUMMARY TABLES OF SUCH COSTS ARE PRESENTED SO THAT THEY CAN BE USED DIRECTLY IN THE ANALYSIS. IN THE ABSENCE OF PROPER DATA FOR TRUCKS AND FOR URBAN AREAS, THE FORM OF UNIT COST TABLES DEVELOPED PERMIT CERTAIN APPROXIMATIONS THAT MAY BE USED TO MAKE NEARLY COMPLETE ANALYSIS. THE MATERIAL PRESENTED COVERS ONLY OPERATION COSTS OF PASSENGER CARS IN RURAL AREAS FOR COMBINATIONS OF ALL OF THE NECESSARY ELEMENTS.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • 152 Pp, 21 FIG, 11 TAB, 25 REF, 2 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  American Association of State Highway Officials

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Publication Date: 1960

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Construction; Costs; Highway user taxation; Highways; Improvements; Maintenance management; Motor vehicles; Operating costs; Prevention; Safety; Travel time; Unit costs; User benefits
• Candidate Terms: Highway economics
• Uncontrolled Terms: Construction costs; Maintenance costs
• Subject Areas: Construction; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Security and Emergencies;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222783
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 16 1970 12:00AM