ARTBA's economics and research team produces market intelligence that cover every angle of the transportation construction market.
The Transportation Construction Market Intelligence service provides up-to-date information that can help you make informed decisions. Analysis from ARTBA’s Chief Economist brings together developments in federal, state and local funding with each data series to provide a deeper understanding of the market trends.
Description: This data measures the current transportation construction market activity for all modes at the national level. It reflects the amount of ongoing work during the month, regardless of when a project was awarded. ARTBA contracts with the U.S. Census Bureau to get a more detailed industry breakdown than what is publicly available.
Release frequency: monthly
Level of detail: national, broken out by detailed mode
Data source: U.S. Census Bureau
Revisions: Each report includes preliminary data for the latest month and revised data for the previous two months. The report released in July includes the Census Bureau’s benchmark revisions for the previous two years.
Description: This data includes state and local government contract awards each month for highways, bridges, rail/transit, ports & waterways and airport runways. It is a leading indicator of future market activity at the state level, since a higher (or lower) level of contracts would signal a likely increase (or decrease) in future market activity.
Data provided by Dodge Data & Analytics. All figures for contract values in thousands of dollars. The data provided includes all transportation infrastructure contracts awarded as reported in Dodge Reports. It also does not include contracts for planning and design work, environmental analysis, or project management associated with transportation capital improvement projects.
Release frequency: monthly
Level of detail: state, broken out by modes
Data source: Dodge Data & Analytics
Revisions: The most recent data will include revisions to previous data due to project delays or other issues.
Description: This data is an early leading market indicator of future highway and bridge work. When a State Department of Transportation is ready with a federal aid project, they will obligate the funds prior to putting the project out for bid and award. Federal funds account for just over half of the state funding for transportation construction market activity in the U.S.
Although in the past states have always obligated the total amount of their federal funds, we see clear patterns of delay when there are continuing resolutions (during times of reauthorization), or uncertainty. This means that the later funds are obligated, the more delay in getting those projects out to bid and starting work.
Release frequency: monthly
Level of detail: state
Data source: U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
Revisions: There are no revisions to this report.