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.
Demand Management
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: People adapt to rising prices
Most traffic models and transportation plans assume people’s travel behavior is largely predictable and unchanging. Usually, this means more and more driving year after year, and investments aimed at meeting that rising demand. But the most recent spike in gas prices shows just how quickly people adapt their behavior to even small price cues.
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.
Bus lanes make busy roads work better
In almost every urban area, congestion has been rising for years despite expensive efforts to widen roads and add lanes for private vehicles. But a new study shows that when demand is high, repurposing the road space already available can boost system performance without any expansion. Creating dedicated lanes for buses and bikes can optimize space – and failing to do so can start a vicious cycle of congestion.
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.
We don’t need to overthink induced demand to act on it
The concept of induced demand is now widely recognized in transportation. But we often treat it as a technical modeling issue rather than a basic principle of how people respond to the world around them. Build for cars, and you’ll get more driving; build for transit or biking, and you’ll get more of those too. Shifting the conversation in that direction can improve near-term decisions and strengthen communication between transportation professionals and the public.
To reduce traffic, DOTs need both “carrots” and “sticks”
Nearly every state DOT is grappling with how to reduce traffic and carbon emissions—many states developed official , and congestion relief is often at the top of a DOT’s priority list. But a new study from Swedish researchers says that some of the most common ways to address these challenges—using only “carrots” rather than “sticks,” in the researchers’ words—may leave states struggling to achieve their goals.
Transit agencies are averting the fiscal cliff, but still need long-term funding solutions
Last month, SSTI staff joined the mayors of Milwaukee and two nearby communities for a meeting aimed at preventing a pending crisis for the local transit agency. Like many transit systems across the country, Milwaukee’s has exhausted its remaining federal COVID relief funds and was facing a 15% service cut and a 50% fare increase. Thanks to strong advocacy, the county has since proposed budget changes that would add $4.8 million to preserve service.