Transportation Decision Making: Policy Architecture for the 21st Century

008089042000PDFResearch PaperHS-043 242Decision makingTransportation policyInternational transportationInnovationSafetySecurityEconomic benefitsPublic private partnershipsStrategic planningRegional planningDecisionsPolicy makingSafety and human factorsPublic participationEconomicsUnited StatesUnited States. Dept. of Transportation. Office of the Assistant Secretary for Transportation PolicyUnited States. Department of TransportationUS Transportation CollectionTransportation - and the world - are rapidly changing. Transportation is increasingly viewed, not as an end in itself, but as a means to enhance the nation's economic health, and the quality of life of its citizens. Transportation is more than concrete, asphalt, and steel. Transportation serves people and makes sure that no one is left behind. Globalization and improved communications are increasing the demands on the transportation system and challenging us to meet the needs for additional capacity in light of concerns about safety, security, energy, and the environment. At the same time, transportation decision making has become more decentralized and complex. These changes demand new tools, new competencies, new alliances - in short, a new framework for making decisions - a new transportation policy architecture. Defining this architecture and applying it is a key part of the U.S. Department of Transportation's strategy for meeting the challenges of the next 25 years. The architecture is an overarching set of principles to encourage more open, collaborative, and flexible decision making across the transportation enterprise. It will allow all parts of the enterprise - international, federal, state, regional, local, and private - to make more effective decisions.82