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MTC Bay Bridge Rail Feasibilty Study
CHAPTER 5. RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROLLING STOCK COSTS
The previous chapter estimated the costs of structural changes
to the Bay Bridge required by any of the rail options. The total
cost for implementing rail service would go well beyond bridge
structural costs to include the cost of rail infrastructure, signalization
and rolling stock. This chapter provides a feasibility level cost
estimate for each of the four rail service options, outlined in
detail in Chapter 1.
Costs presented in this chapter are independent of the costs associated
with the structural preparation of the bridge itself for installation
of a rail mode. It is assumed that the Bridge reconstruction costs
would produce a "rail ready" structure, capable of accepting the
installation of any of the potential rail options. It should be
noted that this chapter considers only the capital costs of implementing
each of the rail options, including infrastructure and rolling
stock. Operational costs would be substantial, and are not included
in any of these estimates.
The following table presents the overall estimated capital cost
range, in 1999 dollars, of the various alternatives. The remainder
of this chapter discusses the assumptions behind these numbers.
FIGURE 5-1: RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND ROLLING
STOCK COSTS
Alternative |
Infrastructure* |
Rolling
Stock |
Total |
A. Transbay Light Rail Service |
$1.4 billion |
$210 - $315 million |
$1.6 - $1.8 billion |
B. BART Transbay Bridge Service |
$1.8 billion |
$144 million |
$1.94 billion |
C. Basic Bridge Railroad Service |
$774 million |
$144 million |
$918 million |
D. Aggressive Bridge Railroad
Service |
$4.3 billion |
$461 million |
$4.77 billion |
* Infrastructure includes
all estimated project contingency (40%) and engineering
(30%), including that applied to rolling stock. |
This would bring the total cost of rail implementation, including
bridge structural enhancements, rail infrastructure and rolling
stock to a combined total of between $4 billion and $9 billion.
TRANSBAY LIGHT RAIL CAPITAL COSTS
1. Definition of Line Segments for Costing
The Transbay light rail transit (LRT) system is defined as a "main stem" using
the Bay Bridge from the Transbay Terminal to 40th and San Pablo, plus three
branches: "OA" from 40th and San Pablo via City Hall and Coliseum BART to the
Oakland Airport, "MH" from 40th and San Pablo via MacArthur BART to Coliseum
BART, and "BT" from MacArthur BART via Telegraph Avenue and Berkeley to the
foot of University Avenue. Note that "BT" shares the "MH" line between 40th/San
Pablo and MacArthur BART, while "MH" also traverses the "OA" segment from Foothill/Hegenberger
to Coliseum BART. For facilities costing purposes, it is the discrete physical
line segments that are of interest. Route miles are needed to estimate the
LRV fleet size.
Segment |
Description |
Links |
"OA" |
"MH" |
"BT" |
TB-SP |
Main Stem:
Transbay Terminal-40th/San Pablo |
8.1 |
8.1 |
8.1 |
8.1 |
SP-CH
CH-FH
FH-CB
CB-OK |
Oakland-Foothill-Airport:
40th/San Pablo-City Hall
City Hall-Foothill/Hegenberger (73rd)
Foothill/Hegenberger-Coliseum BART
Coliseum BART-Oakland Airport |
1.8
6.6
2.8
3.4 |
1.8
6.6
2.8
3.4 |
2.8 |
|
SP-MB
MB-FH |
MacArthur Boulevard:
40th/San Pablo-MacArthur BART
MacArthur BART-Foothill/Hegenberger (73rd) |
0.8
6.2 |
|
0.8
6.2 |
0.8 |
MB-BB
BB-FU |
Telegraph-Berkeley-University:
MacArthur BART-Berkeley BART
Berkeley BART-Foot of University |
3.7
2.9 |
|
|
3.7
2.9 |
|
Totals |
36.3 |
22.7 |
17.9 |
15.5 |
Inspecting the table, it
may be seen that the three service routes total 56.1 route
miles over the physical network of 36.3 line
miles. |
2. General Comment on Basis for Cost Estimate
A Transbay/Eastbay LRT system has been generally defined, as described herein;
however, no actual engineering work has been done. Thus, the basis for this
conceptual cost estimate must be acknowledged as "zero percent" of design.
Cost estimates are based on recent experiences in Portland, Oregon, and San
Jose and could easily differ in this environment.
3. Construction
Construction includes the fixed facilities along the LRT right-of-way. These
are principally: utilities and street work, structures, roadbed and track,
and stations.
- Utility Relocation. As compared to other projects,
the innovative "shallow trench" track design is expected to reduce
interferences with underground utilities and, as a result, relocation
costs. This is reflected in the relatively low unit cost for
this item.
- Civil/Roadway. It is not anticipated that
building-to-building or even curb-to-curb reconstruction of streets
will be done as part of this project, but that street work will
be limited to modifications necessary to re-contour and otherwise
blend adjacent lanes with the LRT lanes after the track has been
installed.
- Aerial Structures. Two sub-categories are
used. A relatively small allowance is provided for LRT-specific
work on the Bay Bridge (i.e., apart from the major work of renovation
and partial replacement contemplated in the Caltrans program).
Elsewhere, new double-tracked aerial structures are assumed at
the following locations:
- MB-FH: 3 structures, at 200 linear feet (LF) each, where
MacArthur crosses I-580
- CB-OK: 2 structures, 500 LF crossing I-680, and 1,000
LF at the Airport
- BB-FU: 1 structure, 1,000 LF crossing the Union Pacific
Railroad and I-80
- Roadbed & Track. The entire system is
assumed to be double-tracked. Two types of track construction
are assumed: open track using ties and ballast or fixed to the
Bay Bridge structure, and embedded track, with rails in street
paving. Open track is assumed to be used on the entire TB-SP
section, as well as along the median of Hegenberger (FH-CB and
CB-OK). All other segments are costed for embedded track.
