EconWorks is a simplified economic modeling tool that uses data and information from before/after case studies of transportation projects to better understand economic impacts. EconWorks is the combination of results from two TRB research initiatives in the Capacity focus area of SHRP2. In 2015, The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), under the SHRP2 cooperative agreement to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) bundled the implementation tools from the TRB research (C03: Transportation Project Impact Case Studies and C11: Tools for Assessing Wider Economic Benefits of Transportation). This phase of work included rebranding the product as EconWorks, developing a website to host the C03 and C11 tools, developing training and providing technical assistance, developing new case studies, making necessary updates to the estimation tool and spreadsheets, and coordinating with an Expert Task Group. EconWorks is designed to help transportation professionals make more comprehensive and realistic assessments of the economic development impacts of transportation projects. These tools help estimate which transportation improvements will support economic vitality by allowing decision makers to gauge the potential increases in jobs and output, and by providing estimates of economic benefits in the areas of travel time reliability, access to labor and goods markets, and intermodal connectivity. Each of the tools is designed to require data that are relatively easily collected or assembled. The foundation of EconWorks rests on case studies that are prepared and entered into a database. Currently, there are 140 case studies which are multimodal in nature. http://planningtools.transportation.org. The SHRP2 Implementation Program is currently continuing the operation, maintenance and improvement of EconWorks, however funding for EconWorks will ended December 2018. During the AASHTO Standing Committee on Planning August 2017 business meeting, SCOP members saw the value for transportation planners in the EconWorks website and tools and supports the continued operation of EconWorks through a pooled fund project.

The focus of this pooled fund project will be to support transportation planners with a better understanding of the economic impact of transportation projects by continuing the overall operation, maintenance and improvement to the EconWorks website, and completing and adding additional case studies to provide more robust economic analysis.

The scope of work to operate, maintain and improve the EconWorks website over a five-year period (2019 to 2024) includes the following: • Host the website and ensure EconWorks tools are operational for all users. • Provide technical assistance to users utilizing the EconWorks website and tools. • Develop and add new case studies for inclusions into the EconWorks database. • Provide webinars and other outreach efforts to ensure all target audiences understand the benefits of EconWorks and are kept up to date on user tips. • Provide oversight and management of the EconWorks website. Provide for ongoing support of the site after the termination of the pooled fund study.

It is estimated that each pooled fund member would need to pay $20,000 total over the five years. Members would be able to pay as a lump sum or spread the cost out over the five-year period. FHWA has also committed to being a funding partner for the pooled fund as well. The total cost of the pooled fund is expected to be $650,000 over the five-year period (2019 to 2024).