I prepared a benefit-cost analysis and a colleague conducted community interviews in support of the City of Cordova’s application for a 2021 RAISE grant for improvements to the South Harbor. After completing the work for a RAISE grant, the contract was amended to include a slightly expanded benefit-cost analysis, to include improvements to the North Harbor, for a PIDP grant application. The city had previously hired another consultant for prior years’ grant applications, so our work updated and expanded that analysis. I redeveloped the spreadsheet to make it more user-friendly and add sensitivity analyses based on USDOT reviewers’ feedback on those prior applications. I also expanded the benefits considered in the analysis and removed less-defensible claims. Our client praised our more data-driven analysis and report. This work took place in 2021. The City of Cordova was awarded a $20 million RAISE grant for its South Harbor.
