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State Smart Transportation Initiative

@innovativedot.bsky.social

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SSTI supports state transportation agencies committed to sustainability, equity, and transparent governance. ssti.us

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State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Feb 5

SSTI is helping shape our transportation system to be more sustainable, equitable, safe, and efficient.

We share the latest research, highlight innovative practices from state DOTs, and connect transportation professionals across the country to exchange solutions.

Stay up to date: ssti.us/blog/

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State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 16h

Even a small sea level rise in Hawaii could reduce access to services, with transportation bottlenecks hitting seniors hardest.

Impact of sea level rise on aging population’s accessibility to essential services in Honolulu, Hawaii

With demographic shifts showing an increasing elderly population and growth in low-elevation coastal zones, this study investigates the impacts of sea…

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 4d

Efficiency gains have cut emissions per mile, but not enough to offset rising travel demand. Transportation emissions are projected to rise in half of U.S. states.

ssti.us/2025/10/07/d...

Despite efficiency gains, rising travel demand pushes emissions higher

Advances in technology have made transportation more energy efficient in recent decades, lowering emissions per mile and per unit of freight. But according to a new study, those efficiency gains haven...

ssti.us

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 7d

Framing environmentally friendly driving as safer encourages drivers to use those fuel-saving practices more effectively than emphasizing environmental or economic gains does.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Is road safety effective in promoting eco-driving? An experiment on how benefit framing affects eco-driving intentions among Montreal drivers

In Quebec, Canada, the transportation sector is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Given the widespread use of personal cars, raising aw…

www.sciencedirect.com

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 10d

State agencies met in Minneapolis last month to advance tools for modeling emissions. SSTI and Georgetown Climate Center brought together states working to integrate emissions analysis into the transportation planning cycle. If your agency wants to know more, email [email protected].

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 11d

A MassDOT study identified a "woonerf," where people walking, biking, and driving share the same space, as a potential solution to frequent crashes and flooding at an intersection on Martha's Vineyard.

MassDOT and the Town of Tisbury Make Plans to Address Climate Change, Crashes, and Connectivity on Martha's Vineyard - Streetsblog Massachusetts

On Martha’s Vineyard, MassDOT is collaborating with the Town of Tisbury to address safety problems as well as increasing flood risks from sea level rise around Beach Road and the Five Corners…

mass.streetsblog.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 13d

Caltrans released a new Transportation Analysis Framework for evaluating how highway investments affect travel demand and the environment.

SB 743 Implementation Resources | Caltrans

State of California

dot.ca.gov

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 14d

Using Google Maps? Walking and biking times are more reliable, with people reporting that driving and transit commutes take about five minutes longer than Google estimates.

Exploring the (Mis)match between Reported and Calculated Commute Travel Times | Published in Findings

By Adele Valero, Hisham Negm & 1 more. Reported and calculated travel times align for walking and cycling. Reported travel times are five minutes longer for public transit and car compared to Google…

findingspress.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 17d

The number of cars in Seattle has flatlined since 2017, even as the population grew 10%, while households without cars increased by one-quarter.

While Seattle Population Spikes, Car Population Stalls Out » The Urbanist

# Seattle's human population is growing fast, but its car population has stalled out. Between 2017 and 2023, Seattle added 35,000 households and about 80,000 residents, but just 3,300 cars, new…

www.theurbanist.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 18d

Researchers argue the National Academies' Transportation Research Board is "no longer able to act with scientific integrity," calling on professional organizations and philanthropic groups to step in.

U.S. transportation research at a crossroads

Science in the United States has become increasingly politicized, with a wave of recent federal grant terminations and censorship of equity and climat…

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 19d

Driving is far more dangerous than taking transit, but media coverage and public perception often convince people otherwise. These misperceptions shape travel choices and contribute to higher crash risks.
ssti.us/2025/09/23/m...

More transit means safer streets

By Leslie Vasquez Guzman To reduce traffic deaths, public transit should be seen as a core part of safety infrastructure, not just an alternative mode of travel. Every day, thousands of car crashes oc...

ssti.us

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 21d

Transit is safer than driving for both crashes and crime. Sensationalized coverage and political rhetoric often distort perceptions, leading many to underestimate driving risks and overestimate transit dangers.
www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

We Need a Reality Check on Crime, Safety and Transit

Despite common assumptions, traveling by bus, subway or train is far safer than driving. How can transit agencies correct misinformation about the real risks?

www.bloomberg.com

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 25d

Maryland shows that state-led construction of vehicle charging stations can boost electric vehicle adoption, especially for plug-in hybrids.
doi.org/10.1016/j.jt...

