From implementing federally funded projects to keeping highways clear of snow, state DOTs are in need of additional staff capacity and technical expertise to keep the country moving.
Freight
Building more rail could help bring down its cost
One of the main reasons that heavy rail projects are more expensive to build in the U.S. is that we build too few projects, too infrequently, to optimize our engineering, review, and land acquisition policies.
Revising the Vermont State Standards; M2D2: Multimodal Development and Delivery (Vermont Agency of Transportation and Smart Growth America, 2015)
This new report identifies specific modifications to the Vermont State Standards, recommends changes to other related VTrans guidelines and policies, and presents an implementation plan and schedule for conducting the revisions. The Vermont State Standards provide VTrans staff and other partners with direction in designing roadway transportation projects.
The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice (SSTI & SGA, 2015)
SSTI and Smart Growth America continue working with state departments of transportation and tracking innovative strategies for meeting 21st century transportation needs. The 2015 edition of The Innovative DOT builds upon its predecessor with updated content and fresh new ideas from a growing number of states.
Advancing a Sustainable Highway System: Highlights of FHWA Sustainability Activities (FHWA and Volpe Center, 2014)
This report from FHWA illustrates how sustainability has been incorporated into a wide variety of FHWA programs, projects, policies, processes, and partnerships. It is intended to be used by a diverse audience of transportation agency professionals at the Federal, State, and local level as well as the general public.
Autonomous Vehicle Legislation (Council of State Governments, 2014)
This brief from the Council of State Governments examines the issues states will need to consider as they prepare for autonomous and self-driving vehicles. The brief argues that, with rapidly changing technology, some legislation may be premature.
Automated Cars: A smooth ride ahead? (Independent Transport Commission, 2014)
This paper, by researchers at the Imperial College London, raises a wide range of important public policy questions regarding vehicle automation, from safety issues to the effects on public transport and the movement of goods.
The Future of Transportation Infrastructure Investments: Determining Best Practices for States’ Funding and Financing Mechanisms (Thomas Jefferson Program in Public Policy – College of William & Mary, 2014)
As revenues from gas taxes diminish the role of federal funding in infrastructure investments, states are searching for both new options and best practices for financing and funding. This report was prepared for the Associated Equipment Distributors and examines various financing and funding options that states can implement. It also makes recommendations for best practices for project selection, partnerships with private entities, and diversification of funding mechanisms.
Evaluating Alternative Operations Strategies to Improve Travel Time Reliability (Transportation Research Board, 2013)
This report sets out requirements for travel time reliability within a performance-based planning process.The objective of the project was to identify and evaluate strategies and tactics intended to satisfy the travel time reliability requirements of users of the roadway network—those engaged in freight and person transportation in urban and rural areas. This report presents a set of options related to technological changes, operational solutions, and organizational actions that have the potential to improve travel time reliability both now and in the future (by the year 2030).
Getting the Goods Without the Bads: Freight Transportation Demand Management Strategies to Reduce Urban Impacts (SSTI, 2013)
This project, funded by SSTI with a matching grant from the Center for Freight Infrastructure Research and Education (CFIRE), identifies and evaluates strategies to reduce the social costs associated with goods movement in urban areas by managing freight transportation demand.