"Put teeth in your TIGER II application" 
Applications are due August 23, 2010; Pre-Applications are due July 16, 2010
see http://www.dot.gov/recovery/ost/tigerii/

TREDIS-BC for TIGER II is a special version of the TREDIS Benefit-Cost (BC) Module that is designed to support the quantitative benefit-cost computational methods and data reporting formats required by US DOT for TIGER II applications.  It is available at no cost for current TREDIS subscribers, and at a special subscription cost of $3,000 for all others (which provides unlimited use through August 23, 2010, along with basic technical assistance and a credit for later upgrading to the complete TREDIS framework).

This web-based analysis system is designed to provide you with the computational support you need to address the following key areas specified in the Federal Register vol.75, n.104, June 1, 2010):

• Evaluation of Expected Project Costs and Benefits [p. 30465, (v) and Appendix A]
• Economic Competitiveness [p.30464, 1(a)(11)]

• Job Creation & Economic Stimulus [p. 30466, (b)]

TREDIS-BC for TIGER II is unique in its coverage of economic benefits associated with projects that are multi-modal (any combination of highway, transit, rail and/or marine port), affect access to intermodal facilities, or have impacts on labor market access, freight distribution, energy efficiency and/or carbon emissions. This web-based platform includes input forms and instructions to guide you through the basic steps and generate tables addressing the following requirements for TIGER II applications:

Long-Term and Short-Term Outcomes
• Assesses economic benefits, costs and other impacts at both national and local/regional levels
• Distinguishes long-term productivity benefits from economic development & construction impacts
• Calculates productivity from reduced congestion, increased reliability and enhanced network linkages
• Captures benefits of investments in one mode that also affect other modes of transportation

Benefit-Cost Evaluation (addressing USDOT Requirements)
• Breaks down cost components (including land, structures, right-of-way, maintenance, operations)
• Breaks down benefit components ( including travel time costs, travel expense, safety, reliability, access, connectivity, productivity, emissions reduction)
• Shows year-by-year streams of benefits and costs in constant dollars, undiscounted and discounted
• Shows present value in terms of both 3% and 7% real discount rates, in constant dollars
• Presents an explicit baseline scenario, as well as project scenarios
• Recognizes and displays useful life and residual value

Benefits in "Good State of Repair"
• Assesses "life cycle cost" savings (including value of reducing operations and maintenance costs)
• Assesses long term benefits of maintaining adequate network capacity such as reduced congestion and enhanced accessibility

Benefits in "Economic Competitiveness"
• Translates travel efficiency, reliability and access changes into economic productivity
• Maintains transparency by showing intermediate calculations, avoiding double counting
• Distinguishes national productivity gains from business relocation impacts
• Identifies regional economic gains applicable for distressed areas (where resources are under-utilized)

Benefits in "Livability"
• Displays impacts of various modal options (multi-modal benefits) from changes in trip, VMT, and levels of service

Benefits in Environmental Sustainability
• Assesses benefit of improvement in energy efficiency (fuel consumption)
• Assesses benefit of reduction in air pollution and carbon emissions
• Can account for other environmental and social benefits

Improvements in Safety
• Captures additional societal benefits of health and safety enhancement

Other Economic Effects (not in Benefit/Cost Analysis)
• Calculates and displays projects' direct impact on jobs and income, by year

Note: TREDIS-BC for TIGER II provides an accounting and calculation framework, along with factors for calculation of economic benefits and costs. However, it is up to its users to apply their own travel models or sketch planning calculations to generate basic input data on transportation system changes (including project cost, number of affected vehicles and passengers, changes in travel times, travel distances, reliability or congestion levels, accident rates and impact on access to or use of intermodal facilities).

BASIC SERVICE: TREDIS FOR TIGER II - Includes unlimited use of the web-based benefit-cost module for two months, a web-based training session and up to 2 hours of "troubleshooting" support (including assistance managing the user interface, interpreting reports, and exporting files and data for application submissions). $3,000.

BASIC SERVICE PLUS SUPPORT LEVEL 1: ANALYSIS METHODS - For those who need additional technical expertise, this recommended option provides the Basic Service with support expanded to a maximum of 16 hours, allowing for assistance developing the inputs to TREDIS for TIGER II from other models and data sources you may have available (including output from travel models, safety studies and environmental impact calculations). It includes assistance designing methods for post-processing travel demand models to generate input data, and advice on use of local data and tools consistent with the TREDIS framework and TIGER II applications.

BASIC SERVICE PLUS SUPPORT LEVEL 2: POLICY AND METHODS - This option provides the basic service and advice on analysis methods described above, with support expanded to a maximum of 40 hours, allowing for further assistance on how to best frame a project analysis and its results within the larger context of a TIGER II grant application. It may include guidance regarding specific "selling points" for a project that are evident in TREDIS for TIGER II output, and key areas where non-quantitative information from outside the TREDIS for TIGER II system will be of particular importance.

For more information, or to order TREDIS-BC for TIGER II, please send email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call our toll free number 1-877-681-3851.