A rough track schematic was prepared to estimate requirements
for special trackwork, with all track switches (turnouts)
and crossings costed at a single amount per unit. Thus, a
universal crossover is costed as 4 turnouts + 1 crossing
diamond, and so on. Station and lay-up trackage is provided
at the Transbay Terminal. Pocket tracks are assumed at 40th/San
Pablo, Coliseum BART, and Berkeley BART. Interlocked crossovers
and/or junctions are located at Transbay, Yerba Buena, Oakland
Harbor, 40th/San Pablo, MacArthur BART, Foothill/Hegenberger,
Coliseum BART, Oakland Airport, Berkeley BART and the foot
of University. Hand-operated emergency crossovers are provided
about every two miles on the branches.
- Stations. It is assumed that on the branches,
LRT stations would be placed at intervals averaging about 0.5
miles. Passenger stations are assumed to be simple concrete platforms
with bus-type shelters, lights, and a basic passenger information
display (kiosk, signing). Transit centers to provide for LRT/bus
transfers are assumed at 40th/San Pablo, City Hall, Coliseum
BART, MacArthur BART, and Berkeley BART. The relatively-more-elaborate
facilities at three other locations involving grade changes for
passengers - Transbay Terminal, Yerba Buena, and Oakland Airport
- also are costed as transit centers. Finally, an allowance is
included for 500 parking spaces on each branch (1,500 total),
a relatively small number in consideration of the urban and inner-suburban
communities the system would serve.
4. Systems
Systems includes the revenue light rail vehicles (LRVs), all of the electrical
and mechanical elements of the project that support and/or control their movement,
ancillary elements such as fare collection equipment, and the LRV storage and
maintenance facility, including shop equipment and non-revenue support vehicles.
- Traction Electrification. This system incorporates two
major sub-systems: traction power sub-stations and the overhead contact system
(OCS).
Substations: Convert high-voltage commer-cial AC power
to DC and step it down to the voltage used by LRVs, typically 750 VDC.
Typically, substations are placed at roughly one-mile intervals along
the line.
OCS: Consists of the feeder lines, poles, wires and
associated fastenings that carry power from the substations to LRVs operating
along the line. An OCS featuring only one contact wire above each LRT
track, but with underground parallel feeders is envisioned for good aesthetics.
- Communications, Signals and Other Electrical. These are
the subsystems that facilitate the movement of LRVs over the network, and
that ensure operations are safe.
Crossings & Intersections: Protection from cross
traffic is provided by either railroad-type gates and flashers, or by
prioritized traffic light equipped with special phases and indications
for LRVs. Since the at-grade portions of the Transbay system are mostly
in public streets, prioritized traffic light will be the predominant
type of protection at intersections. Gates and flashers will be limited
to a few locations where roads cross LRT on private r-o-w.
Interlockings: Assemblages of control circuitry, signals
and switch machines to control track turnouts and crossings, and to ensure
the safe movement of LRVs through such areas. Inter-lockings are located
where such special trackwork is frequently used, or must be able to be
used promptly during times of abnormal operation. Such locations are
indicated above in Sec. 3D.
Signals: Block signals control following and opposing
LRV movements between interlockings on sections of LRT line located on
private r-o-w, or that have only a single track. On the Transbay LRT
system, signals are provided for the main stem between Transbay Terminal
and 40th/San Pablo, and on the outer ends of the airport and Berkeley
branches.
Communications: There are two basic communications
functions: operational command and control, and passenger information
and safety. Sub-systems typically include two-way train radio, on-board
public address, and some systems monitoring and control functions relaying
status data (e.g., on substations and ticket vending machines) back to
Central Control (see below) and commands out to field installations.
Less frequently, station closed circuit television monitoring, public
address and reader-board displays are provided. Levels of investment
in communications vary over a large range for LRT systems, from very
basic to fairly extensive.
Duct Bank: This underground facility provides space
for running traction power feeder cables (see Sec. 4A) and communications
fiber optic transmission systems to connect field locations and Central
Control. If more pathways are provided than the LRT system needs, the
excess can be rented out to other users and provide a secondary source
of revenue.
Central Control: Central Control provides a place for
dispatchers and assistants to direct LRV movements over the network,
monitor remote installations and initiate corrective actions. For an
extensive network such as Transbay LRT, it is useful to have a real-time
display showing the locations of all trains, and the positions track
switches and, where used, train control signals. Central Control is usually
located at the central maintenance facility (see below), and also includes
reporting and rest facilities for train operators, and operating management
offices.
Other Electrical: Includes costs for OCS pole foundations,
wayside lighting systems installed by the LRT project, and miscellaneous
other electrical work not specifically identified at present.
- Fare Collection. It is assumed that self-service, proof-of-payment
ticketing will be used. Passengers will be required to have a valid proof
of payment when on board LRVs, subject to random inspection by roving staff
who will have the power to issue citations, similar to parking tickets, to
fare evaders. Each station platform is assumed to be equipped with two ticket
vending machines (TVMs) that, in addition to accepting cash, should be capable
of accepting debit and credit cards as payment for multiple ride tickets
and passes.
- Light Rail Vehicles and Parts. The LRV fleet is sized
based on previously-estimated running times, service on each branch every
15 minutes, and train lengths of two or three LRVs. It is assumed that partial
(70%) low floor LRVs similar to those in Portland and New Jersey, and on
order for San Jose, will be used. The cost estimate includes procurement
of the cars and an initial supply of spare parts. It is noted that an order
for 70 (two-car trains) or 105 (three-car trains) should prove attractive
to suppliers, and should be sufficiently large to obtain a competitive price.
