Research methodology for the role of road infrastructure in the economy 

This research methodology paper will discuss the role of road infrastructure in the U.S economy by diving into the economic effects it has on areas surrounding roads, overall economic growth, and environmental sustainability.

In order to fully understand how roads affect society and different industries in the United States, we need to fully explore their effects and how they actually play a role in these areas. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, “Roads are the lifeblood of a community, a source of transportation and jobs, and a source of pride. Local roads provide valuable mobility options for people, while major roadways strengthen regional economies by linking residents with jobs and recreational opportunities”. This quote is key in understanding how roads impact various areas of our lives as well as the United States overall economy.

This research focuses on the impacts that roads have on local communities in terms of transportation accessibility and economic growth. The research will also touch upon the environmental impacts of roads, mostly in regards to traffic and pollution.

Roads are a key factor of transportation in our society. Although roads do not provide mass amounts of people with direct access to their homes (ex: bus stops), they provide a vital link between residential areas and commercial sections. They allow members of society the ability to travel away from their homes for various reasons including food, clothes, health care, entertainment, or employment opportunities.

Furthermore, roads are also an extremely important aspect in the economy. In 2008, the Department of Transportation estimated that over $1.3 trillion would be spent on infrastructure projects in the United States that year. Within this amount is approximately $168 billion spent on Federalism Projects. Therefore, roughly 66% of the United States’ budget was used for road construction and repair during that year. This is a huge amount of money spent on construction of roads, which increases GDP and generates jobs.

In this same year, the Federal Highway Administration reported that an estimated 3.7 million jobs in the construction and related industries were created from highway spending and another 2.3 million jobs were generated from indirect business support. Another key factor that these numbers show is that roughly 42% of total employment in the United States is based on roads and highways spending, including direct employment as well as indirect employment generated through business and trade related to road construction.

This research aims to investigate the effects that roads have on local communities in terms of transportation accessibility and economic growth. The study will also touch upon the environmental impacts of roads, mostly in regards to traffic and pollution.

Accessibility:

Earlier research has shown that road building has had major impacts on development patterns as well as land use patterns. In a study done by Ng et al., they studied the effects of road construction on land use over a 20 year period between 1984-1999. In the study, development was shifting toward suburban areas near new road construction. One of the greatest links between transportation and land use is accessibility. Not only does road construction create an increased accessibility to other areas, but it also allows for the improvement of these areas by drawing in businesses and housing opportunities, therefore increasing demand for services such as schools, restaurants, hospitals and more.

Taking a look into real world examples of this concept, we can further understand how road access affects land use patterns in specific regions. Since 1990, Johnson County has been undergoing extensive development around the growth of the cities of Overland Park and Olathe. The development was originally focused on the areas surrounding these sub communities, but it is now spreading out to surrounding properties. For instance, Johnson County has expanded to include a four lane road that runs from Lawrence through Olathe and into Overland Park. This growth has led to significant increases in commercial demand for goods and services as well as employment opportunities. This demand is created by land use changes, primarily the increases in housing in these suburban and non-suburban areas near these roads.

Another example can be seen in North Platte, Nebraska. The city of North Platte has been undergoing significant growth and development as of late. One of the key factors contributing towards this growth is the completion of several roadways including a four lane highway from Lincoln to Omaha, I-680 from Omaha back to Lincoln, and I-80 from Omaha to Council Bluffs.

In both these areas, increases in population and land values have led to a tremendous amount of new commercial investment. The roads have helped to grow commercial demand by drawing in businesses and creating jobs. In Johnson County, the number of establishments has increased by 40% since 1990. In North Platte, retail sales have grown by over 30% since 1990, most of this growth in retail sales coming from the completion of commercial developments along the I-80 corridor.

Land Use and Development Patterns:

The transportation of people is an integral part of the infrastructure of a community. The building of roads or highways allows for easy access to other areas, which means that communities can be very mobile in traveling to other areas. With the advent of cars and modern day transportation, communities have been able to grow further away from their central hubs, but still have easy access to necessary services. Not only this, but the building of new roads allows for additional land to be added to the market and allows for a more modern appearance.

The expansion of these communities has led to the creation of residential areas in areas which were previously not developed or have not seen intense developments. One example comes from a study conducted by Skorobogatova (2017). They looked at how urbanization affected land use patterns in Minneapolis. The study found that the expansion of sprawl was a significant factor in changing land use patterns. They found that land use patterns changed from a high density mixed use pattern to a low density mixed use pattern with retail and residential uses. The expansion of housing away from the urban core of Minneapolis led to increases in commercial land uses, especially retail.

Different areas within cities in regards to transportation access is also important to take into consideration. The relationship between transportation and land use can lead to an increased demand for services such as schools, hospitals, and transportation in the area surrounding new developments due to increased accessibility. The link between land use and transportation is something that has not reached its full maturity at this point. More research needs to be done on this topic, especially in areas of dense population and locations surrounding urban cores.

Air Pollution:

One of the most significant impacts that roads have on the environment is their impact on air quality. With increased accessibility to other areas, there is an increase in traffic as well as increased pollution from automobiles, trucks and cars. The average vehicle emits about 1.2 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. This is the equivalent to about 2,000 pounds per year per vehicle (EPA, 2009). As the number of vehicles increases on the roadways, so does air pollution.

The greatest contributors towards air pollution come from vehicles with internal combustion engines (EPA, 2009). Automobiles and trucks generate over 95% of the nitrogen oxide and volatile organic compounds in our air and over 60% of hydrocarbons. Not only do vehicles contribute to the pollution from their exhaust, but they also contribute to the creation of nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compounds (EPA, 2009). The EPA estimates that US cars and trucks account for 78% of the US’s emissions of nitrogen oxides.

Air pollution is a major health concern. It can cause serious health effects such as asthma attacks and more. Some of the effects from exposure to automotive exhaust include respiratory problems, negative impacts on the cardiovascular system, neurological effects and cancer. In addition to these health effects, there are also environmental side effects from air pollution (EPA 2009). These can range from detrimental ecological effects such as acid rain to changes in vegetation and water quality.

In conclusion, transportation and land use have a significant effect on the development of a community. Increased accessibility to communities will always lead to changes in the development of both land use patterns as well as population patterns. An increase in population can lead to an increase in demand for goods, services, and employment opportunities. Increases in these activities can lead to increased commercial demand which can help stimulate economic growth in a region. With this growth comes air pollution, but it is something that must be dealt with as we continue our quest towards increased accessibility and higher population densities.

References:

EPA. (2009). Mobile Sources of air Pollution. Retrieved from: http://www.epa.gov/airquality/mobile/index.html

Skorobogatova, O., & Kuzmina-Merlino, I. (2017). Transport infrastructure development performance. Procedia Engineering, 178, 319-329. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877705817300565

Ng, C. P., Law, T. H., Jakarni, F. M., & Kulanthayan, S. (2019, April). Road infrastructure development and economic growth. In IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering (Vol. 512, No. 1, p. 012045). IOP Publishing. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1757-899X/512/1/012045/meta