Citation

Taylor RS, Sandler RD. Transp. Res. Rec. 1986; 1074: 1-8.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1986, Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy of Sciences USA, Publisher SAGE Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Although the economic principles associated with conducting a benefit-cost analysis of a proposed rail project have been discussed in the literature, there are few articles that demonstrate these techniques within the context of a practical case study. An attempt is made herein to demonstrate one particular approach that was taken to evaluate the economic feasibility of a proposed rail line relocation. In 1984 the Florida Department of Transportation completed a study of the feasibility of constructing a railroad bypass of the Pensacola-Milton, Florida, urbanized area. This paper is a report on that portion of the study concerned with the benefit-cost analysis. The results of the benefit-cost analysis indicate that, from the standpoint of pure economic efficiency, the project is not desirable. The benefit-cost analysis reveals that only between 69 and 83 percent of project costs are offset by quantified benefits. In addition, an evaluation of the distribution of present value benefits demonstrated that the Seaboard System Railroad would be the prime beneficiary of the project.

Record URL:
http://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/trr/1986/1074/1074-001.pdf

Language: en

Keywords

URBAN PLANNING - Transportation; RAILROAD TRANSPORTATION