A new measure of local endowments of transport infrastructures

The aim of this study is to develop a new method to measure local endowments of transport infrastructures. Starting from the analytical approach of the �new economic geography�, which emphasizes the role of spatial location in determining the growth performance of an economy, it is possible to build a system of indicators which include the effect of the speed and of the quality of transport infrastructures as well as of their physical stock. The new technique is applied to Italian provinces in order to study the action of road and rail transport in the different areas of the country.