In today’s Move It! column, Rad Sallee mentions the rating formula used by the Federal Transit Administration to help determine which light rail projects will get federal funding:
Metro said the Federal Transit Administration had rated two of the planned lines, in the North and Southeast study corridors, as “medium low” in cost-effectiveness and had advised Metro that at least a medium rating is usually needed to qualify for funding.
U.S. Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, was not alone in his confusion. Green noted that the two lines went through largely low-income Hispanic and black neighborhoods, where many people ride the bus because they have to.
[snip]
FTA spokesman Paul Griffo said the formula the agency uses to judge proposals is complicated.
But in brief, analysts compare the cost of a light rail project to the value of the time that riders would save by taking light rail instead of a bus not running on a fixed guideway.
Griffo said the FTA rated Metro’s Southeast plan at $24.31 and its North plan $23.80. The lower the numbers the better, and the dividing line between a “medium” project and a “low medium” one was $22.
Well, I’m one of those who likes to be able to see the original source of information, so with some help from Tom Bazan, here is a direct link with all the FTA New Starts information, including the formula for rating proposed light rail projects.
Happy reading!
