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Los Angeles Metro to open new Expo line stations June 20
Your kidding…over $100 MILLION a mile?!
Tim, that’s a bargain compared to the cost of a new highway on flat land anywhere in California. The Santa Monica Freeway has been historically clogged and the Expo line will see a big boost in ridership when that segment opens.
The Los Angeles Century Freeway cost 127 million per mile in 1993 dollars (see http://www-pam.usc.edu/volume2/v2i1a3s2.html.) Adjusting that number for inflation using the consumer price index would give 202 million per mile in 2012 dollars (of course, construction price inflation is probably different than consumer price inflation, but this is at least in the ballpark.) Relative to the cost of a highway in the LA area, with its high cost of living and real estate prices, this rail line is not on the face of it a bad bargain.
If Mr. Smith had ever tried to deal with LA traffic he would think it well worth it!