Economic Impact Case Study Tool for Transit

This report presents the results of a project aimed at creating the prototype for a searchable (web-based) database of transit investment projects and their associated (transit driven) economic and land development impacts. The web tool that was developed for this study, the database that it accesses, and the case study design intentionally parallel a previously developed system for highway projects, with adaptation as necessary to be applicable for transit projects. The purpose of this system is to provide transportation planners with a consistent base of data on actual, documented economic and land development impacts of completed transit-related investments, along with a narrative describing the form of impact and factors that affected it. This information is intended to inform future planning efforts for transit-related projects, and to support better multi-modal planning. The report examines issues concerning: (a) the types of transit projects that are most applicable for case studies, (b) how economic impacts of transit projects can be measured and reported, and (c) how findings on transit project may be interpreted. Seven prototype case studies were completed, to illustrate how a more complete national database and web tool might be implemented and used