TRANSPORTATION, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF LIGHT AND COMMUTER
RAIL
Texas dept. Of transportaton
F!e ID" Trans, So#a! and e#ono$# %enefts of Co$$&ter ra!
Cost Effectiveness. FTA'Federa! Transport A&t(ort)* $eas&res #ost effe#t+eness &sn, t(e ne-
nd#ator of #ost
per (o&r of &ser %eneft. Costs n#!&de ann&a!.ed #apta! and operatn, #osts, and
&ser %eneft s &s&a!!) a res&!t of tra+e! t$e sa+n,s. T(s ne- nd#ator rep!a#es t(e
pror $eas&re of n#re$enta! #ost per ne- rder and re#o,[Link] t(at ra! pro/e#ts $a)
%eneft exstn, rders as -e!! as ne- rders. FTA a!so fee!s t(at operatona!
eff#en#es are ref!e#ted n t(s nd#ator and t(erefore do not $eas&re operatona!
eff#en#es separate!).
Transit-Supportive Existing Land Use, Policies, and Future Patterns. FTA
$eas&res t(e de,ree to -(#( #&rrent !and &se, po!#es, and f&t&re patterns are
s&ppo rt+e of a $a/or transt n+est$ent -t(n a #orrdor. T(s e+a!&aton s
so$e-(at 0&a!tat+e, -t( s#ores of 1 t(ro&,( 2 ass,ned n ea#( of t(e fo!!o-n,
areas"
o De,ree to -(#( exstn, !and &se and pedestran en+ron$ent s&pport ra!
pro/e#t3
o Presen#e of ,ro-t( $ana,e$ent4!and #onser+aton po!#es s&pportn,
denst) approprate to ra!3
o P!ans4po!#es n ra! #orrdor are s&pport+e, n#!&dn, pedestran p!annn,
and !and &se p!ans3
o 5onn, s s&pport+e of ra! n+est$ent3
o Too!s are n p!a#e or %en, de+e!oped to s&pport p&%!#6pr+ate
partners(ps n staton area de+e!op$ent3
o Transt6s&pport+e de+e!op$ent s o##&rrn, n t(e #orrdor3 and
o A+a!a%!e propert) and s&pport+e po!#es exst to per$t de+e!op$ent n
t(e staton areas.
T(e fa#tors !eadn, to a spe#f# ran7n, +ar) %ased &pon t(e sta,e of t(e ra! pro/e#t
de+e!op$ent. A!! s#ores are a+era,ed to deter$ne t(e ran7n,, fro$ H,( to Lo-, n
t(s #ate,or). Note t(at transt operators and FTA (a+e %een n da!o,&e re,ardn, t(e
se!e#ton of !and &se as an e+a!&aton #rteron. Land &se de#sons are t)p#a!!) o&tsde
t(e s#ope of transt a,en#es.
Mobilit !"prove"ents. FTA &ses fo&r dstn#t fa#tors to $eas&re $o%!t)
$pro+e$ents t(at a ra! pro/e#t s expe#ted to ,enerate.
o User 8enefts per Passen,er6M!e. Tra+e! t$e sa+n,s are d+ded %) a
nor$a!.n, fa#tor, passen,er6$!es, representn, t(e ntenst) of t(e
s)ste$ &se.
o N&$%er of Transt Dependent Ind+d&a!s Usn, t(e Pro/e#t.
o Transt Dependent User 8eneft per Passen,er6M!e. T(ese t-o
$eas&res e+a!&ate t(e de,ree to -(#( t(e proposed pro/e#t -!! %eneft
t(e transt dependent porton of t(e $ar7et. Ea#( s deter$ned and FTA
ass,ns a sn,!e #o$%ned s#ore for t(e t-o $eas&res.
9o S(are of User 8enefts Re#e+ed %) Transt Dependents Co$pared to
S(are of Transt Dependents n t(e Re,on. T(s fa#tor $eas&res t(e
e0&t) of dstr%&ton of &ser %enefts o+er t(e transt dependent $ar7et.
T(s fna! fa#tor s a+era,ed -t( t(e sn,!e s#ore ,enerated %) #o$%nn, t(e t-o
pre+o&s fa#tors, res&!tn, n a sn,!e ran7n, asso#ated -t( transt dependen#). T(s
ran7n,, n t&rn, s a+era,ed -t( t(e ran7n, for &ser %eneft per passen,er6$!e to arr+e
at t(e fna! s#ore for $o%!t) $pro+e$ent"
Fna! S#ore : ;.2<User 8eneft4Pss,r.6M!e= > ;.2<;.2'?No. transt dependent
&sers> Transt dependent %eneft4Pss,r.6M!e@4A* > ;.2'S(are of %eneft %) transt
dependent #o$pare to s(are of transt dependent n re,on*.
Environ"ental #enefits. T(s s#orn, does not ref!e#t ne#essar!) t(e de,ree to
-(#( t(e spe#f# pro/e#t -!! $pro+e ar 0&a!t). Instead, pro/e#ts n non6
attan$ent areas are rated H,( and a!! ot(ers are rated Med&$.
Ot(er Fa#tors. FTA -!! #onsder ot(er aspe#ts of t(e pro/e#t, -t( part#&!ar
nterest n (o- t(e pro/e#t -!! s&pport e#ono$# de+e!op$ent.
Bt( SAFETEA6LU, FTA ntrod&#ed a separate ter for f&ndn, of s$a!!er fxed
,&de-a) pro/e#ts #a!!ed S$a!! Starts. In order to 0&a!f) &nder S$a!! Starts, t(e tota!
#apta! #ost of t(e pro/e#t $&st %e !ess t(an CA2; $!!on, and t(e Se#ton D f&ndn,
re0&est $&st %e !ess t(an CE2 $!!on. T(e FTA ss&es nter$ ,&de!nes for t(e
e+a!&aton of S$a!! Starts pro/e#t -(!e ,on, t(ro&,( t(e fna! r&!e$a7n, pro#ess. FTA
re#o$$ended f&ndn, n A;;F for fo&r 8&s Rapd Transt pro/e#ts &nder S$a!! Starts.
FTA a!so ntrod&#ed a Ger) S$a!! Starts pro,ra$ t(at -o&!d %e f&nded t(ro&,( t(e
S$a!! Starts f&ndn, a!!o#aton. Ger) S$a!! Starts pro/e#ts $&st (a+e a tota! #apta! #ost
of &nder C2; $!!on -t( a $ax$&$ fxed ,&de-a) #ost per $!e of CH $!!on 'ex#!&dn,
ro!!n, sto#7*. Ger) S$a!! Starts do not ,o t(ro&,( t(e A!ternat+e Ana!)ss pro#ess t(at s
re0&red as Ne- Starts and S$a!! Starts. In s&$$ar), t(e FTA Ne- Starts e+a!&aton
#rtera fo#&s on t(e transportaton, so#a!, and e#ono$# $pa#ts as !!&strated n Ta%!e A.