innovation

A Bid for Better Transit (Transit Center and Eno Center for Transportation, 2017)

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This report examines how governments can use contracting to improve their service for riders and take advantage of new technologies. However, they also caution that there are important considerations to safeguard the public interest and get the most from public-private transit partnerships.

A Bid for Better Transit (Transit Center and Eno Center for Transportation, 2017)

Posted on

This report examines how governments can use contracting to improve their service for riders and take advantage of new technologies. However, they also caution that there are important considerations to safeguard the public interest and get the most from public-private transit partnerships.

PennDOT tools offer path to employee engagement

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PennDOT’s IdeaLink 20/20 employee engagement tool, launched in 2011, complements the agency’s long-standing approach of imbedding innovation in the agency. PennDOT has approached the effort of employee engagement with the view that agency employees are knowledgeable about what actions could be taken to improve effectiveness. As an example of an effort to improve the agency’s internal environment it offers tools and lessons on improvement from which other agencies can learn.

Florida’s freight infrastructure investment named an innovation to watch

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Florida’s statewide approach to freight infrastructure investments has been highlighted in the Brookings-Rockefeller Project on State and Metropolitan Innovation’s Top 10 State and Metropolitan Innovations to Watch. Florida’s strategy is unique in that it aligns infrastructure systems across the state, thus allowing the FLP to consider the entire state’s freight interests rather than just those of individual ports and intermodal centers.

Cities feel left out of transportation discussion

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At the first national conference of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), city transportation and elected officials expressed dismay that cities may be on their own in moving forward with innovative plans and policies. Attendees were frsutrated that neither cities nor transportation overall got much attention during the recent campaign season.

SSTI and SGA release “The Innovative DOT”

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Revenues are falling and budgets are shrinking. Yet state Departments of Transportation have ambitious goals. SSTI has partnered with Smart Growth America to develop “The Innovative DOT: A Handbook of Policy and Practice” as a resource for state transportation officials and other stakeholders. The handbook provides 31 recommendations for transportation officials who are positioning their agencies for success in the new economy.

SEPTA's new program generates electricity and excitement

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As of the end of June, the SEPTA east-west subway line has started feeding electricity back into the power grid as well as using it to run its trains. With the installation of a battery bank next to the tracks, the energy generated by braking trains can be stored. The innovative pilot progam was installed at no cost to SEPTA and is generating excitement in both transit and alternative energy circles.

Accelerated Bridge Construction offers less hassle for drivers and faster implementation for DOTs

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Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) techniques are transforming the replacement and construction of bridges across the country, and commuters are benefiting from shorter construction schedules. The central component of accelerated bridge construction is the use of prefabrication technologies which allow the production of bridge components off-site.