We are one week away from Omaha’s Transportation Priorities Public Meeting; September 15, 6:30p.m. at the Scott Conference Center on the south campus of University of Nebraska at Omaha. You can RSVP on Facebook, to show your support.
Today’s infographic looks at the connection between transportation spending and job creation.
In today’s political and economic climate, jobs are the A-1 topic of concern for the America people. And while there is debate over what, exactly, the government can do to create jobs, the one thing that most folks in the political sphere can agree upon is the need for government to create an environment conducive to creating employment. So what affect, if any, can transportation policy have on our employment outlook? A recent report indicates that the employment created by transportation projects depends on the project type.
The Political Economy Research Institute (PERI) concluded a study this year examining the connection between transportation projects and jobs created.
Graphic courtesy of Tony Montgomery and Mike Houston
The graphic above represents the total number of jobs created including direct (construction), indirect (materials) and induced (jobs enabled by the project, such as tourism). What we see from the data is in the long term and short term, auto-only projects create and induce fewer jobs than alternative and multi-modal projects that consider bicycles and pedestrians. People are craving more transportation options, and the upside appears to be with more options, we also have more jobs. Please come to the Transportation Priorities Public Meeting on September 15, voice your support for improved options for transportation in Omaha.
Jobs that address alternative methods of transportation besides auto (such as public transportation) seem to have the most potential. It makes sense because gas prices are expensive now and citizens want alternatives to driving.