Congressional Inaction on Long-Term Highway & Transit Bill Puts 29,086 Utah Jobs at Risk, New Study Shows

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American Road & Transportation Builders Association

Mar 28, 2011, 01:30 ET

New website—www.transportationcreatesjobs.org—has economic data for all 50 states

WASHINGTON, March 28, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As partisan bickering and posturing continues on Capitol Hill, the failure to pass overdue legislation that provides multi-year federal aid to state highway and transit programs jeopardizes 29,086 jobs in Utah, according to new research.

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These employees earn a total annual payroll of $1.3 billion and contribute an estimated $107.0 million in state and federal payroll tax revenue. This employment includes the equivalent of 14,490 full-time jobs directly involved in transportation construction and related activities, and 14,596 that are sustained by transportation design and construction industry employee and company spending throughout the state's economy, according to the analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF).

The ARTBA-TDF report, "U.S. Transportation Construction Industry Profile," revealed the existence of more than 731,703 full-time jobs in Utah in key industries like tourism, retail sales, agriculture and manufacturing that are dependent on the state's transportation network.

The need for road and bridge improvements is clear. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Utah has 44,706 miles of roadway. Of the state's 8,672 miles of roadway eligible for federal aid, 6.5% are rated "not acceptable" and need major repairs or replacement. This compares to 5.9% of roads in 2007. Utah also has 2,905 bridges. FHWA reports 15.4% of the state's bridges are either "structurally deficient" (169 bridges) or "functionally obsolete" (279 bridges). It will cost an estimated $484.6 million to make needed bridge repairs on 794 structures in the state.

The last highway and transit law expired in October 2009. Federal aid to the states has been sustained ever since through a series of short-term extensions. The uncertainty of future funding levels is causing state transportation departments to slow down or delay projects, and in turn, impacting hiring decisions and equipment purchases by transportation design and construction firms.

The ARTBA-TDF is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity created to "promote research, education and public awareness." It supports an array of initiatives, such as scholarships, awards, safety training and economic reports.

Editor's Note: An interactive website—www.transportationconstructionjobs.org—has comprehensive data about the impacts of transportation investment on the national and all 50 state economies.

SOURCE American Road & Transportation Builders Association