THE WAY AHEAD: THE COST OF CONGESTION

This pamphlet provides a definition of congestion cost and also prices congestion at 3 billion a year on britain's conurbations. The cost of congestion on motorways where traffic flow is reduced to 15-20 miles per hour is also provided, as are the costs of congestion caused by maintenance work and traffic volume. The use of the Department of Transport's computer-run cost benefit analysis program (coba) for calculating such costs is also described, as is the whole life cost model (wlcm) presently under development. Wlcm is designed to take account of the total cost of any road scheme, made up of construction, maintenance and road user components (vehicle operating costs, time delay costs, accident costs). Studies illustrating how the benefits in terms of reduced congestion costs can far outweigh the initial costs of either improving old roads or constructing new ones are also provided. (widening the m5 and constructing the Birmingham northern relief road respectively). The overall rate of economic return on the cost of new roads is also given.

• Corporate Authors:

  -

  COWDRAY HOUSE, 6 PORTUGAL STREET
  London,   United Kingdom 
• Publication Date: 1988

Language

• English

Media Info

• Pagination: 7 p.
• Serial:
  • BRF ROADS FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
  • Publisher: -

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Benefit cost analysis; Computer programs; Construction; Costs; Economic factors; Economics; Freeways; Improvements; Maintenance; Networks; Traffic congestion; Transportation
• Uncontrolled Terms: Transportation networks
• Geographic Terms: United Kingdom
• ITRD Terms: 632: Congestion (traffic); 3655: Construction; 224: Cost; 226: Cost benefit analysis; 255: Economics; 263: Economics of transport; 9108: Improvement; 3847: Maintenance; 2752: Motorway; 1054: Network (traffic); 8645: Software; 8119: United Kingdom
• Subject Areas: Construction; Economics; Maintenance and Preservation; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00481604
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Transport and Road Research Laboratory (TRRL)
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1989 12:00AM