Browsing by Subject "Economic analysis"

Now showing 1 - 6 of 6
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    Advanced Acquisition of Right-of-Way: Best Practices and Corridor Case Studies
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, Research Services Section, 2009-01) Aultman, Sara; Lari, Adeel
    The most expensive part of many transportation projects, especially roadway expansions, is acquiring the Right-of- Way (ROW). One approach that the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) has used to decrease these costs is through a practice known as advanced acquisition. This study documents Mn/DOT’s current advanced acquisition practices and investigates the appreciation rates of parcels adjacent to transportation corridors. Current practices were documented by surveying the eight Mn/DOT district offices and city officials. These surveys identified current problems with advanced acquisition practices, such as excess land acquisition, lack of guidelines on preservation tools, and the increased need for communication between cities, counties, and Mn/DOT. The corridor case studies showed that the effect of being adjacent to a transportation corridor is heterogeneous across the three corridors studied. A binomial logit model was developed and the only significant variable was the subdivided. This indicates that a parcel that has subdivided is strongly correlated with an appreciation rate above 25% per year. From these findings we developed two recommendations. First, we recommend Mn/DOT develop a set of guidelines for Mn/DOT district managers regarding how and when to use certain ROW preservation tools. Second, we recommend Mn/DOT develop a monitoring program for transportation corridors in the Twin Cities that can identify properties on the verge of subdivision or a land use change.
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    A Comparative Economic Analysis of the Impact of Taxes and Royalties on Potential Non-Ferrous Mining Projects: Minnesota’s Rank - Nationally and Internationally - at the Start of the 21st Century: Interim Report
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2002) Zanko, Lawrence M
    There still exists in the non-ferrous minerals industry a perception that Minnesota is a hightax state, making it unattractive for hard rock mineral investment. This perception is reflected by the most recent industry survey performed by the Canada-based Fraser Institute, in which Minnesota was ranked near the bottom in the categories of: 1) mineral potential, 2) policy potential, and 3) investment attractiveness, relative to several U.S. states, Canadian provinces, and most other foreign countries. To address this negative perception issue, an up-to-date, rigorous, and objective comparative economic analysis is being performed to quantify the economic impact that Minnesota’s current tax and royalty policies have on potential non-ferrous mining projects. This ongoing analysis uses hypothetical mining project models that are patterned after realistic mining operations worldwide, with an emphasis on Cu ± Ni ± PGE and PGE deposits, given Minnesota’s widely acknowledged mineral potential for both. Both underground and open pit mining methods are addressed in what will ultimately be a multi-state (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Montana, Arizona, Alaska, and Nevada) and multi-province and country (Ontario, British Columbia, Western Australia, Chile, and Sweden) comparison, against which the tax and royalty policies of each regime are applied. Economic measurement tools - like discounted cash flow rate of return (DCFROR) and sensitivity analyses - are used to provide quantitative results. Multiple economic scenarios will provide a range of outcomes that can be evaluated by both the private and public sector. For example, the specific example presented herein shows that Minnesota compares well with the Canadian province of Ontario with respect to mining taxes and royalties.
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    The Economics and Logistics of Transporting Taconite Mining and Processing Byproducts (Aggregate): Minnesota and Beyond
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 2008) Zanko, Lawrence M; Ogard, Elizabeth E; Stewart, Richard D
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    Techno-Economic Analysis of Implementing Hybrid Electric Utility Vehicles in Municipal Fleets
    (Minnesota Department of Transportation, 2020-07) Northrop, Will; Zarling, Darrick; Haag, Shawn
    This research quantified fuel economy improvements by implementing hybrid electric utility vehicles in municipal fleets. The research team analyzed utility vehicle data and built computer vehicle simulations of utility trucks with three powertrain types: conventional, charge sustaining hybrid, and charge depleting hybrid plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). Driving cycles were recorded from three vehicle groups, ¾-ton pickup trucks, ½-ton pickup trucks, and SUVs using portable onboard diagnostics loggers. Collected data were used in vehicle simulations to determine the fuel economy improvement possible when implementing hybrid powertrain architectures in municipal fleets. The magnitude of benefits from implementing hybrid vehicles was highly dependent on driving cycles and the electric motor/battery combination of the PHEV. The highest kinetic intensity (KI) values, representing urban driving, were found to lead to the greatest fuel economy improvements for hybrid vehicles over conventionally powered vehicles. The results depended heavily on the electric motor/battery combination, with the higher battery capacity plug-in hybrid vehicles yielding the highest levels of fuel economy improvement. It is recommended that fleets consider driving cycle as the primary factor for determining the economic benefits of purchasing alternative powertrain vehicles. Hybrid vehicles should be placed on routes that are more urban, while rural/highway routes would be better served by conventionally powered vehicles. Idling time was also calculated for all the drive cycles and needs to be separately accounted for when analyzing driving cycle data. Idling for over 50% of the driving cycle can lead to about a 10% reduction in fuel economy based on the modeling conducted for ¾ ton pickup trucks in this study. The research team further recommends that aggressive driving be reduced as it will negate the fuel economy advantages possible from hybrid powertrain architectures.
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    Transportation Cost Evaluation of Southeastern Minnesota Carbonates
    (University of Minnesota Duluth, 1997) Zanko, Lawrence M