To inform debate on a new transportation bill being considered, the authors review the literature on the economic outcomes of highway infrastructure spending, which constitutes the largest share of federal spending on transportation infrastructure. They highlight the connections between highway spending and the economy and then analyze the literature to trace the effects of highway infrastructure on productivity, output, and employment.

The research project examined the consequences of the interstate highway system for transit. A literature review and case studies of urbanized areas were done, with each of the case studies representing a different relationship between highways, transit, and urban development.