what to do by the next ited - texas a&m university · 2017. 1. 4. · what to do by the next ited....
TRANSCRIPT
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Martin Weiss Former FHWA
employee
What to do by the next ITED
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What to do by the next ITED Martin Weiss, now a consultant
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We will be in a funding austerity for at least a few years. There are two things to do in that period to help us avoid actual disinvestment. One is to address the problem of funding small Components of projects.
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Which Instrument is most important?
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Big Projects Have Lots of Components How do you get the B/C or Econ Impact of a Component
Note the cable stayed bridge. It was added just for prettiness. Was this an important component ?
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If a potential grantee maintains that one component has higher b/c than project as a whole,
• It should require independent analysis to
accept that premise • Also specific and explicit endorsement of
the concept by the granting agency.
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The other problem to address:
• The late in the game addition of enormously expensive aesthetic improvements to projects.
• i.e., “The Horror of Prettiness”
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Case study: The Sarbanes Transit Transfer Center in Silver Spring, Maryland – below
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This is the old transit center and yes, it is ugly
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Why Build a New Transit Center? It, per its supporters, would bring -Prestige Corporate Offices -Classy Entertainment Facilities -Upscale Shopping - Luxury Residential Buildings
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All the Good stuff happened without the prettiness. The Transit Center, planned for opening in 1998 for $20M; redesigned, re-planned, redesigned, etc.; named for Senator Sarbanes in 2006 Might open in 2015 – cost will be over $120M
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Thus the economic development impact of extreme prettiness seems to have been grossly over estimated. The existing facility could have been prettified modestly for $1M
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The Cost of Prettiness in the Bay Area
Above is the Hayward San Mateo Bridge after widening from 4 to 6 lanes
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Widened in 2003-2004 from 4 to 6 lanes Kept the Post and Beam Design 7 miles of bridge, 2 miles over 100’ clearance Cost of widening $200M Little cost of extreme prettiness
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The Post and Beam Solution to the Oakland SF Bay Bridge Not Pretty but cost was estimated at $400M
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Pretty Solution to replacing the SF-Oakland Bay Bridge = $6.4 Billion
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Current Auto Tolls in Bay Area Antioch, Benicia-Martinez, Carquinez, Dumbarton, Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, and San Mateo-Hayward Bridge = $5
San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge $4 or $6 So all users of bridges pay for the extreme prettiness of the SF-Oakland bridge Revenue per year ~$600M; Debt Service ~$250M
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Peace Arch Bridge – Buffalo to Ft Erie
Twinning the Arch Bridge was estimated to cost $65 M in 1998
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Favored Design = $400M ?? Would be Pretty
Currently Unable to Proceed for Environmental Reasons
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Conclusions Somebody should mention opportunity cost someday If we think extreme prettiness only improves QoL and only improves economic development, a little we should say so. Maybe a subject for research. I’m depressed thinking about this if my conclusion is What I think it is.
Slide Number 1Slide Number 2Slide Number 3Slide Number 4Slide Number 5��The other problem to address:Slide Number 8Slide Number 9Slide Number 10Slide Number 11Slide Number 12Slide Number 13Slide Number 14Slide Number 15Slide Number 16Slide Number 17Slide Number 18Slide Number 19Slide Number 20