Redirecting

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 27d

Americans are driving less, with total vehicle miles traveled barely surpassing 2019 levels and per capita driving still down, especially among younger adults.
ssti.us/2025/09/09/d...

Driving trips are dropping, especially among young people

By Chris McCahill For years, people wondered whether travel would bounce back after the pandemic. The latest FHWA data, along with other new research, gives a clearer answer. Growth has slowed. In 20...

ssti.us

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · 28d

One in five Americans experience transportation insecurity, affecting more people than food insecurity, unmet medical needs, and housing instability.
www.irp.wisc.edu/resource/ale...

Alexandra Murphy on Measuring Transportation Insecurity

Research | Training | Policy | Practice

www.irp.wisc.edu

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 12

A new Sustainable Communities Task Force will issue policy recommendations to reduce emissions and better align transportation and land use in California. Members include public agencies, CBOs, advocacy groups, universities, and rural voices.

Secretary Omishakin Launches California Sustainable Communities Task Force | CalSTA

What you need to know: 30 members have been appointed to this multi-agency body to advance climate, housing and transportation solutions across California.

calsta.ca.gov

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 11

Like major highways, adding local road capacity increases driving. Every 10% more lane-miles generates 1–3% more vehicle miles of travel depending on the neighborhood.

Measuring Induced Travel Elasticities associated with Local Roads from Trip Generation | Published in Findings

By Robert B. Noland. Induced travel elasticities of vehicle-km of travel with respect lane-miles of local roads is estimated to average be between 0.095 and 0.611.

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 10

States are moving past the outdated 85th percentile rule for setting speed limits. Ohio is among those now weighing roadway context and pedestrian and bike activity to allow safer speeds, with other states making similar changes.

More states are moving away from the 85th percentile rule to set speeds

By Eric Murphy States are increasingly moving past the outdated “85th percentile rule” for setting speed limits, weighing factors other than the observed traffic flow in those calculations. The AP…

ssti.us

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 8

On Boston streets where separated bike lanes were installed, crashes involving bikes dropped 57%, and crashes involving only cars dropped 29%, according to a city analysis.
www.boston.gov/sites/defaul...

www.boston.gov

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State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 5

Americans are 2.5 times more likely to die in a car crash than Canadians, largely because Americans drive more.

The US-Canadian Road Safety Gap Is Getting Wider

www.bloomberg.com

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 3

A Massachusetts affordable housing developer found only 19% of clients could afford a major car repair, and just 27% without a car could borrow one or get a ride.

www.mass.gov

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Sep 1

Mixed-use developments cut driving by about one-third, and up to 80% in some regions, reducing car trips by around 50% over time.

Do mixed-use developments optimize VMT and emissions reduction? Evidence from 36 regions

Mixed-use developments (MXDs) have dovetailed nicely as a development design strategy to lower VMT by concentrating diverse activities within walkable…

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Aug 29

Electrifying public sector vehicles can make a real difference. In 15 Chinese cities, the switch led to a 4% improvement in air quality.

Impacts of full electrification of public sector vehicles on urban air quality: Evidence from 15 pilot cities in China

In 2023, China released the Full Electrification of Public Sector Vehicles (FEPSV) policy in 15 pilot cities, a significant upgrade in electric vehicl…

doi.org

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Aug 28

Minnesota DOT is piloting “solar snow fences,” barriers that block drifting snow and generate enough electricity to melt up to two inches of snow per day.

MnDOT: Solar fence controls drifting snow, generates power to melt snow

Typically, you see solar panels on a roof, but new technology is being studied to build a fence made of solar panels.

www.fox9.com

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Aug 27

Denver has eliminated minimum parking requirements citywide, following state action that encouraged local reform. Other cities, including Chicago, have also revisited parking rules.
ssti.us/2025/08/27/s...

State action spurs local parking reform

Earlier this month, Denver, Colorado eliminated minimum parking requirements from its zoning code for all developments across the city. We’ve promoted the benefits of reforming outdated parking polici...

ssti.us

State Smart Transportation Initiative @innovativedot.bsky.social · Aug 26

Connecticut DOT is reimagining the Stamford Transportation Center as a multimodal hub with transit-oriented development. Commissioner Garrett Eucalitto said the project aims to add housing, transit upgrades, and commercial space.
portal.ct.gov/dot/ctdot-pr...

CTDOT Issues Request for Proposals for Redevelopment of Stamford Transportation Center

portal.ct.gov