Benefits of Productivity Growth in Rail Transit Construction: The Washington Metro Experience

Modern rail rapid transit projects represent major capital investments, reflective of their complex technical nature in a diverse and highly developed urban landscape. They pose significant challenges in design, engineering, constructability, and contracting that must be overcome for successful completion. However, as compared with equivalently scoped projects built 25 to 30 years ago, today's projects, when effectively managed, are more likely to satisfy higher safety, quality, and level of customer service requirements; provide higher community acceptance; initiate passenger service 30-35% faster from contract award; and cost 25-30% less in comparable dollars. The trends in this study are derived from an extensive and well-tested database of 30 years of transit construction projects on the Washington Metrorail System. Though the trends draw largely from productivity gains in the overall U.S. construction industry, they still deserve to be acknowledged in discussions about the increasing value of rail rapid transit projects. These patterns can strengthen cases made on the grounds of environmental or economic development benefits. Many U.S. rail transit systems, notably many light rail transit (LRT) systems, have pursued aggressive expansion in recent decades. This study should encourage transit agencies or other researchers to conduct similar examinations of cost and productivity trends. Additional cases similar to the one presented here would be useful for the industry in demonstrating the increasing efficiency and value of rail transit projects. This paper does not present a forecast of future conditions; it is intended to highlight important advances being made in the U.S. engineering and construction industry for public transit projects. Although construction cost trends appear to satisfy the goal of better-faster-cheaper, much work remains in ensuring these advances continue over the next 30 years as population grows and mobility challenges evolve.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.1061/9780784413210.014
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/isbn/9780784413210
• Supplemental Notes:
  • © 2013 American Society of Civil Engineers
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society of Civil Engineers

  1801 Alexander Bell Drive
  Reston, VA  United States  20191-4400
• Authors:
  • Salpeas, P Takis
• Conference:
  • Third International Conference on Urban Public Transportation Systems
  • Location: Paris , France
  • Date: 2013-11-17 to 2013-11-20
• Publication Date: 2013

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Pagination: pp 148-157
• Monograph Title: Urban Public Transportation Systems 2013

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction projects; Costs; Productivity; Rail transit; Rapid transit
• Identifier Terms: Metrorail (Washington Metropolitan Area)
• Geographic Terms: Washington (District of Columbia)
• Subject Areas: Economics; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01500626
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 9780784413210
• Files: TRIS, ASCE
• Created Date: Dec 4 2013 1:57PM