- Maintenance Facilities and Equipment. A central facility
will be needed to store and maintain LRVs, and to serve as a base for wayside
maintenance forces working primarily on facilities in the field. The facility
will need to include a storage yard for LRVs, a shop building in which to
service and repair them, a variety of shop tools and equipment (some common
to machine shops, some highly specialized). At this stage of project definition,
it is only practical to include an allowance per LRV to provide a rough estimate
of costs for these items.
In addition, the LRT system will need a variety of mobile equipment for transportation
supervisory and wayside maintenance forces, ranging from standard automobiles
and light trucks to heavy and highly specialized equipment for maintaining trackage
and electrical systems. An allowance per mile of line is included in the estimate
to recognize the cost of these items.
5. Other Costs
All projects include so-called "soft costs" for items that are neither construction
nor systems procure-ments, but which are nonetheless an integral and necessary
part of completing the work.
- Right-of-Way. The Transbay LRT system is envisioned as
operating primarily in existing public streets and other public r-o-w. Nonetheless,
some land will have to be purchased, including small parcels for substations
and other ancillary field installations, some passenger stations, park-n-ride
lots, and a fairly large site for the central yard and shop. At about 2.5
LRVs per acre, the latter would be about 28 acres for a 70-LRV fleet, and
42 acres for a 105-LRV fleet.
- Contingency. With no engineering or design work actually
done, the LRT system is presently defined at only a very conceptual level;
and there are undoubtedly many cost elements that have been omitted. To offset
that limitation, the contingency allowance is set at a high percentage: 40%
of all the previously-specified costs, including Construction, Systems and
Right-of-Way.
- Management and Engineering. Implementation of a rail system
is a major undertaking, involving the work of transportation, community and
environmental planners, engineers of many specialties, and project administrators.
These costs begin with planning studies; continue through preliminary and
final design and environmental documen-tation; supervision of construction,
procurement and installation; and, finally, system testing and start-up.
These costs are estimated at 30% of all the preceding costs.
6. Summary of Conceptual Cost Estimates
Estimates for the entire 36.3-mile Transbay LRT system have been prepared assuming
the use of either two-car or three-car trains. The shorter trains would provide
peak hour peak direction (PHPD) capacity as follows, assuming that each LRV carries
125 passengers.
| Location on System |
Two-Car Trains |
Three-Car Trains |
| Main Stem (5-Minute Headways) |
3,000 |
4,500 |
| Each Branch (15-Minute Headways) |
1,000 |
1,500 |
Estimated capital costs for the total system, with either two- or three-car
trains, and by major cost category, are as follows. Recognize that these conceptual
estimates provide an approximation of the cost to implement the Transbay LRT
system. The totals may be considered accurate within a few percentage points,
but costs for the individual elements are likely to vary considerably from
the estimate. Typically, some items will come in higher, but will be offset
by other items that come in lower.
Item |
Millions
of Dollars |
Transbay
LRT - 36.3 Miles |
Eastbay - 28.2 Mi |
Two-Car Trains |
Three-Car Trains |
Two-Car Trains |
Construction
Systems (Wayside)
Revenue Vehicles
Maint. Facilities & Equipment
Right-of-Way
Contingencies
Management & Engineering
Total Estimate
|
$ 371
$ 212
$ 210
$ 48
$ 18
$ 343
$ 360
$1562 |
$ 371
$ 212
$ 315
$ 67
$ 20
$ 393
$ 413
$1791 |
$ 314
$ 169
$ 150
$ 37
$ 18
$ 275
$ 289
$1252 |
Average Cost per Mile of Line |
$ 43 |
$ 49 |
$ 34 |
It is not necessary that the entire Transbay LRT system be implemented all
at once. As shown above, an Eastbay-only system would also be a possibility,
with connections to The City initially provided by BART, as at present, and
adding the Bay Bridge LRT link later.
Other alternatives would be to build the main stem and one at a time, or the
main stem and a portion of one or more branches as a "starter" LRT system.
One example would be: main stem plus "OA" to Oakland City Hall, and "BT" to
Berkeley BART (UC-Berkeley). Other combinations also could be con-sidered in
an effort to find the best balance of initial investment and service to customers.
Segment |
Description |
Links |
"OA" |
"MH" |
"BT" |
TB-SP |
Main Stem:
Transbay Terminal-40th/San Pablo |
8.1 |
8.1 |
8.1 |
8.1 |
SP-CH
CH-FH
FH-CB
CB-OK |
Oakland-Foothill-Airport:
40th/San Pablo-City Hall
City Hall-Foothill/Hegenberger (73rd)
Foothill/Hegenberger-Coliseum BART
Coliseum BART-Oakland Airport |
1.8
6.6
2.8
3.4 |
1.8
6.6
2.8
3.4 |
2.8 |
|
SP-MB
MB-FH |
MacArthur Boulevard:
40th/San Pablo-MacArthur BART
MacArthur BART-Foothill/Hegenberger (73rd) |
0.8
6.2 |
|
0.8
6.2 |
0.8 |
MB-BB
BB-FU |
Telegraph-Berkeley-University:
MacArthur BART-Berkeley BART
Berkeley BART-Foot of University |
3.7
2.9 |
|
|
3.7
2.9 |
|
Totals |
36.3 |
22.7 |
17.9 |
15.5 |
Inspecting the table, it may be seen
that the three service routes total 56.1 route miles over
the physical network of 36.3 line miles. |
2. General Comment on Basis for Cost Estimate
A Transbay/Eastbay LRT system has been generally defined, as described herein;
however, no actual engineering work has been done. Thus, the basis for this
conceptual cost estimate must be acknowledged as "zero percent" of design.
