Engineering economy of five alternative urban transportation systems formulated and studied by the Puget sound regional transportation study /PSRTS/ was analysed. Three methods of engineering economy analysis were used' total transportation cost method, benefit-cost ratio method, and rate-of-return method. A decision-making guide for evaluating transportation systems containing multi-modes of transportation was presented. Although socioeconomic factors were not evaluated, a means was developed for establishing the relative order of economy of transportation systems based on tangible costs. Each transportation system considered was based on possible inclusion and various uses of these facilities-highways (freeways, expressways, and arterials), bus transit, rapid rail transit, automobile parking, ferry vessels, and a floating bridge. Because of relatively light density population in the land-use plans, use of highways was found more economical than predicted use of rapid rail transit.
Abstract