Updating Austroads RUE unit values and related methodologies

In this report, the key findings regarding the methodologies often used in the valuation of RUE in Australia are presented, and a number of suggestions for updating some of these methodologies are put forward for consideration. Over an extended period of time, these methodologies have been developed in consultation with Austroads members and used in the evaluation of road projects in Australia. Austroads updates of unit values and cost estimation algorithms used as inputs for urban and non urban road investment evaluation models have become the industry standard in Australia. Updates provide a comprehensive and detailed coverage in both market and resource price terms of road user effects (RUE) inputs such as vehicle operating costs (VOC) elements (fuel, tyres, oil, repairs and maintenance), travel time elements (driver, occupant and freight contents), crash costs for a range of crash severity categories, and other externality costs such as congestion and emissions (environmental and social impacts). The key findings are summarised in a tabular form in Table 7.1 and Table 7.2 of the report. Table 7.1 summarises a number of issues related to models and modelling equations/ algorithms used to determine the quantity (consumption) of RUE items, while Table 7.2 summarises the results related to methodologies used to determine the values/prices of key RUE items.