“A unifying framework for multicriteria and cost–benefit analysis in mass transit decision-making: Evidence from Italy”

Implementing a Mass Transit System (MTS) is a complex task, as decision-makers must compare multiple technologies and route options while balancing user needs, operator requirements, and financial constraints. Therefore, a rational and transparent decision-making process is essential to identify solutions that are both technically appropriate and economically viable. However, to the best of the authors' knowledge, existing studies address only parts of this process. Some integrated Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) and Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) approaches operate only after project alternatives have already been selected. Moreover, they often require a full CBA for each option, which is impractical in early planning phases when data are limited, and the solution space remains broad. Other applications use MCA to rank predefined MTS alternatives but do not model how technology choices and route configurations are generated or how these upstream decisions influence subsequent economic feasibility. As a result, the overall evaluation of MTS alternatives remains fragmented across separate analytical stages.This paper addresses prior gaps by proposing a structured, operational framework that unifies the overall decision-making process and supports decision-makers throughout all planning stages. It explicitly links technology selection, route definition, and economic appraisal within a single, coherent sequence of decisions. This framework is organised in three phases. The first phase selects the optimal MTS using a two-stage MCA: the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) to incorporate stakeholders' preferences, followed by the Weighted Sum Method (WSM) to identify the best system. The second phase applies the WSM again to determine the optimal route among a set of different routes suitable for the system selected in the first phase. Finally, the third phase applies a comprehensive CBA to assess the economic feasibility of the solution developed in the previous two phases.The framework is applied to a case study in the province of Brescia (Italy) to identify the optimal public transport solution for the corridor connecting the city of Brescia to the northwestern shore of Lake Garda, currently served only by a suburban bus system. The results highlight the importance of integrating MCA and CBA into a unified decision-making process to overcome fragmented planning approaches and support more transparent and robust transport decisions. Thus, the proposed framework provides decision-makers with a practical, replicable procedure for identifying MTS solutions that are not only technically and socially optimal but also economically sustainable.