By Chris McCahill Hiring and retaining talented staff remains a top concern for state DOT officials and a recurring topic at SSTI’s annual meetings. Whether shifting federal policies disrupt local recruitment or send a flurry …
Culture
Advanced models can’t replace sound judgment
The investments made by transportation agencies are often guided by increasingly sophisticated models and forecasts, which strive to account for more factors and become more accurate in predicting travel patterns. These improvements, while promising for the future, also highlight the many ways that most agencies’ existing models miss the mark. Values-based decision-making can help agencies achieve the outcomes they have set out in their long-range plans more effectively than relying on models alone.
SSTI Annual Meeting Highlights: Transportation leaders tackle cultural change and sustainability
Top officials from 14 state DOTs gathered in St. Paul, Minnesota, earlier this month for SSTI’s annual meeting, where they shared innovative ideas through roundtable discussions, tours, and informal networking. These connections help officials bring solutions back to their home states.
DOTs face new challenges as rural areas evolve
The transportation needs of urban and rural places are not as binary or opposed as they’re made out to be, and the distinctions will continue to blur over time. Agencies can work to understand the full context of each place and its interconnections to meet the unique needs of every community.
DOTs can strengthen local relationships through quick-build street safety programs
Many local community groups have ideas for simple infrastructure upgrades that would improve street safety in their neighborhoods — but without official sign-off from departments of transportation, those ideas may never get a chance to be tested. Some DOTs have created official permitting processes for short-term “quick-build” demonstration projects, where these local groups can test their ideas for safer streets with temporary materials while adhering to official design standards.
Climate change presents an opportunity for bolder transportation policies
Individuals concerned about climate change often support sustainable transportation policies, such as reducing car use or adopting new mobility solutions. Studies from Norway highlight how varying attitudes toward these types of policies can influence their effectiveness. While some groups back most transportation initiatives—whether they involve incentives or regulations—others resist any policies they perceive as restrictive. Gaining insight into these diverse attitudes, especially among those neutral toward different strategies, can help shape effective policy.
A transportation paradigm shift that we need is moving too slowly
Our transportation system in the U.S. is built and maintained largely on basic principles that are now a century in the making. The first principle: cities and metropolitan areas will continue growing outward. Second, almost everybody will drive. And third, by adding road capacity, we can prevent the system from breaking down. As a result, commute times have risen by more than 20% over the last 50 years and only the pandemic has offered any relief from traffic congestion. A new study now offers a fresh perspective on the current state of practice and some critical challenges to moving toward accessibility as an industry.
Black households pay more per vehicle regardless of income
People of color already face disproportionate health risks, pedestrian deaths, and discrimination directly related to our car-dependent infrastructure. A new study finds the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle is also grossly inequitable.
People on bikes are vulnerable and don’t need to be reminded
Late last month, the Texas DOT posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) urging cyclists to behave better. But this message garnered at least 250 frustrated responses. The echo chamber of X obviously is not a representative sample, but the backlash reflects real challenges that cyclists face every day. Unfortunately, people who bike—along with those who walk, take transit, or face other mobility issues—experience a world where most drivers do not follow the rules, which often puts them at a dangerous disadvantage.
2024 Community of Practice Meeting
September 30 – October 1, 2024
SSTI’s 2022 Community of Practice meeting will be held September 30-October 1 in Minnesota. COP meetings focus on peer-to-peer interaction between CEOs of state departments of transportation. These meetings allow attendees to share ideas and learn from one another’s experiences leading state DOTs. The meetings are open to state DOT CEOs and is by-invitation to others.