MASS TRANSIT COSTS:

 

Searching the internet for light rail transportation (LRT) and bus systems produces a vast range of numbers for cost per mile and dollars per passenger-mile. Many of the numbers can vary up to 4 times for the same project. None of the sources included explanations as to what was included in the quoted numbers, which probably is the reason for some of the differences.

 

For LRT, the costs range from $15M to $600M per mile to construct, but are not clear as whether these costs are for a single track or two, or if they include right-of-way purchase, or rolling stock, etc. Some posted material also had obvious bias either pro or con, so it is difficult to verify any of the content.

 

Some information located was somewhat dated and based on budgeted costs for both the Portland and Seattle LRT systems. Although the information is not explicit on what is included in these costs, one would assume it is for a double track system including right-of-way (if necessary), rail, stations, and rolling stock.

 

Portland seems to be in the $70M per mile range, whereas Seattle is closer to the $300M per mile. Seattle's system uses a lot of elevated and bored tunnel track with many elevated stations. These numbers would appear to be for a double trace with traffic in both directions.

 

Each light-rail car (75 seated and 200 standing rider capacity) may cost $3.5 million and $230/hr to operate. Assuming 20 hours per day, a single car will cost $1.68 million per year to operate. Additionally, LRT may average 18 MPH, or 360 miles in 20 hrs, or 128,000 miles per year.

 

Extending this operational expense, it would cost $8,400 per rider-year at 200 riders per car, or 6.6 cents per rider-mile during peak periods. During off-peak periods the load factor may be as low as a few riders per car, with varying load factors in between for much of the total 16 hour day.

 

A guesstimated average for a day may be 80 riders per hour, or 11.4 cents per rider-mile. None of these costs per rider mile include rolling stock replacement, station renovations, electrical system replacement, or track replacement costs.

 

Using an example of $70M/mile and an average life of 40 years for all capital cost, gives an additional $1.75M, about equal to the annual operational cost per car; therefore, the cost per passenger-mile also doubles to 23 cents for an average 80 passenger load. These costs still do not account for the added front and back-end connection costs a passenger may have to complete their journey from their home to the office.

 

Buses cost about half as much to operate per hour but an articulated bus also carry about half as many passengers as a LRT car. Additionally the bus capital and maintenance costs are substantially higher than LRT, because of the shorter life of the buses and the maintenance intensive complexity of buses. Lane costs can be much less than for LRT as they use mostly existing roadway lanes with some modifications and stations added. The result is passenger-mile costs may be slightly less or equal to LRT.

 

It is hard to compare the Allender to LRT and buses because it uses a network of single lane loops and connecting tubes which can move a rider in four directions. I have used the “Core Template” unit as my equivalent 1 mile cost unit. The Template provides ½ miles of two-way traffic north and south and ½ miles two-way traffic east and west, for a total of 1 mile of two way travel.

 

The calculation for the Allender gives a 7 cents per passenger mile including a 50% load factor, capital, maintenance, and operational costs, about 1/3 of LRT or buses. Click to see Allender Cost Calculation. Obviously there is lots of  room for discussion on all these numbers.