Capital Project Evaluation Legend

In response to State of Illinois legislation and feedback from regional stakeholders, a new evaluation process was developed, during the implementation of Transit is the Answer, the new regional strategic plan, for capital projects entering the five-year capital program. A series of 15 metrics was agreed upon to evaluate projects. These metrics address the 12 regional goals for capital investments that were articulated in state statute, suggested by the Service Boards, or recommended by members of the strategic plan stakeholder working groups. The 2024-2028 and future capital programs are evaluated using this new methodology. The metrics and their measures are detailed below.

Access to Key Destinations

The degree to which a project improves regional access to the region’s key destinations. Including jobs, retail, healthcare, recreation, and education.

Measure	Symbol
Significantly improves Access to Key Destinations
Moderately improves Access to Key Destinations
Maintains Access to Key Destinations
Does not impact Access to Key Destinations

Accessibility Improvements

The project improvements to existing assets to make them partially or fully accessible. Including station/stop and area improvements, vehicle accessibility, and accessible communications.

Measure	Symbol
Makes assets fully accessible
Makes assets partially accessible
Is needed to maintain current levels of accessibility
Project is not related to accessibility

Asset Condition

The project impact to ratings from the FTA Transit Economic Requirements Model (TERM).

Measure	Symbol
Asset(s) rated below 2
Asset(s) rated 2-3
Asset(s) rated above 3
Project does not have an asset rating

Benefit to Riders

The project’s minor or major benefits to riders and what proportion of the agency’s riders will benefit from it.

Measure	Symbol
Significant benefit to riders
Moderate benefit to riders
Helps to maintain current benefits to riders
Project does not impact riders

Capacity Benefit and Need

The project impact on overall capacity, reflecting current and planned levels of utilization.

Measure	Symbol
Project increases capacity of transit operations near capacity
Project increases capacity of transit operations not near capacity
Project maintains/returns system to original capacity
Not related to capacity of transit operations or facilities

Climate Agency Operating Impacts

The project impact on reductions or offsets to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from transit operations.

Measure	Symbol
Supports significant reduction in emissions
Supports moderate reduction in emissions
No reduction in emission
Project does not effect GHG emissions

Economic Impact

Project impacts on land use and development, construction, and long-term jobs.

Measure	Symbol
Large impact on economic development
Moderate impact on economic development
Small impact on economic development
No economic impact

Equity Based on Residential Geography

The distribution of project benefits to location(s) identified under the USDOT Justice40 Program.

Measure	Symbol
Scores 6-8 in Justice40 metric 'Sum of Disadvantage Indicators'
Scores 3-5 in Justice40 metric 'Sum of Disadvantage Indicators'
Score 0-2 in Justice40 metric 'Sum of Disadvantage Indicators'
Project is not location specific or benefits entire service area

Impact on Customer and Employee Safety

The project impact to maintenance or improvement of exposure to risk for riders/employees and the project impact to safety enhancement.

Measure	Symbol
Project directly provides safety benefit/improvement
Project indirectly provides safety benefit/improvement
Project maintains current safety levels
Project has no impact on safety

Impact on Operating Cost

The project impact on operating costs.

Measure	Symbol
Decreases operating cost
No change in operating cost
Increases operating cost
No effect on operating cost or cost change undetermined

Impact on System Security

The project impact to maintenance or improvement of exposure to risk for riders/employees and the project impact to security enhancement.

Measure	Symbol
Project implements new security protection and/or prevention
Project enhances existing security level
Project maintains or replaces existing level of security
Project does not impact security

Impact to Service Speed/Reliability

Project impact on maintenance or improvement of service speed and reliability, considering both direct and indirect impacts.

Measure	Symbol
Significantly improves speed/reliability
Moderately improves current speed/reliability
Needed to maintain current speek/reliability
No impact on service speed/reliability

Regulatory Requirements

If required, whether or not the project complies with federal, state, local, or other regulatory mandates.

Measure	Symbol
Project Meets Regulatory Requirements
No regulatory requirements met for this project

Ridership/Mode Shift Impacts

The project impact to climate benefits, such as a reduction in emissions, generated from mode shift to transit and away from private auto-use.

Measure	Symbol
Significantly improves transit ridership
Moderately improves transit ridership
Maintains assets necessary for transit ridership
Project has no impact on transit ridership

Vehicle Useful Life

The Project impact to average vehicle ages, compared with Service board benchmarks to prioritize replacing vehicles that are beyond their useful life.

Measure	Symbol
Over 2 years past useful life
0-2 years past useful life
Not exceeding useful life
Asset is not a vehicle with a useful life