For a broad-reaching and transformational program such as Link21, there will be countless ideas and options to improve the megaregional rail network. The Link21 Business Case is a framework by which these solutions will be systematically evaluated against a number of criteria. By proceeding through the Business Case, only the best-performing solutions move forward in the program.
The Link21 Business Case will encompass four main areas:
The Strategic Case
What are the Megaregional benefits?
The Strategic Case allows the Link21 Team to measure how a concept will fulfill Link21’s Goals and Objectives and establish why and how it makes sense. The Team has developed metrics for each Goal and Objective. See example metrics below.
Example Strategic Metrics (full list):
- Travel Time Savings
- Ridership
- Reliability
- Benefits to Priority Populations
- Accessibility to Rail
- Number of additional jobs accessible
- Number of additional important community resources accessible
The Economic Case
What are the economic benefits and Program costs?
The Economic Case evaluates benefits to rail and non-rail travelers, as well as society as a whole, and identifies the economic value to the Megaregion. It assesses economic advantages such as business and employment benefits and analyzes cost effectiveness of the concepts by monetizing benefits and comparing them to the estimated Program costs.
Example Economic Metrics (full list):
- Cost Effectiveness
- Economic Benefits
The Financial Case
What are the financial implications?
The Financial Case determines how much it will cost to deliver and operate the new system, how much revenue it will generate, and what funding might be used to pay for it.
Example Financial Metrics (full list):
- Capital Costs
- Operations and Maintenance Costs
- Fundability
The Deliverability Case
What is required to deliver and operate the project?
The Deliverability Case measures how the Project can be delivered, what’s required to design, construct, and manage the new system. It also assesses potential project risks or challenges associated with each concept such as environmental risks and right-of-way and land use risks, including the risk of displacement.
Example Deliverability Metrics (full list):
- Constructability
- Equitable Land Use
- Environmental
- Right-of-Way Acquisition
