The Obama Administration has released a report that reviews the economic rationale for making immediate, substantial investments in transportation infrastructure. According to the report, the benefits from these investments will include long-run increases in the nation’s economic performance, as well as a much-needed short-run boost to economic activity to accelerate the economy’s recovery from the most severe recession since the Great Depression.
The report also discusses the importance of targeting infrastructure investments in ways that will have the greatest net benefits, and reviews some of the specific types of infrastructure investment that can have significant benefits. Finally, the report highlights the potential value of innovative financing mechanisms to improve the efficiency of public infrastructure investments by increased engagement with the private sector.