Cost estimates are based on recent experiences in Portland, Oregon, and San
Jose and could easily differ in this environment.
3. Construction
Construction includes the fixed facilities along the LRT right-of-way. These
are principally: utilities and street work, structures, roadbed and track,
and stations.
- Utility Relocation. As compared to other projects, the
innovative "shallow trench" track design is expected to reduce interferences
with underground utilities and, as a result, relocation costs. This is reflected
in the relatively low unit cost for this item.
- Civil/Roadway. It is not anticipated that building-to-building
or even curb-to-curb reconstruction of streets will be done as part of this
project, but that street work will be limited to modifications necessary
to re-contour and otherwise blend adjacent lanes with the LRT lanes after
the track has been installed.
- Aerial Structures. Two sub-categories are used. A relatively
small allowance is provided for LRT-specific work on the Bay Bridge (i.e.,
apart from the major work of renovation and partial replacement contemplated
in the Caltrans program). Elsewhere, new double-tracked aerial structures
are assumed at the following locations:
- MB-FH: 3 structures, at 200 linear feet (LF) each, where MacArthur
crosses I-580
- CB-OK: 2 structures, 500 LF crossing I-680, and 1,000 LF at the Airport
- BB-FU: 1 structure, 1,000 LF crossing the Union Pacific Railroad
and I-80
- Roadbed & Track. The entire system is assumed to
be double-tracked. Two types of track construction are assumed: open track
using ties and ballast or fixed to the Bay Bridge structure, and embedded
track, with rails in street paving. Open track is assumed to be used on the
entire TB-SP section, as well as along the median of Hegenberger (FH-CB and
CB-OK). All other segments are costed for embedded track.
A rough track schematic was prepared to estimate requirements for special
trackwork, with all track switches (turnouts) and crossings costed at
a single amount per unit. Thus, a universal crossover is costed as 4
turnouts + 1 crossing diamond, and so on. Station and lay-up trackage
is provided at the Transbay Terminal. Pocket tracks are assumed at 40th/San
Pablo, Coliseum BART, and Berkeley BART. Interlocked crossovers and/or
junctions are located at Transbay, Yerba Buena, Oakland Harbor, 40th/San
Pablo, MacArthur BART, Foothill/Hegenberger, Coliseum BART, Oakland Airport,
Berkeley BART and the foot of University. Hand-operated emergency crossovers
are provided about every two miles on the branches.
- Stations. It is assumed that on the branches, LRT stations
would be placed at intervals averaging about 0.5 miles. Passenger stations
are assumed to be simple concrete platforms with bus-type shelters, lights,
and a basic passenger information display (kiosk, signing). Transit centers
to provide for LRT/bus transfers are assumed at 40th/San Pablo, City Hall,
Coliseum BART, MacArthur BART, and Berkeley BART. The relatively-more-elaborate
facilities at three other locations involving grade changes for passengers
- Transbay Terminal, Yerba Buena, and Oakland Airport - also are costed as
transit centers. Finally, an allowance is included for 500 parking spaces
on each branch (1,500 total), a relatively small number in consideration
of the urban and inner-suburban communities the system would serve.
4. Systems
Systems includes the revenue light rail vehicles (LRVs), all of the electrical
and mechanical elements of the project that support and/or control their movement,
ancillary elements such as fare collection equipment, and the LRV storage and
maintenance facility, including shop equipment and non-revenue support vehicles.
- Traction Electrification. This system incorporates two
major sub-systems: traction power sub-stations and the overhead contact system
(OCS).
Substations: Convert high-voltage commer-cial AC power
to DC and step it down to the voltage used by LRVs, typically 750 VDC.
Typically, substations are placed at roughly one-mile intervals along
the line.
OCS: Consists of the feeder lines, poles, wires and
associated fastenings that carry power from the substations to LRVs operating
along the line. An OCS featuring only one contact wire above each LRT
track, but with underground parallel feeders is envisioned for good aesthetics.
- Communications, Signals and Other Electrical. These are
the subsystems that facilitate the movement of LRVs over the network, and
that ensure operations are safe.
Crossings & Intersections: Protection from cross
traffic is provided by either railroad-type gates and flashers, or by
prioritized traffic light equipped with special phases and indications
for LRVs. Since the at-grade portions of the Transbay system are mostly
in public streets, prioritized traffic light will be the predominant
type of protection at intersections. Gates and flashers will be limited
to a few locations where roads cross LRT on private r-o-w.
Interlockings: Assemblages of control circuitry, signals
and switch machines to control track turnouts and crossings, and to ensure
the safe movement of LRVs through such areas. Inter-lockings are located
where such special trackwork is frequently used, or must be able to be
used promptly during times of abnormal operation. Such locations are
indicated above in Sec. 3D.
Signals: Block signals control following and opposing
LRV movements between interlockings on sections of LRT line located on
private r-o-w, or that have only a single track. On the Transbay LRT
system, signals are provided for the main stem between Transbay Terminal
and 40th/San Pablo, and on the outer ends of the airport and Berkeley
branches.
Communications: There are two basic communications
functions: operational command and control, and passenger information
and safety. Sub-systems typically include two-way train radio, on-board
public address, and some systems monitoring and control functions relaying
status data (e.g., on substations and ticket vending machines) back to
Central Control (see below) and commands out to field installations.
Less frequently, station closed circuit television monitoring, public
address and reader-board displays are provided. Levels of investment
in communications vary over a large range for LRT systems, from very
basic to fairly extensive.
Duct Bank: This underground facility provides space
for running traction power feeder cables (see Sec. 4A) and communications
fiber optic transmission systems to connect field locations and Central
Control. If more pathways are provided than the LRT system needs, the
excess can be rented out to other users and provide a secondary source
of revenue.
