EDR GROUP, NOV. 2014

FROM OUR BLOG...

Incorporating Qualitative Factors in Transportation Decision-making

by Chandler Duncan, Senior Planner & Economist, EDRG

When funds are short, agencies are often challenged to justify decisions about which projects to do and not to do. How does an agency decide or explain whether it is worthwhile to expand the scope of a project to save a species from extinction? How does an agency decide the relative importance of preserving the aesthetic quality of a scenic byway in comparison to favoring a less expensive design that may save hours of travel time and reliability? Read More

AMPO PRESENTATIONS NOW AVAILABLE

EDR Group staff presentations from the annual AMPO Conference in October, 2014 are now available. Read More

FITZROY PRESENTS AT ITF ROUNDTABLE IN PARIS

Stephen Fitzroy presented his paper on "TPICS, TIGER and US Experience: A Focus on Case-Based Ex Post Economic Impact Assessment" in September, 2014 in Paris, France at the International Transportan Forum (ITF) Roundtable on "Ex Post Assessments of Transport Investments and Policy Interventions: Prerequisites and Methodological Challenges.

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The EDR Group Team www.edrgroup.com

ECONOMIC IMPACT OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION INVESTMENT

For the American Planning Transportation Association, EDR Group developed a new national guide to measuring the Economic Impact of Public Transportation Investment. The guide shows how transit investment can potentially enhance transportation system efficiency and increase economic productivity by reducing automobile costs for households, expanding employers' access to labor markets and reducing logistics costs for businesses. Read More

VISUALIZING COUNTY-LEVEL FREIGHT FLOWS

VFreight™ is a new tool developed by EDR Group to provide planners with county-level commodity flow data for all 50 states. vFreight™ includes data for each of the seven freight modes defined in the Freight Analysis Framework (FAF) and expands upon international freight flows by foreign and domestic mode for 40 country and regional trading partners. Read More

NANTUCKET'S WORKFORCE AND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

For ReMain Nantucket, EDR Group was hired to assess current and future skill gaps on the island, in order to gain a better understanding of the education and workforce needs of Nantucket's residents and visitors. Ultimately, the goal is to create more year-round, non-seasonal employment opportunities on the island, and to improve the wages and career prospects of island workers. Read More

OREGON AVIATION PLAN

For the Oregon Department of Aviation (ODA), EDR Group was on a team updating the 2007 economic impact study that the same firms developed as part of the State Aviation Systems Plan. The 2014 study was conducted to determine the value of the Oregon Aviation System, which consists of 57 airports. Read More

LARGEST TIGER GRANT AWARD FOR RURAL CLIENT

EDR Group assisted the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet with the economic impact analysis for the 2014 US Department of Transportation's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Grant (TIGER) application, that was ultimately awarded a $24 million grant. The key to winning the grant, the largest for a rural project in the 2014 cycle, was EDR Group's treatment of livability benefits on the application. The project is to widen 2.4 miles of the Mountain Parkway from two to four lanes in remote Eastern Kentucky through the City of Salyersville's largest commercial district. Read More