Includes bibliographical references.

"Transportation Investments in Response to Economic Downturns, Transportation Research Board Special Report 312, provides guidance for federal and state officials on the best ways to use stimulus funds for transportation in the future and methods for evaluating such investments. The report examines lessons learned and impacts from the states' management of the transportation component of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which provided $48.1 billion for U.S. Department of Transportation programs"--Provided by publisher. Introduction -- Study origin and objectives -- Use of transportation spending as stimulus: arra and past recessions -- Status of federal and state transportation funding -- Sources of information -- Fiscal policy in recessions and the role of transportation spending -- Fiscal policy in response to recessions -- Transportation spending as fiscal stimulus -- Design, management, and outcomes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act -- Transportation grants -- Arra transportation provisions -- Administration of arra transportation grants -- Transportation spending and construction employment during arra -- Conclusions and recommendations -- Conclusions -- Recommendations.