[electricron]

$626 million for 15.3 miles of streetcar line, is approximately $40.8 miillion/ mile.

That's just slightly less expensive as Dart's longer light rail projects. The reason the relative costs are so high is because this line goes through downtown Austin. Even Dart experiences higher costs per mile in downtown Dallas.

What I found interesting to read is that they envision two routes, UT to ABIA and Seaholm to Mueller. Which means one will have to transfer from one line to another to ride the train from Mueller to ABIA. I'm only pointing this out because a 15 mile line is really too long for most streetcar lines, which operate much better at shorter distances. Which is probably why the transit experts suggest breaking this one line up into two lines, effectively halving the length of each line.

But they're also planning four stages of construction, and 11 to 12 years to complete all four. That seems like a long time, but other cities experence this much time for the first Federally funded project.

Therefore to speed initial construction of the backbone (Stage 1) through downtown, the backbone is planned to be financed without any Federal funds. Which is good for speeding up the process, but not so good because it's the most expensive stage. I'd be surprised if they finish Stage 2 in less than 10 years. I'd add several more years for Stages 3 and 4 being completed, as the FTA can delay construction significantly. But who knows, a new administration starts next January, and FTA approval may come quicker.

Good luck!