What Happened?
Smart Growth America and the State Smart Transportation Initiative recently released the third edition of The Innovative DOT Handbook that outlines the common challenges facing state transit agencies, as well strategies to improve performance and overall efficiency.
Focus Area 1: Revenue Sources
Transportation departments must find new sources of dedicated revenue to support construction and maintenance demands. The handbook recommends implementing tiered user fees to keep up with capital needs. When evaluating new funding sources, consider a few evaluation metrics:
- Funding potential
- Ease of implementation
- Economic effects
- Political feasibility
When implementing a new revenue-generating initiative, make sure to educate the public, build alliances with other agencies, offer a fiscal impact statement and ensure legislative approval is in place to support the effort.
Focus Area 2: Revenue Allocation and Project Selection
A variety of reforms are taking place in how transportation agencies are selecting projects and allocating funds to ensure goals and achievements are aligned with state, departmental or local objectives. To deliver projects faster and with greater impact, the handbook recommends:
- Establishing revenue and funding flexibility
- Incorporating asset management
- Developing a performance- and outcome-focused project selection process
- Removing barriers to off-system investment
- Updating funding formulas and implement competitive fund distribution
Focus Area 3: Pricing
To keep costs down, mitigate congestion and raise revenues, transportation departments must manage appropriate pricing strategies. The handbook recommends transit agencies work with legislators and insurance companies to implement variable tolling to better manage demand, as well as deploy a pay-as-you-drive insurance system.
Focus Area 4: Increasing Transportation System Efficiency
With tight budgets, transportation departments must find ways to improve operational efficiency with existing systems when new capital investments are out of the question. Improvement plan to consider include:
- Modernizing access management standards
- Improving street connectivity
- Leveraging transportation demand management solutions
- Investing in system management technology
- Deploying practical design
Furthermore, departments can cooperate with local governments to ensure state and local transit systems are working synergistically.
Focus Area 5: Improving Options for Mobility and Access
Transportation departments must consider the mobility experience of all residents including pedestrians, cyclists and public transit riders. When designs increase access to key destinations for all residents, communities enjoy economic growth and sustainability.
The handbook recommends aligning transportation projects with economic growth strategies, as well as enact policies in support of complete street designs. In addition, updated design policies and standards should include consideration for increased bicycle and pedestrian travel.
Focus Area 6: Providing Efficient, Safe Freight Access
Transit departments must collaborate with the shipping industry to discover more efficient ways to operate that limits the impact on infrastructure and communities. To reduce congestion and emissions, the handbook recommends:
- Supporting intermodal freight connections
- Optimizing local freight pickups and deliveries
- Encourage innovative freight delivery with more options
Focus Area 7: Integrating Transportation and Land Use Decision Making
In an effort to lower costs and improve community and economic development, transit departments are reconnecting land use and transportation initiatives. In collaboration with local governments and metropolitan planning organizations, transit agencies are creating new metrics and planning processes to encourage synergistic, transit-oriented developments. The handbook recommends:
- Integrating transportation and land use policies
- Conducting scenario planning
- Improving public facility siting
- Coordinating infrastructure investments across agencies
- Promoting transit-oriented development
- Incorporating climate change resilience into long-range planning
Focus Area 8: Improving DOT Processes
Finally, the handbook recommends transportation departments identify comprehensive goals for each investment and set affordable strategies to meet these needs. If project development and delivery processes are more streamlined, departments can enjoy reduced costs and stronger economies. Innovative transportation projects have an impact on departmental performance as well as cultural development.
An overarching theme of the handbook aligns with other studies suggesting walkable cities are on the rise. According to the research, cities with high walkability schools also report:
- Higher education levels
- An average of 38 percent higher GDP per capita compared to low ranking metros
- 74 percent higher premium per square foot office rent compared to drivable areas
When transit developments take into account more diverse modes of navigation, communities enjoy economic growth and sustainability.
Smart Transit
Gov1 has kept a close eye on the variety of transportation projects supporting a more walker-friendly population to drive economic growth.