QUICK BENEFIT-COST PROCEDURE FOR EVALUATING PROPOSED HIGHWAY PROJECTS

There has been a need within New York State's Department of Transportation to quickly evaluate proposed highway projects from an economic standpoint. The ability to do so would be a valuable tool for use in deciding which projects deserve further consideration in setting priorities. The procedure described in this paper is a quick method of estimating operating and travel time costs under before and after project conditions (the difference is an approximation of benefits to be derived). These benefits can then be compared with the project's estimated construction costs for an evaluation of the project's worth. Accident costs must be considered separately because they are site specific and difficult to generalize. This quick benefit-cost procedure can be applied to a variety of project types, including closed and posted bridges, highway resurfacing, and major reconstruction.

• Record URL:
  • http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1984/984/984-003.pdf
• Summary URL:
  • https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=QUICK+BENEFIT-COST+PROCEDURE+FOR+EVALUATING+PROPOSED+HIGHWAY+PROJECTS&author=J.+Lemmerman&publication_year=1984
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• Supplemental Notes:
  • Distribution, posting, or copying of this PDF is strictly prohibited without written permission of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials in this PDF are copyrighted by the National Academy of Sciences. Copyright © National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved. Publication of this paper sponsored by Committee on Application of Economic Analysis to Transportation Problems.
• Authors:
  • Lemmerman, John H
• Publication Date: 1984

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 11-22
• Monograph Title: Economic analysis of transportation investments and economic development
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Record
  • Issue Number: 984
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0361-1981

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Construction; Costs; Crashes; Highway bridges; Highway planning; Operating costs; Reconstruction; Resurfacing; Travel time
• Uncontrolled Terms: Accident costs; Construction costs; Rapid methods
• Subject Areas: Construction; Economics; Finance; Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Society; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00399866
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0309037689
• Files: TRIS, TRB
• Created Date: Feb 28 1986 12:00AM