As state DOTs continue to build out an extensive network of electric vehicle chargers, those chargers also need to work consistently. Charging reliability isn’t always fully in a DOT’s control, and many agencies have only recently taken on responsibility for charging infrastructure. Even so, DOTs can still adopt a “fix it first” approach, as some do with their roadways, prioritizing keeping chargers functional as they develop their public networks. Doing so can accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, often a key piece of DOT sustainability goals and climate targets.
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.
Caltrans review finds outdated and misunderstood models hinder project analysis
In California, where travel demand models often guide project-level decisions and analysis, a new report finds many are outdated, poorly documented, and ill-suited to the purposes agencies sometimes use them for. Transportation agencies rely on models to forecast traffic and guide billions of dollars in infrastructure investment. Without updates, these tools risk locking in old assumptions about growth and travel behavior rather than helping agencies plan for a more sustainable and efficient future.
Repairing highways is better for the economy than expanding them
The U.S. faces a $1 trillion backlog of roads and bridges needing repair, according to FHWA. Yet we still spend roughly $27 billion per year (25% of the total) expanding and building new highways. Mounting evidence shows that shifting those dollars toward maintenance and rehabilitation could yield greater benefits.
Despite efficiency gains, rising travel demand pushes emissions higher
Advances in technology have made transportation more energy efficient in recent decades, lowering emissions per mile and per unit of freight. But according to a new study, those efficiency gains haven’t been enough to offset the rise in emissions from new transportation demand. To hold transportation emissions steady going forward, the study says, global transportation demand must not continue rising, or we must make a more dramatic shift toward electrification than currently imagined.
More transit means safer streets
To reduce traffic deaths, public transit should be seen as a core part of safety infrastructure, not just an alternative mode of travel. Every day, thousands of car crashes occur in the U.S., resulting in injury or death, yet they receive far less attention than the much rarer crashes involving public transit. For city planners working to reduce roadway fatalities, understanding how these perceptions influence travel choices is critical.
More states are moving away from the 85th percentile rule to set speeds
States are increasingly moving past the outdated “85th percentile rule” for setting speed limits, weighing factors other than the observed traffic flow in those calculations. The AP recently highlighted Ohio among a wave of efforts to consider roadway context and the presence of walkers and bikers in allowing lower speeds to ensure safer roads. For states looking to follow suit, a newly released report from the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety offers states a data-driven, objective framework to set speed limits based on roadway context, not just vehicle movement.
Driving trips are dropping, especially among young people
For years, people wondered whether travel would bounce back after the pandemic. The latest FHWA data, along with other new research, gives a clearer answer. Growth has slowed. In 2024, total vehicle miles traveled (VMT) finally inched past its 2019 peak, but by only 0.5%. On a per capita basis, Americans are still driving less, down 2.3% since 2019.