Gridlock and Growth: The Effect of Traffic Congestion on Regional Economic Performance

Abstract

This report discusses a study that looked at 5 major destinations that people undertake in 8 large cities in the U.S., and how accessibility to those 5 destinations impacts the economic performance of the respective cities. The 5 major destinations include the central business district, a large suburb, an airport, a major mall, and a university. The study finds that most of the large cities investigated enjoy reasonable access to their central business districts. But access to the other 4 destinations varied. The authors conclude that the economic performance of the large cities is impacted by access to these destinations. In particular, cities that did not have reasonable access to suburbs, malls and universities were negatively impacted, economically.