Economic Impacts of Active Transportation in New Jersey

The purpose of this study was to estimate the impact that active transportation has on the economy of New Jersey in a typical year. This was quantified by focusing on three components: active transportation-related capital investments, active transportation-related businesses, and active transportation-related events. The authors examined spending on capital investments in order to understand the overall direct and indirect economic effects of spending on infrastructure each year, and to create a point of comparison for better understanding the other components of the study. The business component of the study identified how active transportation users contribute to the economy by spending money at active transportation-related businesses. Finally, participation in bicycling, walking, and running events and races was studied to highlight the level of economic contribution from in-state and out-of-state visitors traveling specifically to participate in these activities. The study found that these three components contributed an estimated $497 million in economic activity in New Jersey in 2011. Additionally, they are estimated to have supported over 4,000 jobs with over $150 million in compensation while adding nearly $280 million to the gross domestic product of the state. They are estimated to have contributed nearly $50 million in tax revenue to local, state, and federal governments, recovering a large portion of the approximately $63 million spent on constructing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in the state in 2011.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • This paper was sponsored by TRB committee ADD10 Transportation and Economic Development.
• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Research Board

  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Authors:
  • Brown, Charles
  • 0009-0001-7884-0929
  • Hawkins, Jonathan
  • Lahr, Michael
• Conference:
  • Transportation Research Board 93rd Annual Meeting
  • Location: Washington DC
  • Date: 2014-1-12 to 2014-1-16
• Date: 2014

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 19p
• Monograph Title: TRB 93rd Annual Meeting Compendium of Papers

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bicycling; Capital investments; Economic impacts; Infrastructure; Nonmotorized transportation; Walking
• Uncontrolled Terms: Running (Pedestrians)
• Geographic Terms: New Jersey
• Subject Areas: Economics; Pedestrians and Bicyclists; Planning and Forecasting; I10: Economics and Administration;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01515840
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: 14-3100
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Feb 25 2014 9:15AM