Central Control: Central Control provides a place for
dispatchers and assistants to direct LRV movements over the network,
monitor remote installations and initiate corrective actions. For an
extensive network such as Transbay LRT, it is useful to have a real-time
display showing the locations of all trains, and the positions track
switches and, where used, train control signals. Central Control is usually
located at the central maintenance facility (see below), and also includes
reporting and rest facilities for train operators, and operating management
offices.
Other Electrical: Includes costs for OCS pole foundations,
wayside lighting systems installed by the LRT project, and miscellaneous
other electrical work not specifically identified at present.
- Fare Collection. It is assumed that self-service, proof-of-payment
ticketing will be used. Passengers will be required to have a valid proof
of payment when on board LRVs, subject to random inspection by roving staff
who will have the power to issue citations, similar to parking tickets, to
fare evaders. Each station platform is assumed to be equipped with two ticket
vending machines (TVMs) that, in addition to accepting cash, should be capable
of accepting debit and credit cards as payment for multiple ride tickets
and passes.
- Light Rail Vehicles and Parts. The LRV fleet is sized
based on previously-estimated running times, service on each branch every
15 minutes, and train lengths of two or three LRVs. It is assumed that partial
(70%) low floor LRVs similar to those in Portland and New Jersey, and on
order for San Jose, will be used. The cost estimate includes procurement
of the cars and an initial supply of spare parts. It is noted that an order
for 70 (two-car trains) or 105 (three-car trains) should prove attractive
to suppliers, and should be sufficiently large to obtain a competitive price.
- Maintenance Facilities and Equipment. A central facility
will be needed to store and maintain LRVs, and to serve as a base for wayside
maintenance forces working primarily on facilities in the field. The facility
will need to include a storage yard for LRVs, a shop building in which to
service and repair them, a variety of shop tools and equipment (some common
to machine shops, some highly specialized). At this stage of project definition,
it is only practical to include an allowance per LRV to provide a rough estimate
of costs for these items.
In addition, the LRT system will need a variety of mobile equipment for transportation
supervisory and wayside maintenance forces, ranging from standard automobiles
and light trucks to heavy and highly specialized equipment for maintaining trackage
and electrical systems. An allowance per mile of line is included in the estimate
to recognize the cost of these items.
5. Other Costs
All projects include so-called "soft costs" for items that are neither construction
nor systems procure-ments, but which are nonetheless an integral and necessary
part of completing the work.
- Right-of-Way. The Transbay LRT system is envisioned as
operating primarily in existing public streets and other public r-o-w. Nonetheless,
some land will have to be purchased, including small parcels for substations
and other ancillary field installations, some passenger stations, park-n-ride
lots, and a fairly large site for the central yard and shop. At about 2.5
LRVs per acre, the latter would be about 28 acres for a 70-LRV fleet, and
42 acres for a 105-LRV fleet.
- Contingency. With no engineering or design work actually
done, the LRT system is presently defined at only a very conceptual level;
and there are undoubtedly many cost elements that have been omitted. To offset
that limitation, the contingency allowance is set at a high percentage: 40%
of all the previously-specified costs, including Construction, Systems and
Right-of-Way.
- Management and Engineering. Implementation of a rail system
is a major undertaking, involving the work of transportation, community and
environmental planners, engineers of many specialties, and project administrators.
These costs begin with planning studies; continue through preliminary and
final design and environmental documen-tation; supervision of construction,
procurement and installation; and, finally, system testing and start-up.
These costs are estimated at 30% of all the preceding costs.
6. Summary of Conceptual Cost Estimates
Estimates for the entire 36.3-mile Transbay LRT system have been prepared assuming
the use of either two-car or three-car trains. The shorter trains would provide
peak hour peak direction (PHPD) capacity as follows, assuming that each LRV carries
125 passengers.
| Location on System |
Two-Car Trains |
Three-Car Trains |
| Main Stem (5-Minute Headways) |
3,000 |
4,500 |
| Each Branch (15-Minute Headways) |
1,000 |
1,500 |
Estimated capital costs for the total system, with either two- or three-car
trains, and by major cost category, are as follows. Recognize that these conceptual
estimates provide an approximation of the cost to implement the Transbay LRT
system. The totals may be considered accurate within a few percentage points,
but costs for the individual elements are likely to vary considerably from
the estimate. Typically, some items will come in higher, but will be offset
by other items that come in lower.
Item |
Millions
of Dollars |
Transbay
LRT - 36.3 Miles |
Eastbay - 28.2 Mi |
Two-Car Trains |
Three-Car Trains |
Two-Car Trains |
Construction
Systems (Wayside)
Revenue Vehicles
Maint. Facilities & Equipment
Right-of-Way
Contingencies
Management & Engineering
|
$ 371
$ 212
$ 210
$ 48
$ 18
$ 343
$ 360
$1562 |
$ 371
$ 212
$ 315
$ 67
$ 20
$ 393
$ 413
$1791 |
$ 314
$ 169
$ 150
$ 37
$ 18
$ 275
$ 289
$1252 |
Average Cost per Mile of Line |
$ 43 |
$ 49 |
$ 34 |
It is not necessary that the entire Transbay LRT system be implemented all
at once. As shown above, an Eastbay-only system would also be a possibility,
with connections to The City initially provided by BART, as at present, and
adding the Bay Bridge LRT link later.
Other alternatives would be to build the main stem and one at a time, or the
main stem and a portion of one or more branches as a "starter" LRT system.
One example would be: main stem plus "OA" to Oakland City Hall, and "BT" to
Berkeley BART (UC-Berkeley). Other combinations also could be con-sidered in
an effort to find the best balance of initial investment and service to customers.
