“Sixty-two percent of the jobs created from federal highway and public transit investments are outside the construction industry,” one infograph shows. “Every $1 in federal highway and mass transit investment increases the nation’s GDP between $1.80-$2.00,” another one illustrates.

The 31 members of the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) have announced the launch of a social media campaign to press Congress to find a permanent fix for the federal Highway Trust Fund (HTF) before the current authorization for highway and public transit funding expires May 31.

TCC members will be using their respective social media networks to release one infograph a day from March 16-27 that contains a key finding from new research conducted by IHS Global quantifying the economic impacts of the federal surface transportation program.

The campaign will be augmented with digital advertising focusing on road users across the country, members of Congress and their staff, and print advertising in Capitol Hill publications that will run during the TCC Washington Fly-In April 14-15.

The IHS study, “Transportation Infrastructure Investment: Macroeconomic and Industry Contribution of Federal Highway and Mass Transit Program,” found that 70 percent of the economic benefits, or value-added, of federal HTF investments in transportation improvements occur in non-construction sectors of the economy. Among the sectors that benefit the most are service industries such as business, education, health and leisure, and hospitality.

IHS also studied the resulting impacts from five percent annual increases in federal highway and transit investment from 2014-2019, and concluded the added investment would:

• Create 122,000 new jobs (includes direct, indirect, and induced jobs);

• Result in an annual average increase of $40 in real household income each year; and

• Generate an additional $9.6 billion in real GDP for the U.S. economy.

The TCC, which commissioned the study in 2014, said they would send it to all congressional offices the week of March 16 so members of Congress can better understand the value of transportation investment, and the urgency to find a long-term sustainable funding solution for the HTF so that states have the resources they need to improve roads, bridges and public transit systems.

The IHS study and infographs can be found at: www.transportationconstructioncoalition.org.

Today's top stories

Blalock Crews Build TDOT's $67M Newport Bypass

New Bridges Part of Iowa's $114M Madison Avenue Project

Eagle Bridge Co. Works On Final Leg of U.S. 35 Upgrade

SAKAI Achieves Record Sales, Production

Takeuchi Recognizes Top Dealers at 2024 Dealer Summit

Equip Expo's Summer Giveaway Offers a Chance for Lifetime Trade Show Registration, Gift Card, Hotel Stay

Tennessee's Pugmill Systems LLC Expands Its Product Offerings to Include Concrete Plants

ASCENDUM Machinery Opens New Savannah, Ga., Facility