Comments on: Analysis Finds that Funding Public Transit Creates More Jobs Than Funding Highway Projects

By: “When I have nothing to say….” | hugeasscity

“When I have nothing to say….” | hugeasscity — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:21:27 +0000

[...] we have learned that a stimulus dollar spent on transit provides about twice as many jobs as a dollar spent [...]

By: annette

annette — Mon, 04 Jan 2010 22:10:27 +0000

Hi Steven,
The jobs counts include both job retention and job creation; by investing in preventative maintenance we keep the system going which keeps operators employed instead of laid off.

The transit rebuilds (such as rebuilding the downtown subway) are more complex than road rebuilding, more trades involved (e.g. electrical trades, computer programming).

Rebuilding fixed guideway systems actually goes faster because you have a smaller number of larger projects to let for bid, as opposed to say pavement projects, which is a larger number of smaller projects.

FYI, tomorrow we are releasing a more in-depth report on our research, complete with our recommendations as the Senate reviews the Jobs for Main Street Act (H.R. 2847). Check back for the release and report. Thanks for your interest.

By: Let’s Go KC » Stimulus money spent on transit produces twice as many jobs as highways

Sat, 19 Dec 2009 15:28:45 +0000

[...] A new analysis of data from the federal economic stimulus reveals that investment in public transit has produced almost twice as many jobs money invested in highways. Every $1 billion spent on roads and highways resulted in about 8,700 months of work. For transit, it was over 16,000 months of work for the same investment. [...]

By: Steven Vance

Steven Vance — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 00:11:47 +0000

Why is this? Why does transit create more jobs than highway projects dollar for dollar?

So far, my only answer is that it funds jobs longer term because of the people needed to operate the vehicles, maintain them, and plan and supervise services. I’m not so sure this is a reason, though. I know the CTA used millions of dollars to buy new buses and to pay back loans for the Brown Line station rehab project.