01472811

Component

Congestion alleviation has long been a core planning objective in most transportation programs, but existing policy portfolios have been both costly and unsuccessful at alleviating congestion. Road gridlock is inconvenient, but it remains unclear under which conditions this indicator of active urban places also impedes other social objectives, among which this research focuses on the economy. Using panel data for 88 U.S. Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), this study estimates congestion’s drag on employment growth (1993 to 2008) and gross metropolitan productivity growth per capita (2001 to 2008). Results indicate that higher congestion is not associated with slower productivity growth, but is associated with slower employment growth rates above congestion levels of 28 (shorter-term) or 32 annual hours of delay per commuter (longer-term). Nevertheless, evidence also suggests that natural adaptations to congestion through shifts in industry mix moderate congestion's expected drag - particularly over the longer term.

This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ABE20 Transportation Economics.

01470560

13-2625

English

23p

2013

Transportation Research Board 92nd Annual Meeting

Digital/other

Figures; References; Tables

Economic growth; Economic impacts; Employment; Labor productivity; Metropolitan areas; Regional planning; Traffic congestion

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

United States

Economics; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Society; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning

Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting 2013 Paper #13-2625

TRIS, TRB, ATRI

Feb 5 2013 12:33PM