LRT_Cost

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“It must always be remembered how cost-effectiveness works in the public sector: the cost IS the benefit.” - author unknown

The Cost of Light Rail Including the Local Matching Dollars (ignoring Federal money)

MAX construction costs rounded to whole number of millions of dollars (last 3 col. adj to 2010)
MAX Line	Cost	Fed %	Fed $	Local $	Opened	inflation	Cost$	Fed $	Lcl $
I205	575.7	72	415	161	Sept_2009	1.092	628.7	453	176
Interstate	350	74	259	91	May_2004	1.1526	403	299	105
Airport	125	0	0	125	Sept_2001	1.2225	153	0	153
West	963	73	703	260	Sept_1998	1.3323	1283	937	346
East	214	83	178	36	Sept_1986	1.9779	423	352	71

TOTALs		$2,228	$1,555	$673	Constant $:		$2,890	$2,041	$851

Construction costs:

Opened: May 1, 2004; Cost: $350 million; Federal Transit Administration: 74%

Opened: Sept. 10, 2001; Cost: $125 million; no federal dollars

Opened: Sept. 12, 1998; Cost: $963 million; Federal Transit Administration: 73%

Opened: Sept 5, 1986; Cost: $214 million; Federal Transit Administration: 83%

Opened: Sept 12, 2009; Cost: $575.7 million; Federal Transit Administration: 72%

Explanation of the above columns

MAX Line.Trimet Light Rail Line

Cost $.........Trimet's stated cost from the Trimet web site from links stated above.

Fed %.........Trimet's stated Federal percentage of the cost from the listed Trimet web site link.

Fed $..........Federal contribution to the LRT line calculated from the Fed %

Local..........The local portion of the cost (Cost-Fed $)

Opened.......Trimet's stated opening date.

Cost $.........Inflation adjusted cost

Fed $..........Inflation adjusted Federal dollars

Lcl $...........Inflation adjusted local dollars

Calculation:

$851 million local match x 0.0806 annualizing factor for LRT = $68.59 million annual cost.

Trimet’s stated MAX annual passenger-miles:	208,779,167	From 2010 NTD
Annual cost of local match dollars (calculated below):	$68,590,000	From Below
Local match cost per passenger-mile ($66,820/208,779) :	$0.33
Trimet’s stated Operating cost per passenger-mile:	$0.51	From 2010 NTD
Resultant Real cost per passenger-mile (ignoring Federal $):	$0.84