Project Summary

This two-year project will focus on developing methods for quantifying the external social costs of transportation civil infrastructure projects, particularly small to mid-size projects that are common in New England states. Transportation projects have costs and benefits that affect society that are external to the project budget. These external costs and benefits of transportation projects can include effects on the environment, health, equity, and the overall resiliency of the system. Although the overall costs of a project to society (a project’s “social costs”) include both project costs and external costs, the latter are rarely included in project cost assessments, particularly on small to modest size projects. The proposed project therefore aims at filling this gap by developing a relatively easy to understand and implement methodology and an associated user-friendly tool to assist transportation professionals in assessing full social costs and benefits of a project. This will better inform transportation decision making such as for
consideration of design alternatives, project prioritization, or adoption of new technologies and engineering innovations. The project will include clear and concise practice-oriented guidance material and training to support the use of the developed tool by transportation practitioners.