BREAK-EVEN BENEFIT-COST ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE EXPRESS TRANSIT SYSTEMS

THE TOWN OF MILWAUKEE COMMISSIONED RESEARCH INTO THE COMPARITIVE MERITS OF ITS EXISTING FREEWAY FLIER EXPRESS BUS SYSTEM; A CONTROLLED ACCESS SYSTEM GIVING THE FLIER RIGHT OF WAY AND RESTRICTING THE ACCESS OF CARS ON CONGESTED ROADS; AND A BUSWAY WITH ITS OWN RIGHT OF WAY. THE PURPOSE OF THE RESEARCH WAS TO DETERMINE, FIRST, THE ECONOMIC RATIONALE IN TERMS OF BENEFITS AND COSTS OF BUILDING A RAPID TRANSIT BUSWAY; SECOND TO DETERMINE THE BREAK-EVEN DEMAND POINTS WHERE THE BENEFIT COST RATIO OF ALTERNATIVE SYSTEMS BECAME BETTER THAN THE BUSWAY. ONLY THE COSTS OF THE LINE HAUL PORTION OF THE SYSTEM WERE CONSIDERED IN THE ANALYSES AND THESE COSTS INCLUDED ELEMENTS FOR BOTH OPERATING AND CAPITAL COSTS. AT VARIOUS LEVELS OF DEMAND, FOR EACH OF THE THREE SYSTEMS, FIVE DIFFERENT MODAL SPLITS WERE CONSIDERED, RANGING FROM 2.5% OF ALL PASSENGERS USING BUS, 97.5% USING CARS (THE PRESENT CASE), TO 75% OF ALL PASSENGERS USING BUS, 25% USING CARS. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT AT THE PRESENT LEVELS OF DEMAND THE EXISTING SYSTEM IS THE BEST AND THE BUSWAY SYSTEM A VERY POOR THIRD, BUT IF THE PREDICTED INCREASE IN BUS TRAVEL TAKES PLACE THAT THE CONTROLLED ACCESS SYSTEM IS MORE THAN LIKELY TO BE THE BEST ALTERNATIVE. THE APPLICATION OF THE RESULTS TO OTHER LOCATIONS IS DISCUSSED.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/856156
• Corporate Authors:

  London School of Economics and Political Science

  Houghton Street, Aldwych
  London WC2A 2AE,   England 
• Authors:
  • Sawicki, D S
• Publication Date: 1974-9

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 274-293
• Serial:
  • Journal of Transport Economics and Policy
  • Publisher: University of Bath
  • ISSN: 0022-5258
  • Serial URL: http://www.jtep.com

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Bus lanes; Bus priority; Buses; Demand; Express buses; Line haul; Modal split; Operating costs; Private transportation; Public transit; Rapid transit; Traffic lanes; Traffic signal preemption; Urban areas; Urban transportation
• Geographic Terms: United States
• ITRD Terms: 6471: Analysis (math); 1272: Bus; 226: Cost benefit analysis; 285: Demand (econ); 8673: Digital computer; 675: Modal split; 2752: Motorway; 221: Operating costs; 648: Priority (traffic); 744: Public transport; 2827: Traffic lane; 313: Urban area; 8122: USA
• Subject Areas: Finance; Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I71: Traffic Theory; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00083246
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: May 1 1982 12:00AM