Transportation Cost and Benefit Analysis Techniques, Estimates and Implications

Abstract

This 500+ page document is a comprehensive study of transportation benefit and costing, and a guidebook for applying this information. It includes detailed analysis of various transport costs and benefits. These impacts are described in detail and categorized by various attributes: whether they are internal or external, fixed or variable, market or nonmarket. Using the best available data, it provides monetized estimates of twenty three costs for eleven travel modes under three travel conditions. This document is unique in several important ways. It is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind, including many often-overlooked impacts. It is the only transport cost study regularly updated as new information becomes available. It explains economic concepts and evaluation techniques. It provides costs values in a format designed to help users easily apply this information to policy analysis and planning situations. It includes a spreadsheet that automates cost analysis. It discusses the implications and applications of analysis results. It provides extensive references, many available through the Internet, so users can obtain more detailed information as needed. This study indicates that on average about a third of automobile costs are external and about a quarter are internal but fixed. Fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles tend to have somewhat lower external costs. Transit tends to have lower total costs under urban-peak conditions. Ridesharing tends to have the lowest marginal costs. Motorcycles tend to have relatively high costs due to their high crash risk. Nonmotorized modes (walking and cycling) have minimal external costs. This study describes various policy and planning reforms that can help increase economic efficiency and equity.