As communities are rethinking the dominant paradigms of the last 60 years of transportation planning, traditional funding mechanisms are coming up well short of needs. A new guidebook will help state DOTs sort it all out.
In response to the challenges facing the mission of state departments of transportation, Smart Growth America partnered with the State Smart Transportation Initiative to develop a handbook called The Innovative DOT [pdf]. The handbook released in January was the third edition after being released originally in 2012.
"This handbook provides 34 recommendations transportation officials can use as they position their agencies for success in the new economy. Developed with input from top transportation professionals and officials at state agencies around the nation, the handbook documents many of the innovative approaches state leaders are using to make systems more efficient, government more effective and constituents better satisfied."
The 34 recommendations mentioned above are separated into eight chapters, or "focus areas," within the report. Focus areas include "Revenue Sources," "Pricing," and "Increasing Transportation System Efficiency."
The report pairs well with a handbook recently released by Transportation for America called The Innovative MPO.
FULL STORY: The Innovative DOT

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.

Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
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