This Circular, published at the recommendation of the Transportation Research Board's Committee on Transportation Economics, is a concise, comprehensive primer on how to best assess economic impacts of transportation projects. There is considerable confusion among public agencies and private groups regarding when and how to consider economic impacts in transportation decision-making. As a result, important considerations may be ignored and irrelevant factors considered. This primer is written for noneconomists. Its purpose is to help planners, engineers and decision-makers identify the appropriate ways to define questions regarding economic impacts of transportation and the appropriate methods to assess them. Its goal is not to make the reader an instant expert on economic evaluation, but to assist the reader to (1) identify the types of economic impacts that are relevant for decision-making, (2) define the appropriate project evaluation perspective, and (3) select relevant methods for analysis and presentation of findings. (A)
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