The Role of Transit in Support of High Growth Business Clusters in the U.S.

This study addresses issues of business productivity, market access and transit service for high growth business clusters in the United States. The study draws on eight high-growth knowledge- oriented business clusters and their transportation conditions in six US cities - Boston, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, San Francisco and Seattle - to provide an estimate of the total national income and employment consequences of road accessibility challenges—challenges that could be addressed through investment in public transportation. A cross-section of clusters was selected to represent a diversity of key characteristics. Key findings from these cases and the accompanying national-level analysis are as follows: All of the examined clusters are rich with examples of firms choosing locations in proximity to other firms and actively seeking ways to get people to these places; There are very real transportation access constraints looming that will affect the growth of high tech business clusters and the competitiveness of US firms. Those constraints apply (to some extent) across all such business clusters; Efforts are currently being spearheaded by the private sector to develop transit to sustain the cluster location and ensure workforce accessibility; Between 379,000 and 480,000 jobs could potentially affected by the year 2040, depending on steps taken to address the transportation capacity constraint; Transit access to clusters could support approximately 104,000 of these jobs, along with their associated $13.6 Billion in annual business output, $5.7 Billion in wage income and nearly $8.6 Billion in gross domestic product (GDP); and Given constraints on continued roadway system expansion (detailed in the case studies), there is a solid case for expanding the future role of public transportation to support growth of high tech business clusters.

• Record URL:
  • http://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/TransitHighGrowthClustersUS-Final2013-1124.pdf
• 
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.apta.com/
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract used with permission from American Public Transportation Association.
• Corporate Authors:

  American Public Transit Association

  1100 17th Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20036

  Economic Development Research Group, Incorporated

  2 Oliver Street, 9th Floor
  Boston, MA  United States  02109
• Authors:
  • Duncan, Chandler
  • Weisbrod, Glen
  • Moses, Susan
  • Stevens, John
  • Brown, Mike
• Publication Date: 2013-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 92p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Accessibility; Business districts; Economic development; Economic impacts; High technology industries; Productivity; Public transit
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Economics; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; I10: Economics and Administration; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01502338
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Dec 23 2013 11:06AM