DETERMINING TRUCK SYSTEM COSTS FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA INTERSTATE 80 CORRIDOR

Public investment in the transportation infrastructure has traditionally been along modal lines with little effort to develop a multimodal approach. Consequently, it is difficult to determine if public transportation dollars have been invested in the most cost-effective manner. Previous research has indicated that modally oriented planning and investment is economically inefficient and generates fewer social benefits than a multimodal approach. A system cost analysis is a prerequisite to any multimodal investment analysis. A component of the system cost analysis is summarized--a through-cost comparison of truck freight on the Pennsylvania I-80 corridor. The system cost analysis includes truck operating costs with a discussion of truck user taxes and their relationship to infrastructure, accident, and other related and environmental costs. The discussion concerning the relationship between infrastructure costs and truck user taxes and fees is important in identifying the system costs that are supported by truck operators and the actual costs incurred by the system. The truck-supported system costs, using a life cycle cost approach, amounts to $1.07 per mile or 8.1 cents per ton-mile on the Pennsylvania I-80 corridor. The costs incurred by the system, excluding exhaust emissions, amounts to $1.30 per mile or 9.8 cents per ton-mile. Annual truck emissions on the I-80 corridor are estimated for hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter. These can be used for comparison with other modal strategies.

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