Alameda CTC Plan Will Yield 150,000 Jobs & $20 Billion in Local Economic Activity

Information provided by Alameda County Transportation Commission:

An independent report by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute released on July 1 demonstrates that the 2014 Alameda CTC Transportation Expenditure Plan will create $20 billion in direct and indirect economic activity and will stimulate the creation of 150,000 jobs (equivalent of full-time, one-year jobs).

The report, titled "In the Fast Lane: Improving Reliability, Stabilizing Local Funding, and Enabling the Transportation Systems of the Future in Alameda County" by the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, notes that "well-functioning transportation systems are critical to economic competitiveness" and that the 2014 Plan invests in current and future transportation needs and will translate into broader economic gains across the region, supporting quality of life and economic competitiveness. 

"We've known that local transportation investments have a far-reaching and positive impact on the local economy, and it is reassuring to see that the numbers in this study support that conclusion," says Alameda CTC Chair and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty. "The 2014 Transportation Expenditure Plan will be a huge boost to a recovering economy with increased opportunities for employment, creating good local jobs that benefit Alameda County and the Bay Area region. With voter approval in November, we will be able to deliver projects that not only create jobs and boost the local economy, but will also keep transit fares low for seniors, youth and people with disabilities, expand and modernize BART and reduce traffic congestion in trouble spots throughout the Alameda County."

Tracey Grose, vice president of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute says, "Our report shows conclusively just how important the 2014 Transportation Expenditure Plan is for Alameda County and the region. It supports a well-functioning transportation system, which is critical to the county's and region's global economic competitiveness."

Well-functioning transportation systems support the clustering of firms, expand the regional labor pool, improve safety and reliability, conserve natural resources, improve quality of life and lower the cost of moving people and goods. Alameda County is the hub of Bay Area commute flows, with the second largest population in the region, one of the fastest growing counties and the second largest employment base in the region. Additionally, 37 percent of Bay Area workers travel to, from or through the county, and 53 percent of Alameda County workers live outside the county.

"Support for the Plan is strong and the coalition is growing stronger every day," says Alameda CTC Executive Director Arthur Dao. "Business, environmental, labor, social justice, civic and other groups across Alameda County support this plan."

The County Board of Supervisors is scheduled to act on the 2014 Plan on July 8, 2014 and will vote to place it on the November 2014 ballot.