FIGURE 5-2: ALTERNATIVE A - BAY BRIDGE LIGHT RAIL:
ESTIMATED LINK MILES & RUNNING TIMES
Route(s) |
From |
To |
Miles |
Time |
Vavg |
Cum
Mi |
Cum
Time |
OA,MH,BT |
Transbay Tml |
Yerba Buena |
3.3 |
6 |
33.0 |
3.3 |
6 |
OA,MH,BT |
Yerba Buena |
Oakland Hbr |
3.7 |
6 |
37.0 |
7.0 |
12 |
OA,MH,BT |
Oakland Hbr |
40th/San Pablo |
1.1 |
4 |
16.5 |
8.1 |
16 |
OA |
40th/San Pablo |
City Hall |
1.8 |
7 |
15.4 |
9.9 |
23 |
OA |
City Hall |
E 14th/Oak |
0.6 |
3 |
12.0 |
10.5 |
26 |
OA |
E 14th/Oak |
Foothill/Hgnberger |
6.0 |
24 |
15.0 |
16.5 |
50 |
OA |
Foothill/Hgnberger |
Coliseum BART |
1.8 |
7 |
15.4 |
18.3 |
57 |
OA |
Coliseum BART |
Airport |
3.4 |
13 |
15.7 |
21.7 |
70 |
MH,BT |
40th/San Pablo |
MacArthur BART |
0.8 |
3 |
16.0 |
8.9 |
19 |
MH |
MacArthur BART |
B'way/MacArthur |
0.9 |
4 |
13.5 |
9.8 |
23 |
MH |
B'way/MacArthur |
Mills College |
5.5 |
22 |
15.0 |
15.3 |
45 |
MH |
Mills College |
Coliseum BART |
2.6 |
10 |
15.6 |
17.9 |
55 |
OA |
Coliseum BART |
Airport |
3.4 |
13 |
15.7 |
21.3 |
68 |
BT |
MacArthur BART |
Telegrph/Ashby |
2.2 |
9 |
14.7 |
11.1 |
28 |
BT |
Telegrph/Ashby |
Telegrph/Bancroft |
0.8 |
3 |
16.0 |
11.9 |
31 |
BT |
Telegrph/Bancroft |
Berkeley BART |
0.7 |
3 |
14.0 |
12.6 |
34 |
BT |
Berkeley BART |
University/MLK |
0.9 |
4 |
13.5 |
13.5 |
38 |
BT |
University/MLK |
Unvrsty/San Pablo |
1.1 |
5 |
13.2 |
14.6 |
43 |
BT |
Unvrsty/San Pablo |
Foot of University |
0.9 |
4 |
13.5 |
15.5 |
47 |
FIGURE 5-3: PRO-FORMA TIMETABLE FOR ALTERNATIVE A,
BAY BRIDGE - EASTBAY LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM
Eastbound
(Read Down) |
|
Westbound
(Read Up) |
MH |
OA |
BT |
MH |
OA |
BT |
MH |
OA |
BT |
MH |
OA |
BT |
Stations |
BT |
OA |
MH |
BT |
OA |
MH |
BT |
OA |
MH |
BT |
OA |
MH |
9.00 |
9.05 |
9.10 |
9.15 |
9.20 |
9.25 |
9.30 |
9.35 |
9.40 |
9.45 |
9.50 |
9.55 |
Transbay |
10.04 |
10.09 |
10.14 |
10.19 |
10.24 |
10.29 |
10.34 |
10.39 |
10.44 |
10.49 |
10.54 |
10.59 |
9.16 |
9.21 |
9.26 |
9.31 |
9.36 |
9.41 |
9.46 |
9.51 |
9.56 |
10.01 |
10.06 |
10.11 |
40/San
Pablo |
9.48 |
9.53 |
9.58 |
10.03 |
10.08 |
10.13 |
10.18 |
10.23 |
10.28 |
10.33 |
10.38 |
10.43 |
9.19 |
-- |
9.29 |
9.34 |
-- |
9.44 |
9.49 |
-- |
9.59 |
10.04 |
-- |
10.14 |
MacArthur
BART |
9.45 |
-- |
9.55 |
10.00 |
-- |
10.10 |
10.15 |
-- |
10.25 |
10.30 |
-- |
10.40 |
-- |
9.28 |
-- |
-- |
9.43 |
-- |
-- |
9.58 |
-- |
-- |
10.13 |
-- |
City
Hall |
-- |
9.46 |
-- |
-- |
10.01 |
-- |
-- |
10.16 |
-- |
-- |
10.31 |
-- |
9.45 |
-- |
-- |
10.00 |
-- |
-- |
10.15 |
-- |
-- |
10.30 |
-- |
-- |
Mills
College |
-- |
-- |
9.29 |
-- |
-- |
9.44 |
-- |
-- |
9.59 |
-- |
-- |
10.14 |
9.55 |
10.02 |
-- |
10.10 |
10.17 |
-- |
10.25 |
10.32 |
-- |
10.40 |
10.47 |
-- |
Coliseum
BART |
-- |
9.12 |
9.19 |
-- |
9.27 |
9.34 |
-- |
9.42 |
9.49 |
-- |
9.57 |
10.04 |
10.08 |
10.15 |
-- |
10.23 |
10.30 |
-- |
10.38 |
10.45 |
-- |
10.53 |
11.00 |
-- |
Airport |
-- |
8.59 |
9.06 |
-- |
9.14 |
9.21 |
-- |
9.29 |
9.36 |
-- |
9.44 |
9.51 |
-- |
-- |
9.44 |
-- |
-- |
9.59 |
-- |
-- |
10.14 |
-- |
-- |
10.29 |
Berkeley
BART |
9.30 |
-- |
-- |
9.45 |
-- |
-- |
10.00 |
-- |
-- |
10.15 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
9.57 |
-- |
-- |
10.12 |
-- |
-- |
10.27 |
-- |
-- |
10.42 |
Foot
of University |
9.17 |
-- |
-- |
9.32 |
-- |
-- |
9.47 |
-- |
-- |
10.02 |
-- |
— |
FIGURE 5-4: ALTERNATIVE A - LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT: CAPITAL
COST ESTIMATE - UNIT COSTS
Cost
Element |
Unit
Cost |
Description
of Cost Basis/Rationale |
CIVIL CONSTRUCTION:
- Bay Bridge
- Other Structures |
$500/SRF*
$500/SRF*
$1,000/Lin Ft
$5,000/Lin Ft |
- Allowance per route foot (lin ft) considering LRT in urban arterial
streets with little-to-moderate work on underground utilities likely.
