Suppose That the Cost of Installing an Overhead Pedestrian Walkway

question 69

Multiple Choice

Suppose that the cost of installing an overhead pedestrian walkway in a college town is $150,000. The walkway is expected to reduce the risk of fatality by 1.5 percent, and the cost of a human life is estimated at $10 million. The town should

• A)install the walkway because the estimated benefit is twice the cost.
• B)be indifferent between installing and not installing the walkway because the estimated benefit equals the cost.
• C)not install the walkway, since the cost is twice the estimated benefit.
• D)install the walkway, since the cost of even a single life is too great not to take action.

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Definitions:

Payments

Amounts of money paid by one party to another, often at regular intervals, in exchange for goods or services.

Repaid

The act of paying back money that was borrowed from a person, bank, or financial institution.

Interest Rate

The ratio at which interest is applied to money loaned by a borrower from a lending party.

Compounded Semi-annually

A financial term indicating the interest on an investment is calculated and added to the principal balance twice every year, enhancing the total return over periods.