Cost-Benefit Analyses for Traffic-Management and Road-Maintenance Measures

The economic efficiency of road construction projects is often evaluated using cost-benefit analyses. In order to ensure their commensurability, Swiss authorities are expected to ensure that such analyses are carried out in accordance with standards SN 641 820 to SN 641 828.

In the wake of struggles to craft the right transportation policies and to best allocate public funding, road construction projects are increasingly taking a back seat to traffic-management and road-maintenance measures. Many are of the opinion that proper traffic management can make road-development projects superfluous. Often, however, no data relating to the costs and benefits associated with these alternative approaches are available. There is therefore no way of comparing them to road-construction projects.

Using cost-benefit analyses to assess traffic management and road maintenance

The results of our research project show that the same standards that are applied to assessing the costs and benefits of road-development projects can also be effectively applied to traffic-management and road-maintenance measures. Moreover, a basis for the application is essentially available.

However, we also found that special challenges arise in the context of assessing the costs and benefits of measures in subordinate road networks – especially when it comes to traffic modeling data, sojourn quality and the representation of traffic incidents. The scope of our report includes the latest findings, approaches to cost-benefit analyses, tips on how to apply the methods of analysis and a list of factors that warrant further inquiry.