- Addition of LRT within existing urban street with some street work,
but does not include complete reconstruction of street.
- Allowance for special LRT work outside general bridge rehab/rebuild.
- LACMTA Long Beach Blue Line LRT project.
* SRF = Surface Rt Ft = Lin Ft (Linear Feet) at Grade. |
TRACKWORK:
|
$175/Trk Ft
$400/Trk Ft
$75k Each |
- Portland Westside LRT; tie and ballast, direct fixation.
- Portland City Streetcar, shallow trench w/booted rails in concrete.
- Portland Westside LRT, track switches & diamonds.
|
STATIONS:
|
$500k Each
$3 mil Each
$2,700 per Space |
- Portland Westside LRT. LRT stations only; excludes
bus transit centers and automobile park-ride lots.
- Comparable recent projects.
|
ELECTRIFICATION:
|
$500k Each
$100/Track Ft |
- Portland Westside LRT; average 1 per mile.
- Portland Westside LRT; poles, supports, wires.
|
COMMO & SIGNALS:
- Crossings & Intersections
|
$150,000 Each
$90/Rt Ft
$80/Rt Ft
$525k Each |
- Portland Westside LRT;gates/flashers or special traffic lights.
- Portland Westside LRT; see text for locations & descriptions.
- Portland Westside LRT; signals-bridge & interlockings, TWC
throughout.
- Portland Westside LRT and other recent LTK projects.
|
SYSTEMS ELECTRICAL:
|
$80/Rt Ft
$5 Million
$1,500k/Rt Mi |
- Portland Westside LRT & similar projects.
- Portland Westside LRT; pole foundations, lighting, other electrical.
|
FARE COLLECTION:
|
$75k Each |
- Portland & other recent projects; 4 TVMs/station, 8 TVMs/transit
center.
|
YARD & SHOP:
- LRV Yard, Maint Shop & Equip
|
$550k/LRV
$250k/Line Mi |
|
REVENUE VEHICLES:
|
$3 mil Each |
- Recent low floor LRV orders.
|
OTHER COSTS:
- Right-of-Way, yard & shop
|
$500k/Line Mi
$125k/acre
40%
30% |
- Land for substations, transit centers, park-rides.
- Yard & shop facility sized at 2.5 LRVs per acre.
- Need high contingency due "0%" design.
- Portland Westside LRT & similar projects.
|
BART TRANSBAY BRIDGE SERVICE
BART capital costs are significantly influenced by civil and structural design,
and on the particularities of a specific alignment, whether at-grade (lowest
cost), aerial, or in subway (highest cost). No engineering has been done for
this option. Therefore, the illustrative capital cost figure here is based
on average per-mile costs for "comparable" BART projects elsewhere.
For this purpose, use is made of recent estimates for the Fremont - San Jose/Santa
Clara extension, prepared as part of the MTC "Bay Area Transportation Blueprint
for the 21st Century." Costs for that project are provided in the "Project
Notebook of Candidate Projects," dated October 1999, with costs quoted in 1999
dollars.
The Project Notebook provides capital costs for extension in three segments:
Segment |
Capital
Cost Estimate |
Length |
Average
Cost per Mile |
Fremont - Warm Springs |
$553 million |
4.6 miles |
$120 million |
Warm Springs - Tasman |
$750 million |
6.9 miles |
$109 million |
Tasman - Santa Clara |
$2.75 billion |
9.5 miles |
$289 million |
Total |
$4.045 billion |
21 miles |
$193 million |
It is assumed that these costs include stations and rolling stock.
Note that the average cost per mile for the segment south of Tasman is more
than twice the average of the segments to the north. This is due to the high
average cost of subway construction, in this case under Santa Clara Street
through Downtown San Jose. For purpose of the development of illustrative capital
cost estimation for the BART Bay Bridge alternative, the $120 million cost
per mile of the Fremont - Warm Springs extension will be used here. It is assumed
that the BART alignment will not involve subway construction, other than the
Yerba Buena Island Tunnel and station. The tunnel itself is included in the
structural cost estimate for the Bridge rail modification; the station may
be considered as included in the above averages.
The most obvious potentially difficult structural elements of this alternative,
assuming a rail-ready Bridge is made available, are the initial segment from
the MacArthur station junction, rising to the south and turning west into the
median of the I-580 freeway. Much of the freeway itself is on structure, and
real estate acquisition may be required. Difficult structure may also be required
at the San Francisco end to bring the line down from the Bridge into the Transbay
Terminal, presumably into a two-track stub terminal on the upper level. No
structural engineering for this alternative has been done in any of these areas,
so the capital cost provided here, even with the 40% contingency, must be considered
conjectural.
