Under a new law in North Carolina, most cities and towns will not be allowed to set minimum parking requirements for new developments or changes in building use. This change comes amid a growing recognition that burdensome parking mandates worsen traffic, drive up development costs, and sometimes stifle development altogether. This shift opens the door for transportation agencies to harness parking management as a valuable tool for taming traffic and improving transportation options.
Culture
Bigger isn’t always better: The hidden costs of larger vehicles
Vehicles in the U.S. have gotten much larger over the past few decades, and research suggests that this shift has had far-reaching consequences, making roads more dangerous for everyone while increasing emissions and other environmental impacts. A recent New York Times analysis estimates that between 200 and 400 pedestrian deaths each year could have been avoided if cars had remained roughly the same size as they were 25 years ago. While the rise of SUVs and pickup trucks is often treated as the result of a cultural shift or consumer preference, researchers argue that policy has also helped shape today’s vehicle market. If policy helped encourage this shift, it could also help reverse it.
Curbing our car enthusiasm: Streets designed for people
When we design streets primarily for people – recognizing instincts like how long someone will wait for a walk signal or where they’ll stand before crossing – small, affordable changes can make behavior more predictable and streets demonstrably safer for everyone. By shifting the focus away from cars and toward human-centered design, such as clear sightlines, comfortable waiting spaces, and safer crossing opportunities, we remove the need for people to dangerously negotiate vehicle-dominated systems to stay safe.
‘Just one more lane’ still emphasized in transportation engineering textbooks
Modern state DOTs and their engineers are grappling with a different set of challenges than they did in the 20th century. Some are shifting to managing travel demand and limiting vehicle-miles traveled (VMT) to make their systems operate more efficiently. But engineering education programs may not be properly preparing engineers for these new challenges, sometimes leaving them to learn on the job in environments that can be mired in old ways of thinking.
Transportation disrupted: Building a more resilient system
Recent spikes in gas prices expose a fragile system that financially strains car-dependent households. When prices rise, however, people adapt in surprising ways, especially when they have reliable options. Transportation leaders can seize this moment to take steps toward reducing car dependency and building systems that are resilient by providing more affordable travel choices before the next disruption occurs or if the current trends continue.
Transportation disrupted: Rising prices expose a vulnerable system
When gas prices spike, millions of Americans have little choice but to pay the bill. That is not just a cost problem. It is a sign that the U.S. transportation system rests on a fragile foundation shaped by land use and infrastructure that require a car for most everyday trips. At the same time, the transition to electric vehicles remains slow and uneven.
Roads less traveled: the safety surprises of big cities
The most effective way to stay safe on city streets is remarkably simple: drive less. A new report from StreetLight Data suggests that the vehicle miles traveled (VMT) is the single most important factor in determining how safe a city’s streets are for everyone. Risk is not solely caused by bad drivers; daily driving habits and city layouts play a significant role as well. With U.S. crashes resulting in 2.4 million injuries or deaths in 2023, one of the best safety strategies for planners and engineers is to help people spend less time behind the wheel of a car by making walking, biking, and transit easier to use.
A transportation system that works for grandma benefits everyone
Designing for “all ages and abilities,” – meaning accessible curb ramps, bus stops, and safe bike paths – is not new to most transportation professionals. But meeting the needs of aging Baby Boomers will take a more systemic approach to building for all ages and abilities. Living in places with more developed and reliable transit and sidewalk networks where goods and services are close by is good for seniors, and for everyone else.
Addressing the rise in drunk driving requires a systemic approach
Human behavior is one of the biggest wildcards in preventing traffic deaths and serious injuries. That is why many transportation professionals now focus on designing systems that stay safe even when people inevitably make mistakes. Alcohol impaired driving is once again on the rise in the United States, and decades of awareness, education, and enforcement have not solved this problem. New research shows that alcohol is involved in nearly one-third of all traffic deaths, even as public concern about the issue remains very high. In other words, people know drunk driving is dangerous, but some do it anyway. This is not about excusing impaired driving but about acknowledging reality and designing transportation systems that reduce harm when risky behavior persists.
One year into congestion pricing, every DOT can learn from New York City
New York City shares many of the same goals as state and local transportation agencies: cutting traffic, improving travel times, making roads safer, and improving quality of life. Yet decades of investment in highway capacity have failed to deliver on those goals. Commute times have increased 7.5% since 2010, congestion has reached an all-time high, and U.S. roadways have become more dangerous than those of any other wealthy nation.