Project

Evaluation of Bus Rapid Transit in Sydney, Australia

EBP (formerly EDR Group) worked with the Institute of Transport Studies at the University of Sydney, Australia to conduct an evaluation of bus rapid transit (BRT) options for the North Beaches area north of Central Sydney. The study, conducted for Transport NSW, examined the benefits and economic impacts of BRT options involving alternative design and operational plans for a planned service to connect the Central Business District (CBD) of Sydney with the fast-growing northern suburbs. The analysis considered the extent to which proposed alternatives would help meet a regional goal of improving access between labor market population growth areas and job centers, which include a new "global economic corridor" and medical complex as well as the CBD.

The analysis applied a TREDIS-based methodology for use in assessing the wider economic benefits of public transportation alternatives. The analysis approach incorporated the MetroScan system, which combines EBP's TREDIS system for assessing wider economic benefits with the University of Sydney's TRESIS system for assessing the effect of changing demographics, car ownership, and urban development patterns. Both the benefit-cost analysis and economic impact analysis was conducted. This methodology has since been referenced in the NSW guide for project appraisal.

Read Original Manuscript: Weisbrod, Mulley, and Hensher (2015). Recognising the complementary contributions of cost-benefit analysis and economic impact analysis to an understanding of the worth of public transport investment: A case study of bus rapid transit in Sydney, Australia. Presented at the Thredbo Conference on Land Passenger Transport (Santiago, Chile) September 2015.

Published Journal Article: Recognising the complementary contributions of cost benefit analysis and economic impact analysis to an understanding of the worth of public transport investment: A case study of bus rapid transit in Sydney, Australia," Research in Transportation Economics, #513,DOI 10.1016