ALLOCATING ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE COSTS TO THE MAJOR VEHICLE CLASSES USING THE FOREST SERVICE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM

THE MULTIPLE USE-SUSTAINED YIELD ACT REQUIRES THAT THE NATIONAL FORESTS BE ADMINISTERED FOR SUCH MULTIPLE USES AS TIMBER AND MINERAL PRODUCTION, OUTDOOR RECREATION, AND RANGE AND WATERSHED ACTIVITIES. FOREST SERVICE ROADS ARE MULTI- PURPOSE ROADS AND ARE DESIGNED AND BUILT TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF EVERY USER OF THE ROAD. WHENEVER POSSIBLE, AND WHERE PRIVATE LANDS ARE INTERMINGLED WITH NATIONAL FOREST LANDS, THE FOREST SERVICE ENTERS INTO COOPERATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH THE OWNERS OF PRIVATE LAND TO BUILD A SINGLE ROAD OR ROAD SYSTEM FOR JOINT USE THAT WILL SERVE THE TOTAL TRAFFIC NEEDS. THE VARIOUS METHODS FOR ALLOCATING HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE REVIEWED TO RECOMMEND A METHOD OR METHODS APPROPRIATE FOR APPLICATION TO NATIONAL FOREST ROADS AND THE MAJOR VEHICLE CLASSES USING THESE ROADS. THE INDIVIDUAL ALLOCATION PROCEDURES USED ARE THE INCREMENTAL METHOD, COST-FUNCTION METHOD, THE TON-MILE METHOD, AND THE TIRE PRESSURE METHOD. METHODS REJECTED BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT CONSIDERED APPLICABLE TO THE FOREST SERVICE SITUATION ARE: THE INTERFERENCE METHOD, RELATIVE USE METHOD, AND DIFFERENTIAL BENEFIT METHOD. THE PROPOSED METHOD IS BASED ON THE INCREMENTAL CONCEPT OF HIGHWAY COST ALLOCATION. IT HAS A DIRECT APPLICATION TO MULTI-PURPOSE ROADS AND IT IS BELIEVED THAT THE ALLOCATION OF COST RESPONSIBILITIES BY THIS METHOD WILL BE FAIR. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT FOR THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROADS: (1) THE INCREMENTAL METHOD OFFERS THE BEST APPROACH FOR ASSIGNING CONSTRUCTION COST RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE TWO MAJOR VEHICLES USING THESE ROADS, (2) IN THE APPLICATION OF THE INCREMENTAL METHOD THERE IS A CONSTANT RELATIONSHIP OF 1.5:1 BETWEEN THE COST OF THE EXISTING OR PROPOSED ROAD AND THE COST OF A CORRESPONDING THEORETICAL ROAD, AND (3) BY EXTRAPOLATING THE 1.5:1 RATIO A 1:1 RATIO WAS DEVELOPED FOR THE COST RESPONSIBILITY FOR EACH MAIN BOARD FOOT HARVESTED TO EACH NON-COMMERCIAL VEHICLE TRAVELING IN ONE DIRECTION. THIS 1:1 RATIO IS THE SIMPLEST METHOD FOR DETERMINING CONSTRUCTION COST SHARES FOR THE FOREST SERVICE AND ITS COOPERATOR.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Tech Rept NO 1, 84 PP, 2 FIG, 7 TAB, 15 REF, 2 APP
• Corporate Authors:

  US Forest Service

  1400 Independence Avemue, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20250
• Publication Date: 1968-9

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Commercial vehicles; Construction; Cost allocation; Costs; Forest roads; Methodology; Road construction
• Uncontrolled Terms: Construction costs; Incremental costs
• Old TRIS Terms: Multiple purpose projects
• Subject Areas: Construction; Economics; Finance; Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Society;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00201639
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 5 1994 12:00AM