The Transport Politic highlights billions in major transit investments in the US and Canada in 2014- a banner year in every metropolitan region in the U.S. Yonah Freemark, the blog’s author, summarizes the impact and cost of the projects and offers the following observations:
- 737 miles of new lines and extensions in 2014.
- 10 new stations or major station renovations were completed or under construction in 2014.
- $81.5 billion in programmed funding in 2014.
While there has been a frenzy of construction this year, Freemark also notes that the federal government put a freeze on funding in 2010 that will have long-term consequences on future projects. Freemark then goes on to compare costs between transit projects in the states versus projects in Europe. Where full featured tramway projects in Europe cost $30 million per mile, the following info is what projects in St. Louis might cost in the near future:
- 8 of the 2014 subway projects (including light rail, heavy rail, and commuter rail) averaged $1.1 billion per mile to build.
- 24 of the light rail projects (many at grade or on existing right-of-ways) averaged $284 million per mile.
- Bus Rapid transit projects averaged $17 per mile.
Article source: “Opens and Construction Starts Planned for 2014,” by Yonah Freemark in the Transport Politic. Found on 12/11/14 on the world wide web at http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2014/01/05/openings-and-construction-starts-planned-for-2014/.