Transportation infrastructure in the United States serves as a foundation for economic competitiveness, and quality of life. Understanding how transportation infrastructure performance changes over time and quantifying the relationship between transportation infrastructure performance and economic growth helps us to improve infrastructure performance strategically. The Transportation Performance Index (TPI) was constructed for the period 1990 to 2009 using a replicable and transparent process. The process and data used, and the relationship with economic growth are discussed, as well as the role of the index in communicating national needs, and the importance of infrastructure.
Sue McNeil is the principal investigator for the CAIT affiliate at University of Delaware - CAIT at UD. She is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Urban Planning and Public Affairs at University of Delaware and Director of the Tier 2 University Transportation Center. She is also the former Director of the Disaster Research Center at University of Delaware. Her research and teaching interests focus on transportation infrastructure management with emphasis on the application of advanced technologies, economic analysis, analytical methods, and computer applications. Her most recent research includes the impact of natural hazards on physical infrastructure and asset management.