White Paper: Methodology for Assessing the Economic Benefits of Projects Funded Under the CMAQ Improvement Program (Completed 1998)

Performer(s): Louis Berger and Assoc., Inc.
Sponsor(s): FHWA

To order:

Cecilia Ho. FHWA, HEPN-10, 400 Seventh St., SW., Washington, DC 20590;
Tel: 202-366-9862; Fax: 202-366-3409; Email: Cecilia.ho@fhwa.dot.gov.

Abstract

This paper proposes a methodology for assessing the economic benefits of projects funded under the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Program. The economic benefits described herein explicitly do not include the impacts on air quality attributable to the projects, such as reductions in volatile organic compounds, carbon monoxide (CO), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) (direct project benefits). Instead, the potential economic benefits are defined as indirect impacts, such as user benefits and land use and development benefits from CMAQ-funded transportation investments. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the potential economic benefits that are most likely to be caused by CMAQ-funded projects. This report draws on a wide variety of sources and practices to establish an evaluation methodology.