he Brookings Institution recently published a policy brief calling for, big surprise, drastic changes. Brooking’s researchers state that incremental changes to how we manage problems, funds, designs, and just about every other aspect of our transportation system devised in the 1950s must be thrown out. We need to,
“replace it with one that reflects the distinctive realities of our moment: fast-moving, hyper-competitive, super- volatile, and metropolitan-focused.”
Specifically, the policy brief calls for the federal government to provide a “coherent national vision” for transportation planning and execution. The think tank states this can be accomplished by:
- Protecting our existing highway system.
- Focusing on key freight hubs and trade corridors and develop a “meaningful intermodal freight agenda”
- Commit to a comprehensive national plan for inter-metro area passenger movement
The policy brief also calls for the federal government to create an environment where states and regions can be empowered to solve problems specific to their area. Specifically
- The feds should enable “pricing and incentivize market mechanisms to allow for better management of the metropolitan network”
- Don’t get hung up on pursuing narrow ‘mode’ oriented strategies like highway design, transit strategies, air quality, etc. Instead, examine the problem from a “modality neutral” position and examine the problem and solution through ”broad lens of the policy outcomes (e.g. economy, environment, equity)”. The policy claims that taking the former approach “is not sensible policy and is completely out of step with social, environmental, and political reality and it has to change.” This is an interesting, but not a new approach. Treat the problem, not the symptom.
- “Support innovation through Sustainability Challenge Contracts that connect transportation to housing, land use, and metropolitan growth.”
The final recommendation should come as a real shocker to you all, I’m sure. ”Optimize Washington’s own performance and that of its partners with a greater focus on outcomes, accountability, and transparency to maximize metropolitan prosperity. The policy brief calls for rewarding performance and building a “world-class data and information system and make it transparent and accessible.” At some level, I can accept that a blended solution to the problem would include more technology and more incentives to perform. But don’t buy it, if ever this computer system is heralded as the great savior of our problems without the foundation of basic process re-engineering and legislative ‘enhancements’.
The policy brief states, “Absent federal leadership results in no overarching vision, goals, or guidance.” In other words, we have to think bigger. We must think and act in the geographic realm between state and federal….regional. Regional taxes, regional planning and oversight, and regional accountability. Challenges lie in state legislators and governors acting in concert for their regions and ultimately, the countries best interest. At this point, I don’t have an opinion as to whether or not you need a lean Republican style federal government to initiate and guide this re-organization. Or would do you need a robust Democrat style government to ensure all states in a region agree and are held accountable? Being a believer in a large government that helps all and excludes none, I agree with the policy brief’s conclusion that federal leadership ensures cohesion. I think the institution’s conclusions are accurate in that we have to think large geographically, politically and not focus on symptoms, so much as problems to address this issue.
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July 11, 2008 at 2:28 pm
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