Santa Clara River Trail Final Master Plan - Development Services ...

Chapter 5: Benefit Cost Analysis
than for the 5 percent discount case because the lower discount rate results in less discounting of
construction costs and annual maintenance costs in later years.
The above benefit-cost results are based on conservative, lower-bound type data inputs and assumptions
and there are additional categories of benefits which have not been considered in the above analysis
because of the difficulty in quantifying them. Additional benefits include increased economic vitality of
communities, increased property values, improved quality of life, and more social equity. The actual
benefit-cost ratios are likely substantially higher than those shown above in Table 8 because:
The census data on bicycle commuters probably substantially underestimate the actual
percentages of bicycle commuters. In Oxnard, a substantial number of bicycle commuters
commute to Metro Link or Gold Coast Transit stations. These bicycle commuters are probably
counted under “transit” rather than “bicycle.”
Because of Oxnard’s very dry temperate climate, with relatively few rainy days, cycling is a yearround
activity and the percentages of adult cyclists are likely underestimated by the NCHRP’s
national estimates, which include many areas with severe winters and/or many more rainy days.
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