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U.S. Department of Transportation

Figure 3. Initial results of project performance assessment by MTC.

Diagram is a matrix in the form of an x-y chart depicting benefits/costs on the y-axis and the number of goals addressed on the x-axis. Circles are used to indicate the size of the annual project benefit, with larger circles indicating greater benefit (up to more than $1 billion) and smaller circles indicating lesser benefit ($0 to $25M). The circles are also color coded to indicate whether the project is a road project, a transit project, or other. Where they are placed in the chart indicates the combination of goals addressed and size of the benefits achieved by the project.

Under the category of road projects, the number of goals addressed is typically only one or two, and the benefit/cost is typically medium to medium-high. Annual project benefits for freeway and expressway widenting, arterial improvements, and fright are generally small ($0 to $25M) and meet only one goal. Annual benefit/costs for HOV and Freeway-to-freeway interchange improvements are generally low/medium ($26M to $99M) and meet one to two goals. Annual project benefits for a freeway performance initiative and HOT lanes are very large, greater than $1B, and address two of the four goals.

Under the category of transit projects, only two projects are listed: one for transit efficiency and one for transit expansion. Both are in the small/medium project benefit range ($26M to $99M) and address all four goals.

Other projects include climate protection and emissions reduction, which meet one or two goals and provide small benefits ($0 to $25M); a regional bike network, which addresses three goals and provides small/medium benefits ($26M to $99M); a TLC project, which addresses two to three goals and provides medium benefits ($100M to $1B); and maintenance, which addresses two to three goals and provides large benefits (greater than $1B).

Return to Figure 3.