ProRail Nebraska -- Nebraska's Association of Railroad Passengers and Supporters |
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COSTS AND BENEFITS OF COMMUTER RAIL SERVICE How much could developing a commuter rail system save? -- Building an urban freeway costs about $100 million per mile. -- Starting up commuter rail on existing lines costs no more than $5 million to $7 million per mile. That's a savings of 80 to 90 percent compared to freeway costs. -- The Texas Transportation Institute estimated that in one recent year, traffic congestion cost American drivers $40 billion worth of time and delay. -- Freeways remove property from the tax rolls. Railroad-owned right-of-way pays local property taxes. -- The operating expense of commuter rail costs 29 cents per passenger mile while the transit industry average is 41 cents per passenger mile. -- Los Angeles County MTA estimates motorists who switch to train transit can save up to $7,679 per year. The annual cost of driving in southern California, including ownership and operating expenses, is estimated at $8,327 for 20,000 miles. -- The American Public Transit Association estimates that a $100 million rail transit investment will generate some 6,000 direct and indirect jobs and lead to $300 million in business revenues. -- Compared to rail passengers, auto commuters are five times more likely to have an accident and 88 times more likely to suffer a fatality. Rail users also cause much less pollution, saving $264 million a year in environmental degradation, according to a study by the Carmen Group. -- Studies have shown that the presence of a commuter rail station increases the value of nearby homes by 6.7 percent. In contrast, dwellings near Interstate interchanges have been shown to decline in value. Click here to view N-TRAC's Final Report dated December 23, 2003.
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