Intensity of public road utilization by economic subsystems in the Voronezh region – trends and forecasts

Abstract

Importance: intensity of public road utilization by regional economic subsystems (vital activity of the population, creation of new value (GRP), functioning of basic industries) in the context of increasing the attractiveness of the territory for road infrastructure enterprises. Purpose: development and approbation of the theoretical and methodical approach to assessing the intensity of public roads utilization by economic subsystems in Russian regions using data from the Voronezh region. Research design: the study employed monographic, economic-statistical, logical methods, as well as cluster and correlation-regression analyses. The initial data set was compiled based on objective statistical data from 2012-2021, interpreted in accordance with the study’s objectives. Trends were identified, and forecast values were calculated for the studied indicators. Results: the analysis confirmed the feasibility of the developed approach for evaluating the intensity of road utilization by regional economic subsystems. It was found that the intensity of road utilization in the region for generating added value has a stable positive trend, both factually and in the medium-term forecast. Manufacturing and wholesale trade are identified as promising economic activities that increase the overall intensity of road utilization, primarily concentrated in the Voronezh agglomeration and along transit routes. The actual and forecast distribution of the intensity of public road utilization by economic subsystems of the region reveals functional asymmetry, reducing large enterprises’ interest in the spatial diversification of the road network. This necessitates expanding government support for demographic processes, investment activities, construction, and agriculture.