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Transportation Planning

  • View of San Francisco at sunrise

    Announcement

    RAND Opens Office in the San Francisco Bay Area

    RAND has opened an office in the Bay Area to foster collaboration with the region's leaders and researchers working to solve today's complex problems. Nidhi Kalra, a senior information scientist, is leading the new office.

    Apr 3, 2017

  • Flags and signs warn drivers about lane closures along Pacific Coast Highway near San Francisco, California

    Commentary

    Rebuilding America's Infrastructure in the Trump Era

    Policymakers generally agree on the need to rebuild America's infrastructure. But the country is far behind in this area. Why? Transportation projects take time and money. And it's hard to predict how a project will affect its surroundings.

    Nov 14, 2016

  • Double decker bus going by Big Ben and Parliament in London, UK

    Commentary

    Looking Out the Window to Transport in 2035

    The UK's roads, railways, and airports are some of the most congested in the world. Exploring future transport scenarios and the technologies that will drive them can help guide today's policy and investment decisions.

    Jun 27, 2016

  • Red bus passing over Westminster bridge with Big Ben in the background, London, UK

    Report

    Travel in Britain in 2035

    Without substantial investment, the UK will experience severe congestion across its transport infrastructure by 2035. How might emerging technologies be able to address the problem?

    Jun 24, 2016

  • Research Brief

    Research Brief

    Travel in Britain in 2035: Future scenarios and their implications for technology

    By 2035 UK transport infrastructure may be severely congested. Innovate UK commissioned this study to explore how technology might address the congestion problem by using capacity more efficiently, supporting modal choice and managing travel demand.

    Jun 24, 2016

  • Metro Expo Line westbound train about to turn onto Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica

    Commentary

    Expo Line Could Enhance Wellbeing in Santa Monica

    On May 20, the long-awaited Metro Expo Line will begin service to Santa Monica. Viewing urban mobility as a key component of community wellbeing may be an instructive way to assess the impact of Expo and other infrastructure efforts.

    May 6, 2016

  • Advertisement from 1957 for "America's Independent Electric Light and Power Companies" showing an autonomous car

    Report

    Self-Driving Vehicles Offer Potential Benefits, Policy Challenges for Lawmakers

    Self-driving vehicles offer the promise of significant benefits to society, but raise several policy challenges, including the need to update insurance liability regulations and privacy concerns such as who will control the data generated by this technology.

    Mar 22, 2016

  • Cars stranded in flood waters from Hurricane Irene in lower Manhattan, August 28, 2011

    Commentary

    Why Engineers Need to Be Thinking About Climate Change

    As sea levels rise and extreme weather events become more common, evacuation routes in coastal areas will become more important. Transportation engineers need to be more proactive as they try to anticipate damage to pavement, bridges, and culverts.

    Feb 22, 2016

  • Cover of Spotlight on 2015, the RAND Europe annual review

    Brochure

    Spotlight on 2015

    RAND Europe's annual review, Spotlight on 2015, illustrates how our work helps to improve people's lives through policymaking based on objective research and rigorous analysis.

    Jan 26, 2016

  • Report

    Report

    Quality of Life Indicators and Policy Strategies to Advance Sustainability in the Pearl River Delta

    Proposes a system of quality of life indicators and identifies policy options to improve quality of life in the Pearl River Delta, a region of Guangdong Province in southeastern China.

    Nov 6, 2015

  • Residents do morning exercises at a park on a hazy day in Shenzhen, Guangdong province February 12, 2015

    Commentary

    China at Home: Marrying Prosperity and Well-Being

    As China strives to sustain its upward economic trajectory, it must also address its domestic problems—such as air pollution and the challenges presented by its aging population—if its people are to share fully in the rewards of economic development and expansion.

    Aug 21, 2015

  • Los Angeles freeway

    Commentary

    Pay as You Go

    Using vehicle miles traveled as a means of distributing the cost of maintaining America's roads and bridges may not be the only answer. But it represents the kind of innovative thinking that is necessary when this sector of the American transportation infrastructure is desperately in need of a fix.

    Jul 22, 2015

  • Vehicles driving toward Mt. Hood in Oregon

    Commentary

    How to Improve Oregon's Mileage-Fee Experiment

    Oregon is rolling out the nation's first large-scale pilot to examine switching to a mileage fee instead of the gas tax. The trial is a welcome next step toward understanding how mileage fees can be deployed.

    Jul 7, 2015

  • News Release

    News Release

    Economic Growth Will Be the Main Driver of Mobility in China in 2030

    Continued economic growth will be the main driver of future mobility and automobile use in China, but constraints on vehicle use and environmental regulations will be important issues as well.

    Jun 30, 2015

  • Shanghai Nanpu Bridge at dusk

    Report

    Economic Growth Will Be the Main Driver of Mobility in China in 2030

    Continued economic growth will be the main driver of future mobility and automobile use in China, but constraints on vehicle use and environmental regulations will be important issues as well.

    Jun 30, 2015

  • Vehicles on highway

    Journal Article

    How Can State Transportation Agencies Prepare for an Uncertain Energy Future?

    In what ways will the mandate, role, funding, and operations of state departments of transportation be affected by changes in energy supply and demand in the next 30 to 50 years? Different supply-and-demand scenarios will require robust decision-making techniques.

    Mar 3, 2015

  • The M3 Motorway cutting at Twyford Down

    Project

    A Rapid Evidence Assessment of Road Traffic Demand Elasticities in the UK

    RAND Europe researchers sought to understand the factors shaping road transport demand in the UK, for both passengers and freight, to help policymakers know how their actions will impact infrastructure needs.

    Jan 15, 2015

  • The M3 Motorway cutting at Twyford Down

    Report

    Road traffic demand elasticities: A rapid evidence assessment

    This study presents findings of a rapid evidence assessment of literature to better understand the factors driving road transport demand for both passengers and freight.

    Jan 15, 2015

  • Advertisement from 1957 for "America's Independent Electric Light and Power Companies" showing an autonomous car

    Multimedia

    Self-Driving Cars: A Conversation with James Anderson and Allen Biehler

    At this November 2014 RAND event in Pittsburgh, experts discuss the social, environmental, and policy implications of driverless cars.

    Nov 5, 2014

  • Events @ RAND Audio Podcast

    Multimedia

    Self-Driving Vehicles

    At this October 2014 event at RAND, information scientist Nidhi Kalra discusses the social, environmental, and policy implications of driverless cars.

    Oct 28, 2014