News Digest DOT 08-18

Friday, January 12, 2018 - The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) has released Transportation Economic Trends 2017, BTS’s annual report on transportation and the economy. The 124-page report highlights important trends in transportation and the economy, and explains related economic concepts and data sources for a general audience. The 2017 edition features updated data and new content, including national data measuring the value of and investment in transportation assets, as well as new material on transportation productivity measures and how the transportation sector has contributed to economic growth in the United States. The report’s eight chapters cover the Transportation Services Index, a monthly summary of freight and passenger movement; what transportation contributes to the American economy; the costs that households and businesses pay for transportation; transportation-related employment; transportation productivity; household spending on transportation goods and services; government transportation spending and revenue; and transportation assets and infrastructure. This publication can also be obtained by ordering online, by contacting BTS by phone at 202-366-DATA or by e-mail at answers@dot.gov.  Media contact: Dave Smallen: 202-366-5568, david.smallen@dot.gov.