FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO TUNNELS

Performance-equivalent bus and rail systems were considered under various guideway choices such as dedicated lanes, medians, aerial structures, new rights-of-way, and tunnels. Average per passenger costs were determined for each alternative mode and guideway option. Peak-hour demand was projected for each of the 35 largest metropolitan areas based on analysis of 1970 journey-to-work tables and assumptions on future growth and distribution of population and employment. The decision to prefer tunnels over other choices is highly sensitive to right-of-way costs (property values) and the relative cost of tunnel excavation. If existing property values and construction costs prevail to 1990, 139 miles of tunnels nationwide are projected, while under more favorable conditions, nearly 400 miles of tunnels were found to be justified. The likelihood of fulfilling the optimistic condition is discussed.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Prepared in cooperation with Ecosometrics, Inc., Bethesda, Md.
• Corporate Authors:

  SYSTAN, Incorporated

  343 Second Street, P.O. Box U
  Los Altos, CA  United States  94022

  Ecosometrics, Incorporated

  4715 Cordell Avenue
  Bethesda, MD  United States  20814

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142
• Authors:
  • Myers, M G
  • Wood, R K
  • Lago, A M
  • Blattenberger, L B
• Publication Date: 1977-10

Media Info

• Pagination: 460 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bus transportation; Buses; Competition; Construction; Cost estimating; Costs; Elevated guideways; Estimates; Feasibility analysis; Forecasting; Metropolitan areas; Peak hour traffic; Performance; Public transit; Railroad transportation; Rapid transit; Right of way (Land); Subways; Transportation modes; Transportation planning; Travel demand; Tunneling; Tunnels; Urban transportation; Work trips
• Uncontrolled Terms: Right of way
• Old TRIS Terms: Rapid transit railways; Subway construction
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Construction; Finance; Highways; Motor Carriers; Operations and Traffic Management; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00169202
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Technical Information Service
• Report/Paper Numbers: DOT-TSC-OST-77-47 Final Rpt., SYSTAN-D146.1
• Contract Numbers: DOT-TSC-1075
• Files: NTIS, TRIS
• Created Date: Jan 30 1981 12:00AM