By the Numbers

Crunch this, to play along with the Transit Working Group on the sausage link

Scope

162; Entire mileage of existing Cap Metro-owned rail line, Giddings-Llano

28; Miles of proposed Green Line system, Austin-Elgin

8; Passenger stations proposed (Downtown Austin, Plaza Saltillo, two Park & Rides in East Austin, SH 130, Manor, midway Park & Ride, Downtown Elgin)

30-35 minutes; Travel time: Elgin to Austin Convention Center

20 minutes; Initial time between trains, peak periods

5; Initial number of diesel-fueled passenger cars running

Riders

7,000 to 12,000; Base forecast: 2,030 daily weekday riders (1.8 million to 3.1 million annually)

20% to 40%; Potential ridership increase if transit-oriented development along route is fully implemented (and as gas prices rise); additional ridership is anticipated from reverse commutes, weekend use, and special events

450; Passengers per hour in each direction, initial capacity

2,400; Passengers per hour in each direction, long-term capacity

Costs

$161 million to $192 million; Start-up system capital costs

$10 million to $15 million; Annual operating and maintenance costs

64 cents to $1.20; Annualized cost per passenger mile

$8.82 to $16.48; Annualized capital cost per passenger trip

$6.50; 2030 rider fare projected, one-way (21% to 35% of annual operating and maintenance cost)

Financing

10; Partners with strong potential to co-fund the project (Cap Metro; cities of Austin, Manor, Elgin; counties of Travis, Bastrop; Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority; Texas Department of Transportation; Federal Transit Administration; private sector)

21; Potential revenue sources: fare-box revenue, sales tax, property tax, assessments, user fees, parking revenues, federal funds, state funds, general obligation bonds, hotel/motel tax, electrical sales, development revenue and franchises, capital improvement projects budgets (water/wastewater, roadways, airport), other fees, private-sector contributions

Value-Capture

$398 million; Increase in property values (tax base) projected along rail line by 2030 (16% higher than without rail), Austin to Manor portion only

50%; Increase in values of development projects near DART Rail stations in Dallas, from 2005 to 2007

70%; Percentage of system construction costs that potentially could be funded with tax increment financing (Austin to Manor only)

80 acres; Size of Elgin tract purchased for transit-oriented development

$664 million; Increase in tax base for 80-acre site, for TOD vs. conventional development

$2.9 million; Increase in regional income, for each 1% of travel shifted from auto to transit

Environmental/Quality of Life/Safety

113 million to 194 million; Decrease in annual vehicle miles traveled, by 2030, attributable to Green Line

95%; Decrease in carbon-monoxide air pollution, per passenger mile, transit vs. auto

45%; Decrease in CO2 emissions, per passenger mile, transit vs. auto

46%; Percent of U.S. vehicles that leak hazardous fluids, causing water pollution

40%; Increased rate of traffic fatalities in cities with bus-only transit vs. large rail transit cities (four additional deaths/100,000 people)

Timeline

3 to 4 years; Time needed to design and build the system, from project authorization

2014; Year the first commuter trains could run, assuming: 2009 project approval, one to two years to work out partnerships and funding/financing, four years to build system (waiting on federal funding could add another two to four years)

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Source: Draft report prepared for Capital Metro by consultant Parsons Brinckerhoff. All estimated costs in 2008 dollars. All projections based on service year 2030. All numbers will be refined by further research, analysis, cost/ridership modeling, and engineering studies. The full 38-page report with appendices should be posted online soon at www.capmetro.org.