CETA comment on ST2 BCA

Coalition for CETA Effective Transportation Alternatives May 10, 2007 Hon. Julia Patterson, Chair PSRC Transportation Policy Board Central Puget Sound Region, Washington State Dear Councilwoman Patterson: Coalition for Effective Transportation Alternatives commends PSRC for requiring Sound Transit to submit a benefit-cost analysis (BCA) covering the light rail extensions that comprise over half the spending in the forthcoming Integrated Roads and Transit investment package. CETA urges TPB’s attention to the lack of specifics from Sound Transit as to how data for the published input assumptions (attached) for the BCA are assembled and calculated to reach the results claimed. Sound Transit’s assumptions on the next page show that value of time savings, reduced vehicle operating costs, and monetized environmental benefits, among others, all go into the benefits summation. But without the details of data input and calculations, nobody outside of Sound Transit and its consultants can understand the proportions of benefit resulting from each of these sources. Similarly, the sources and proportions of actual cost should be fully revealed quantitatively. CETA urges that the TPB make approval of ST2 conformity to the MTP contingent upon timely issuance of a document showing the data and calculations by Sound Transit that transform the assumptions and inputs listed on the attachment into the resulting time line of cumulative costs and benefits shown in ...