This chapter will examine several, providing a solid overview of transportation's importance in the economy. Figure 2-1 shows transportation's contribution to total GDP, compared with other sectors. Although transportation is not as important as wholesaling, retailing, health, construction or education, it does surpass mining, communications, other utilities, agriculture, and forestry. Investment Transportation's economic importance can be assessed in terms of how much investment is devoted to it by both governments and businesses. Governments invest in transportation infrastructure, such as roads and ports, and in machinery and equipment, such as cars and trucks.
Businesses tend to concentrate their transport investment in machinery and equipment.
Because transportation assets have a long life, investments are for the long term. It is, therefore, more appropriate to analyze investment over a long period of time, as opposed to a yearly analysis. Transportation equipment accounts for 13.3 per cent and infrastructure for 6.7 per cent of total investment in the Canadian economy. Notably, road accounts for over 87 per cent of transportation investment. All other modes of transport accounted for less than one per cent of total investment each.