A Guide to Department of Transportation Success

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.

1 minute read

January 29, 2015, 2:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


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.

Thursday, January 29, 2015 in Smart Growth for America

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I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

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