Economic and demographic impacts of federally financed transportation infrastructure on the Wasatch Front

Over the next three decades, $14.4 billion (constant 2004 dollars) of new transit and highway infrastructure is planned to meet the transportation needs of the Wasatch Front.1 These investments will significantly influence the region's economic development potential, relative competitiveness, and land use patterns. While these more comprehensive long-term effects of the transportation improvements are justifiably the primary focus of planners, there are also substantial regional economic benefits derived from the construction activity. These heavy construction projects employ a labor force that is specialized in the design and construction of transit and highways and that is paid higher than average wages. Given the nearly 30-year duration of these projects, the development of this sector could ultimately result in a regional specialization and eventual export of these services to other regions. This analysis identifies and analyzes the economic and demographic impacts of the construction of transportation infrastructure along the Wasatch Front from 2004 through 2030, particularly focusing on the federally financed portion. The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) has sponsored this research.