Project

Assessing the Economic Value of Highways Using LEHD Data

For the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), EBP (formerly EDR Group) coauthored a pilot study to assess the usefulness of US Census LEHD (Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamics) data for assessing how highway investments lead to the economic creation value over time. The study used case studies from three metropolitan areas to show how LEHD data can measure the effect of new highway investments on changes in the spatial patterns of households, businesses and commuting, as a result of shifts in travel times and access patterns enabled by the completion of the transportation projects.
 

The relationship of job and income growth to transportation access change was highlighted. Finally, the study report discussed how further research can make use of more refined versions of the LEHD dataset to shed greater light on the efficiency and effectiveness of future transportation policies and investments.