If $120 million per mile is assumed as an average for MacArthur - Transbay
Terminal, 8.9 miles, plus a 40% contingency, and 30% for engineering and project
management, consistent with the estimates for the other alternatives, an illustrative
order of magnitude capital cost may be calculated as follows:
1.3 engineering and management[(8.9 miles)($120 million per mile)(1.4 contingency)]=$1.943
billion
BASIC BRIDGE RAILROAD PASSENGER SERVICE
Infrastructure
The following table summaries the main cost categories for both the Basic and
Aggressive railroad alternatives. In this table, the totals in the Aggressive
column are incremental, and must be added to the Basic column to reach the
totals in the "Total all Services" column.
Rolling Stock Summary
As discussed above, the cost is based on 27 married-pair EMUs at $4.5 million
each, plus one Acela set at $22 million, totaling $143.5 million, rounded
to $144 million. Acela sets are shown as "Intercity" in the cost table.
Capacity Estimate
Estimated capacity delivered across the Bridge would be four 10-car EMU trains
per hour plus two Acela trains per hour, per direction, or a delivered capacity
(using capacity figures from Working Paper 2A.2), of:
4 (10)(150) + 2 (304) = 6608 passengers per peak hour per direction.
FIGURE 5-5: TRANSBAY SERVICE INVESTMENT COST SUMMARY
INVESTMENT
CATEGORY |
BASIC
SERVICE |
AGGRESSIVE
SERVICE |
TOTAL
BASIC |
TOTAL
AGGRESSIVE |
TOTAL
ALL SERVICES |
San
Francisco to Richmond |
Oakland
Harbor to Jack London Square |
Richmond
to Sacramento |
Jack
London Square to San Jose |
Right- of- Way, Demolition, Utility Relocation |
$17.4 |
$7.1 |
$50.0 |
$66.6 |
$24.5 |
$116.6 |
$141.1 |
Grading |
$6.1 |
$1.2 |
$79.3 |
$15.5 |
$7.3 |
$94.8 |
$102.1 |
Track Work |
$36.5 |
$5.9 |
$38.0 |
$47.1 |
$42.4 |
$85.1 |
$127.5 |
Structures |
$28.4 |
$45.0 |
$186.3 |
$542.7 |
$73.4 |
$729.0 |
$802.4 |
Train Control and Grade Crossing Warning
Devices |
$22.9 |
$8.8 |
$47.6 |
$51.0 |
$31.7 |
$98.6 |
$130.3 |
Electrification |
$72.8 |
$15.9 |
$214.9 |
$91.5 |
$88.7 |
$306.4 |
$395.1 |
Other |
$0.0 |
$7.5 |
$12.0 |
$8.5 |
$7.5 |
$20.5 |
$28.0 |
Stations |
$15.0 |
$1.5 |
$40.0 |
$19.0 |
$16.5 |
$59.0 |
$75.5 |
TOTAL, CONSTRUCTION BEFORE PROFIT |
$199.1 |
$92.9 |
$668.1 |
$841.9 |
$292.0 |
$1,510.0 |
$1,802.0 |
Contractor Profit |
$19.9 |
$9.3 |
$66.8 |
$84.2 |
$29.2 |
$151.0 |
$180.2 |
| Purchase of Former WP |
|
|
|
$91.2 |
|
$91.2 |
$91.2 |
TOTAL RIGHT-OF- WAY SPECIFIC COSTS |
$219.0 |
$102.2 |
$734.9 |
$1,017.3 |
$321.2 |
$1,752.2 |
$2,073.4 |
Other Non Right-of-Way
Specific |
Wayside Communications |
|
|
|
|
|
|
$5.0 |
Dispatching Modifications
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
$2.0 |
Shop for Commuter Equipment
|
|
|
|
|
$39.7 |
$40.6 |
$80.3 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EMUs |
|
|
|
|
$121.5 |
$229.5 |
$351.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
$22.0 |
$88.0 |
$110.0 |
TOTAL, ALL INVESTMENT
BEFORE CONTINGENCY AND ENGINEERING |
|
|
$504.4 |
$2,110.3 |
$2,621.7 |
ENGINEERING (30%) |
|
|
|
|
$151.3 |
$633.1 |
$786.5 |
CONTINGENCY (40%) |
|
|
|
|
$262.3 |
$1,097.4 |
$1,363.3 |
TOTAL |
|
|
|
|
$918.0 |
$3,840.7 |
$4,771.5 |
AGGRESSIVE BRIDGE RAILROAD PASSENGER SERVICE
Infrastructure
The itemized cost elements for the Aggressive alternative are shown in the
table above. FIGURE 5-6: ROLLING STOCK SUMMARY
Service |
Round
Trip Running Time* |
Peak
Headway |
Peak
Trainsets Required |
"A" Commuter |
180 minutes |
30 minutes |
6 EMU sets |
"B" Commuter |
210 minutes |
30 minutes |
7 EMU sets |
Capitol Corridor |
300 minutes |
60 minutes |
5 Acela sets |
* Running time is San Francisco (Transbay Terminal) to outer terminal,
per Working Paper 3A.1, x2, plus assumed layover time at outer terminal.
|
Thirteen EMU sets, assuming all are 10-car trains, would represent 130 cars,
or 65 married pairs. Providing for 20% spares, this would mean 78 married pairs
@ $4.5 million per pair, this would represent a cost of $351 million.
Five Acela sets at an estimated $22 million each, for two power cars and six
trailers per set, would represent a cost of $110 million.
Acela sets are shown as "Intercity" in the cost table.
Total rolling stock cost: $461 million.
Capacity Estimate
Estimated capacity delivered across the Bridge would be four 10-car EMU trains
per hour plus two Acela trains per hour, per direction, or a delivered capacity
(using capacity figures from Working Paper 2A.2), of:
4 (10)(150) + 2 (304) = 6608 passengers per peak hour per direction.
NEXT: Chapter 5 - Rail Infrastructure
and Rolling Stock Costs
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|