BRT Budget Issues?

[thelakelander]

I've been doing some research on the cost of dedicated busway systems, developed in the US since 2000. 

This information was taken from www.nbrti.org

Pittsburgh West Busway (2000): 5 miles/6 stations, $327 million or $65.4 million/mile

LA Orange Line (2005): 14.2 miles/14 stations, $390 million or $27.4 million/mile

Boston Silver Line (2002): 2.3 miles/11 stations, $27 million or $11.87 million/mile

*South Dade Busway (1997): 8 miles/15 stations, $60 million or $7.5 million/mile (does not include cost of 46 buses)

*- Although it was built in 1997, its the closest to the City of Jacksonville

Excluding South Dade (I still need bus costs), these three dedicated busway systems cost an average of $35 million per mile.

Does anyone know of other recently constructed busway systems (not BRT operating in mixed traffic on existing streets) in the US?  I would like to see what they're capital construction costs were.  So far, the Orange Line appears to be the closest to what JTA is planning here.  At $27 million/mile, this means our BRT system would cost around $918 million.

Also, its interesting to note that all of these recently built busways are feeder routes for rail systems.

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For comparisons sake.. some urban commuter rail systems

San Diego Sprinter (2008): 22 miles/15 stations, $440 million or $20 million/mile (pulled up and rebuilt track)

Austin Capital Metrorail (2008): 32 miles/9 stations, $123 million or $3.84 million/mile (already owned ROW)

Minneapolis Northstar (2009): 40 miles/9 stations, $307 million or $7.68 million/mile (lease agreement with BNSF)

$10.51 million per mile, including the San Diego track and regrading project.  A similar type system in Jacksonville would be a mix between the Northstar (BNSF = CSX A) and Metrorail (already owning ROW = S-Line), meaning that number would coming less than $7 million/mile.

[thelakelander]

If this is true, we may have some serious route planning issues with the JTA BRT plan.  Two routes are planned to use a portion of CSX and FEC right-of-way for parallel BRT routes.  Just one MAJOR problem.

According to the Miami Kendell-Link project:

Q9). The tracks should be pulled up and the corridor used for BRT and a trail with overpasses at major intersections.

(A) The rail right-of-way (ROW) and tracks are privately owned by CSXT, Inc.  Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations and CSX operating rules limit the potential implementation of any parallel busways within the existing ROW

http://www.kendall-link.com/docs/kendalllink_faq_0507.pdf

[Lunican]

Has JTA been able to answer ANY of these questions regarding their plan? I've literally heard they don't know to almost everything asked of them. How are they going to pull off BRT if they don't know anything? How about some real answers JTA.

[thelakelander]

Station spacing: Caltrain's commuter rail stations are spaced roughly a mile apart.  It also features a "Baby Bullet" express train that only stops at limited major locations along the route.

[JeffreyS]

Do we know the cost per mile for Orlando's rail. With Jax on the same CSX line this seems the most comparable.

[Ocklawaha]

GILLIG: Low Floor new models... Basic

General Specifications - Low Floor Bus Model
Cost per vehicle:    $302,000
Length:    40'  (12.2 metres)
Width:    102" (259 centimetres)
Height:    114.5" (290 cm)
Passenger Seating Capacity:    40
Front Door Opening Width:    35" (89 cm)
Wheelchair Lift Platform Width:    31" (78.4 cm)
Front Aisle Width:    36" (91.5 cm)
Wheel Base:    284" (721 cm)
Step Heights, Front/Rear:    12"/13.2" (30.5 cm/33.5 cm)
Fuel Tank Capacity-Gallons (Litres):    120 (454.25)

Similar to Jacksonville.

Somewhere in the $350-450,000 price range for just plain old but nice, new, bus. 

To go with something advanced like the EMX CIVIS bus in Eugene, Oregon, the cost soars to about $950,000 per vehicle, and weight goes above that of modern Streetcars.

Does this help? What else do you need.

Ocklawaha    

[thelakelander]

Orlando's is $650 million for a 61 mile system with 15 stations.  That comes out to $10.66 million/mile, still less than half the cost of JTA's planned BRT.

However, Orlando's entire ROW had to be purchased from CSX, the stations include elevated crosswalks and they are purchasing new Colorado Railcar DMUs.  Locally, a system here should come under that number because we would be piggybacking off their deal for track that is not as important as it was when they proposed their system.  We also already own the S-Line ROW and there's no reason we have to purchase the newest cars out there or construct stations with elevated crosswalks to get across the tracks.

this link includes Orlando's system map, station location, cost estimate breakdowns, station renderings and projected schedule.
http://www.metroplanorlando.com/site/upload/documents/commuter_rail_update_july05.pdf

[thelakelander]

GILLIG: Low Floor new models... Basic

General Specifications - Low Floor Bus Model
Cost per vehicle:    $302,000
Length:    40'  (12.2 metres)
Width:    102" (259 centimetres)
Height:    114.5" (290 cm)
Passenger Seating Capacity:    40
Front Door Opening Width:    35" (89 cm)
Wheelchair Lift Platform Width:    31" (78.4 cm)
Front Aisle Width:    36" (91.5 cm)
Wheel Base:    284" (721 cm)
Step Heights, Front/Rear:    12"/13.2" (30.5 cm/33.5 cm)
Fuel Tank Capacity-Gallons (Litres):    120 (454.25)

Similar to Jacksonville.

Somewhere in the $350-450,000 price range for just plain old but nice, new, bus.

Is this the cost of the buses used for the Miami Busway.  46 of these would add about $16.1 to $20.7 million the South Dade's busway cost.  This would bring the cost for it up to $10.1 million/mile, which is comparable with Orlando's commuter rail project.  The major difference would be that the busway was constructed over 10 years ago.  In 2008 dollars, it would be much higher.

To go with something advanced like the EMX CIVIS bus in Eugene, Oregon, the cost soars to about $950,000 per vehicle, and weight goes above that of modern Streetcars.

Does this help? What else do you need. [/color][/b]

Ocklawaha    

Have any new dedicated busway systems been constructed in the US, in this decade, outside of the ones mentioned so far?

[thelakelander]

Also, its interesting to note that all of these recently built busways are feeder routes for rail systems.

The new Eugene, Oregan BRT serves as a trunk line.  However, Eugene's MSA is only 337,870 or roughly the same as Tallahassee's (336,502).  One would hope that we aren't using the transit planning of a metro 1/4 our size to develop a system here.