Fixing Denver's Tech Center Traffic Bottleneck Will Yield $4.5 Billion
13 April 2000
Fixing Denver's Tech Center Traffic Bottleneck Will Yield $4.5 Billion in Economic Benefits, Study Finds American Highway Users Alliance Documents Savings in
Personal Time, Commercial Time, Fuel, Safety and Environment
WASHINGTON, April 13 A report released today by the
American Highway Users Alliance finds that Denver-area residents and commuters
will reap a total of $4.5 billion in economic benefits when needed
improvements are made on I-25 at the I-225 Interchange, also known as The Tech
Center Interchange. Completing those improvements will result in individual
savings for commuters using the bottleneck of $615 per year, according to the
report.
At a time when consumers are feeling the pinch of both the April 15 tax
deadline and soaring gas prices, the data from the Highway Users' report shows
the value of investing in improving America's traffic bottlenecks. The study
details the substantial payoff to businesses and consumers from completing
congestion-busting highway projects - not only in gas savings, but in reduced
environmental emissions, fewer traffic accidents, and time savings.
The report, Saving Time, Saving Money: The Economics of Unclogging
America's Worst Bottlenecks, assesses the economic impact of the impressive
gains from bottleneck improvements identified in Unclogging America's
Arteries: Prescriptions for Healthier Highways, a 1999 report performed by
Cambridge Systematics for the Highway Users. According to the report, Saving
Time, Saving Money "gives transportation officials, policy makers, and the
general public a clearer understanding of the significant social and economic
rewards to be reaped by improving traffic flow at key choke points."
Unclogging America's Arteries identified and analyzed the 166 worst
bottlenecks in America, and included The Tech Center Interchange in its list
of the top 17 bottlenecks in the country. Saving Time, Saving Money has taken
those findings the next step and assigned monetary values to the time and fuel
savings, safety improvements and environmental benefits.
"This report shows that The Tech Center Interchange isn't just a nuisance,
but a major drain on Denver's economy and the personal productivity of its
citizens," said Bill Fay, Executive Director of the Highway Users. "With so
much to be gained, we need to find a way to streamline the process so that
everyone can begin reaping these benefits."
The report points out that commuters and citizens nationwide would enjoy
more than $336 billion in economic benefits from improvements to the nation's
worst bottlenecks. The average commuter traveling through one of these 166
worst bottlenecks twice each workday could expect to save approximately $345
each year in time and fuel alone, if improvements were made.
"We need to move quickly to fix these bottlenecks," Fay said. "The
opportunity cost of delays - in wasted time and fuel, highway accidents, and
tailpipe emissions that could be avoided if improvements were completed now
rather than later -- is staggering." The report estimates that a three-year
delay in undertaking needed improvements to the 166 bottlenecks yields an
opportunity cost of nearly $30 billion.
"The good news, however," Fay continued, "is that there's hope for curing
congestion on our highways -- which will save lives, improve the environment
and create more free time to spend with our families and friends."
Note: The attached fact sheet provides a breakdown of the savings from
improvements to Denver's traffic bottleneck. Details on the methodology for
deriving the figures are included in the report, which is available at
http://www.highways.org .
DENVER FACT SHEET
From "Saving Time, Saving Money"
American Highway Users Alliance Study
April 13, 2000
I-25 at the I-225 Interchange: The Tech Center Interchange at a glance
The Southeast Corridor has long been recognized as one of the Denver
region's highest priority travel corridors. With the region's two largest
employment centers at either end, it is the highest volume, most congested
corridor in Denver. Located approximately in the middle of the corridor is
the I-25/I-225 interchange. According to Colorado DOT information, I-25
currently experiences "severe congestion" for several miles on either side of
the interchange, and I-225 experiences "moderate congestion."
The proposed improvements in the Southeast Corridor include projects on
two interstate highways and the addition of a light rail transit line. The
highway projects include improvements to eight interchanges (I-25/I-225 is the
major interchange) and the addition of lanes, shoulders, and other features on
both interstates.
Savings from Improvements
Listed below are the total economic benefits to be derived from
improvements to The Tech Center Interchange. The economic values listed for
each of the bottlenecks are cumulative over the construction period and the
20-year useful life of the project. The "individual savings" identify the
amount that a typical commuter traveling through the bottleneck twice each
workday will save in time and fuel.
Personal Time Savings: $2.4 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $1 billion
Fuel Savings: $370 million
Safety Savings: $440 million
Environmental Savings: $190 million (greenhouse gases)
$82 million (air pollution)
Total Savings: $4.5 billion
Individual Savings: $615/year for a typical commuter
