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Surface Transportation

Research Brief
Now Is the Time for Space Traffic Management
The growing number of objects in orbit has increased the potential for overcrowding, debris creation, and, ultimately, collisions. If space powers don't establish an international space traffic management organization soon, the world could lose key portions of its orbital resources.
Jun 5, 2023
Report
International Space Traffic Management: Charting a Course for Long-Term Sustainability
As outer space becomes more congested, contested, and competitive, risks to space safety, security, and sustainability heighten. The authors identified lessons from other domains and offer recommendations to make progress in space traffic management.
Jun 5, 2023
Blog
A Look Back at the War in Afghanistan, National Secuirty Risks, Hospice Care: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on why the United States “stayed the unfavorable course” in Afghanistan, the Ohio train derailment, state data on gun deaths, and more.
Mar 3, 2023
Commentary
Ohio's Train Derailment—Not Spy Balloons—Is the Real National Security Threat
The slow degradation of infrastructure and disaster response is less a spectacle than an overflying balloon, but the train derailment and chemical spill in Ohio highlights just how bizarre such a focus on perceived external national security threats has become. The far greater threat may be from within.
Feb 20, 2023
Report
Cross-Domain Lessons for Space Traffic Management: An Analysis of Air and Maritime Treaty Governance Mechanisms
In this report, the authors examine the treaty-based governance systems from both the air and maritime domains as potential models for the development of an international space traffic management system.
Jan 25, 2023
Journal Article
The Kids Aren't Alright: The Effects of Medical Marijuana Market Size on Adolescents
Combining a novel measure of market size with two shocks to U.S. federal enforcement policy, researchers find that legal medical market growth increases youth cannabis use and alcohol-involved car accidents, suggesting complementarities for youths. It’s unclear whether these results apply to cannabis legalization for nonmedical purposes.
Dec 9, 2022
Dissertation
Learning and Earning in This New Economy: A Study of Rideshare Drivers in Los Angeles
Attempts to understand how gig workers, particularly Uber and Lyft drivers, find and perceive their employment, the money they make from it, and the things they spend it on.
Jul 22, 2022
Blog
RAND's New President, the U.S. Foreign Service, Transportation Equity: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on RAND's next president and CEO, Jason Matheny, insights into Americans' views on diplomacy and diplomats, solutions for transportation equity, and more.
Jun 10, 2022
Report
Transportation Equity for Older Adults
As individual mobility challenges increase and driving ability declines, travel for older adults can be inconvenient, costly, slow, uncomfortable, burdensome, or even impossible. A new framework can help communities understand older adults' transportation needs and whether they are being met.
Jun 3, 2022
Journal Article
Executive Summary of the Study Into Measures to Prevent Terrorist Attacks with Vehicles and Mitigate the Impacts Thereof
This study examines the measures to prevent terrorist attacks with vehicles to improve the evidence on attacks that have occurred since 2013 and understand what measures could be employed to prevent or mitigate such attacks in the future.
Mar 8, 2022
Journal Article
Life in the Slow Lane: Unintended Consequences of Public Transit in Jakarta
We study how TransJakarta, one of the worlds largest BRT systems, impacted commuting outcomes in Jakarta, Indonesia from 2002 to 2010.
Nov 9, 2021
Report
Going to the Doctor: Rideshare as Nonemergency Medical Transportation
The authors examine rideshare's role in nonemergency medical transportation (NEMT) and identify key populations for whom and the types of rides for which NEMT could be a model, rideshare's role in NEMT, and the policies that support such a role.
Oct 12, 2021
Blog
Four-Day School Weeks, Domestic Terrorism, North Korea: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the trade-offs of a four-day school week, how to counter domestic violent extremism, racial disparities in who is convicted of more-serious speeding charges, and more.
Oct 8, 2021
Research Brief
Black Motorists Face More-Serious Charges for Excessive Speeding Than White Motorists Do
In many states, motorists accused of excessive speeding can face either a criminal misdemeanor or a traffic infraction. Data on speeding violations in Virginia show large racial disparities in who is convicted of a misdemeanor.
Oct 4, 2021
Report
Racial Disparities in Misdemeanor Speeding Convictions
In this report, researchers use data on speeding violations in Virginia to examine whether there are racial disparities in who benefits from the discretion of law enforcement and the courts to discount or downgrade misdemeanor violations.
Oct 4, 2021
Journal Article
Decarbonising UK Transport: Final Report and Technology Roadmaps
The report sets out a series of 7 technological roadmaps to reduce and remove direct emissions from the UK's domestic transport by 2050.
Jul 15, 2021
Blog
Sexual Assault in the Military, School Security, Mental Health Care: RAND Weekly Recap
This weekly recap focuses on the risk of sexual assault to sexual minorities in the U.S. military, making treatment more accessible to people struggling with opioid addiction, countering Russian propaganda, and more.
Jun 4, 2021
Commentary
Micromobility: How Will We Know When It's Working?
Micromobility was positioned as a solution for every urban problem from traffic congestion to air pollution to transit deserts and inequality. Is there a way to know if micromobility can fulfill these ambitious goals?
May 18, 2021
Commentary
If You Build Automated Vehicles, Will Older Adults Come?
Whether older adults benefit from autonomous vehicles may hinge on taking explicit steps. Lessons can be learned from experiences with other technologies.
Apr 28, 2021
Journal Article
The Societal Benefits of Vehicle Connectivity
This scenario analysis suggests that actions focused on enhancing equity in any push towards vehicle connectivity represent a low-regrets option for public, private, and civil society actors.
Mar 18, 2021

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RAND Topic:
Surface Transportation

Research conducted by

Researcher Spotlight

Aaron Kofner

Senior Research Programmer

Aaron Kofner is a senior research programmer who works extensively with Medicare, Medicaid, and private health claims datasets, cleaning and analyzing to report on cost, utilization, and health care quality. His interests include the evaluation of health care payment and delivery innovations,…
Christopher G. Pernin

Director, Engineering and Applied Sciences Department

Chris Pernin (he/him) is director of the Engineering and Applied Sciences Department and a senior physical scientist at the RAND Corporation. Since joining RAND in 1999, Pernin has been involved with or led a wide range of national security and domestic research projects on decisionmaking,…

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