Sixty-Year Life Cycle Cost Analysis for Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Transit System

This paper discusses the methodology used to perform a sixty-year life cycle cost analysis for the transit system (i.e., bus and rail) of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA). The year 2004 marked the 25th anniversary of MARTA’s combined bus and rail operations. The sixty-year period spans from June 1979 through June 2039. The sixty-year time span used in this study represents the start of combined bus and rail operations through the end of the Forty Year Condition Assessment Study done in year 2000 by MARTA and its general engineering consultant. This analysis period is long enough to include the initial construction, major rehabilitation action, and at least one subsequent rehabilitative action for all asset categories in the MARTA system. This paper emphasizes the importance of considering operations and maintenance costs very early in the planning, conceptualizing and detail designing phases of a project. The conclusion to be drawn from this paper is that the ratio of the initial capital investment (i.e., first cost) compared with future cost (i.e., cost of operations and maintenance, bond debt service and other financing, rehabilitation and repair cost) is about 1 to 4. This information is helpful for transit decision makers to focus on the total life cycle cost and the relationship between future cost and initial capital investment cost, and to emphasize the need to incorporate solutions that will save cost for operations and maintenance.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/7p
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Full conference proceedings available on CD-ROM.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transportation Association

  1666 K Street, NW, Suite 1100
  Washington, DC  United States  20006
• Authors:
  • Tinubu, Soji
  • Allen, Davis
• Conference:
  • Rail Transit Conference, 2005
  • Location: Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, United States
  • Date: 2005-6-5 to 2005-6-8
• Publication Date: 2005

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 6p
• Monograph Title: Rail Transit Conference Proceedings, 2005

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Buses; Capital investments; Construction; Cost effectiveness; Life cycle costing; Light rail transit; Multimodal transportation; Operating costs; Rehabilitation; Transit vehicle operations
• Identifier Terms: Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Construction; Finance; Operations and Traffic Management; Passenger Transportation; Public Transportation; Railroads;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01002138
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 1931594155
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Jul 20 2005 12:45PM