Category: Plans

Transportation Planning in Non-Metropolitan/Rural Areas 2026

  • June 9th, 2026

Before the 1960s, rural communities had little influence over transportation planning, despite substantial state and federal investment in rural infrastructure. Over time, federal policy emphasized greater rural participation, encouraging state departments of transportation (DOTs) to adopt planning approaches in nonmetropolitan areas that engaged communities and local officials. Early efforts focused on consultation with rural officials […]

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Coordination of Highway Safety Improvement Program and Highway Safety Office Activities 2026

  • June 9th, 2026

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and the State Highway Safety Program are federal initiatives designed to improve highway safety and reduce fatal and serious injuries on the nation’s roadways. HSIPs are typically administered by state departments of transportation (DOTs) and may be structured differently across states. The State Highway Safety Program is managed by […]

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Transitioning from Reactive Planning to a Fast Loop

  • June 9th, 2026

At present, highway safety planning depends on fragmented, lagging data, forcing SHSOs to rely on information that is two or more years old. This leaves them planning “half-blind,” unable to address current roadway risks or assess intervention effectiveness within the three-year THSP cycle. Telematics Risk Analysis can help SHSOs shift to a proactive planning cycle. […]

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DOT Should Develop and Implement a Lessons Learned Plan

  • May 20th, 2026

The Department of Transportation (DOT) Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grants program funds demonstration projects that use advanced transportation technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and drones. In the first 3 years of the program, DOT received 1,073 applications from a variety of community sizes, entity types, and technology areas. As of September 2025, DOT […]

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Electric vehicle chargers coming to Creek Travel Store in Atmore

  • May 20th, 2026

According to a news release, the ChargePoint Level-3 DC chargers are set to be fully operational at the Creek Travel Store, located at 4740 Jack Springs Road, in early March 2026. The three universal chargers, installed by Optimus Energy Solutions, will be able to charge up to six cars at the same time, adding a […]

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A National Action Plan for School Bus Safety

  • May 20th, 2026

A National Action Plan for School Bus Safety includes specific recommendations for State Highway Safety Offices (SHSOs), law enforcement, educators, school districts, bus drivers, the private sector, autonomous vehicle providers, roadway safety advocates and the judiciary. A National Action Plan for School Bus Safety

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Making CAV Deployments Compatible with Complete Streets Objectives for Safe and Efficient Operation

  • April 29th, 2026

Urban streets are increasingly complex environments where diverse transportation modes like cars, bicycles, pedestrians, micromobility, and emerging automated vehicles, interact within constrained spaces. Traditional design practices, guided by qualitative policies such as Complete Streets, often lack the quantitative foundation needed to evaluate trade-offs between efficiency, equity, and safety. This research introduces a data-driven framework to […]

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AI in Charge: Large-Scale Experimental Evidence on Electric Vehicle Charging Demand

  • April 29th, 2026

One of the promising opportunities offered by AI to support the decarbonization of electricity grids is to align demand with low-carbon supply. We evaluated the effects of one of the world’s largest AI managed EV charging tariffs (a retail electricity pricing plan) using a large-scale natural field experiment. The tariff dynamically controlled vehicle charging to […]

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Improving Virtual Public Involvement in Transportation Agencies 2026

  • April 29th, 2026

Virtual public involvement (VPI), defined by the Federal Highway Administration as “the use of digital technology to engage individuals or to visualize projects or plans,” is now an essential part of public participation in transportation planning and project development. VPI has reduced participation barriers for many people while creating challenges for others. Although VPI was […]

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EV fast-charging stations coming to Alabama

  • March 30th, 2026

Some Walmart customers in 19 states, including Alabama, will soon notice a change in their store’s parking lot. The nation’s largest retailer is stepping up the installation of charging stations for electric vehicles. First announced in 2023, the plan includes building EV fast-charging stations at Walmart and Sam’s Club locations coast to coast by 2030. EV […]

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