Fixing Albuquerque's Traffic Bottleneck Will Yield $10.1B in Benefits
14 April 2000
Fixing Albuquerque's 'Big I' Traffic Bottleneck Will Yield $10.1 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 Albuquerque-area residents and
commuters will reap a total of $10.1 billion in economic benefits when needed
improvements are made on I-40 at the I-25 Interchange, popularly known as the
"Big I." Completing those improvements will result in individual savings for
commuters using the bottleneck of $1,370 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 "Big I" 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 Big I bottleneck isn't just a nuisance, but a
major drain on Albuquerque's economy and the personal productivity of its
citizens," said Bill Fay, President and CEO 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 Albuquerque's traffic bottleneck. Details on the methodology
for deriving the figures are included in the report, which is available at
http://www.highways.org.
ALBUQUERQUE FACT SHEET
From "Saving Time, Saving Money"
American Highway Users Alliance Study
April 13, 2000
I-40 at the I-25 Interchange: The "Big I" at a glance
So called because it resembles a giant eye when viewed from the air, the
Big I is the junction of Interstate 25 and Interstate 40 near Albuquerque's
downtown district. These two highways are vital to both the regional and local
transportation systems. At the regional level, both I-25 and I-40 are primary
routes used for interstate travel and goods shipment. I-25 serves as the
primary highway connecting the international border area of the United States
and Mexico with I-10, I-40, SR-70, and other regional highways used for travel
and transporting goods within and across the southwestern United States. I-40
is a transcontinental highway extending from California to North Carolina and
is heavily used for commercial goods transport and by interstate travelers.
The current structures at the interchange are over 30 years old and
approaching the point at which major reconstruction will be needed just to
keep the current overpasses and ramps in a safe physical condition. It is
estimated that one out of every three trips taken in the Albuquerque region
passes through the Big I.
Savings from Improvements
Listed below are the total economic benefits to be derived from
improvements to the "Big I." The economic values listed for the bottleneck 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: $5.7 billion
Commercial Time Savings: $2.4 billion
Fuel Savings: $870 million
Safety Savings: $460 million
Environmental Savings: $450 million (greenhouse gases)
$220 million (air pollution)
Total Savings: $10.1 billion
Individual Savings: $1,370/year for a typical commuter
