Brookings: Topics - Highways

An Analysis of Air Travel Trends in the Great Lakes Region

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

The economic recession and contraction in the auto and manufacturing industries have had a significant impact on air travel trends in the Great Lakes region’s metropolitan areas, according to Robert Puentes, Adie Tomer and John Austin. The fall-off in air travel in the last ten years has been precipitous in the region, but a return to economic growth will challenge the most connected metropolitan areas.

Expect Delays: An Analysis of Air Travel Trends in the United States

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer assess metropolitan air travel trends over the past two decades. They find that most travel is consolidated within a select group of 26 metropolitan areas, which contribute to the country’s highest volume corridors and produce the worst on-time performance. Their findings reveal serious implications for the country’s aviation infrastructure as passenger volumes are predicted to grow in the coming years.

The Other Highway Funding Crisis

Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer argue that the largest federal highway program—Equity Bonus—should be apportioned to states based on proportionate contributions to the nation's general fund rather than the highway trust fund since more and more transportation dollars are coming from those general sources.

Road-use Pricing: How Would You Like to Spend Less Time in Traffic?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

In new analysis from the Greater Washington Research at Brookings, Alice Rivlin and Benjamin Orr review traffic congestion and transportation financing in the Washington, D.C. region and nationwide; suggesting that the national capital region should serve as an example of what sustainable transportation policy looks like.

Roundtable Discussion: Road-use Pricing

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

June 25, 2009, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Severe congestion and underfunded public transportation systems in the Washington, D.C. region and nationwide call for a more sustainable way of pricing transportation. To help inform the policy debate on transportation financing and traffic management, Greater Washington Research at Brookings hosted a roundtable bringing together experts from the policy, planning, advocacy, and development community.

Congress Plans a Transportation Overhaul

Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 GMT

Federal gas taxes are drying up and the nation’s highway bill is set to expire this fall. In that context, Robert Puentes analyzes the House proposal to revamp U.S. transportation policy and the administration’s call for an 18 month delay to ensure “better investment decisions."

Untangling Transportation Funding

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 GMT

As the recent kerfuffle between Transportation Secretary LaHood and the White House spokesperson demonstrate, debate over transportation policy and funding is heating up fast. Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer suggest that, while that flap was about taxing miles traveled instead of, or in addition to, gasoline consumed, the comments provide a window into the long simmering quandary over how we move the nation.

The Nation's Driving Footprint

Mon, 22 Dec 2008 15:50:23 GMT

Metropolitan Policy Program Fellow Robert Puentes explains the historic trends that have reduced the nation’s “driving footprint” and urges a new vision that reflects the realities of Americans staying out of their cars.

The Road…Less Traveled: An Analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled Trends in the U.S.

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Nevada, Idaho and Colorado lead the way in ending car dependence, according to a first-ever ranking, as do the metro areas around Austin, Indianapolis and Atlanta. A new Brookings report by Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer shows that other modes of transit grow in popularity, even as gas prices drop, suggesting a need for dramatic shifts in the way we fund transportation, build our communities and address greenhouse gas emissions.

Leveraging Infrastructure Investment Now and for the Future

Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Today’s fiscally-constrained environment demands a new approach to infrastructure policy both for short-term stimulus and long-term prosperity. In this backgrounder, Robert Puentes outlines a strategic infrastructure investment path to upgrade our existing system, expand choices in moving people and goods and move us closer to energy independence.

Ohio must Build on its Strengths by Customizing Development Strategies for Each Region

Sun, 19 Oct 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Bruce Katz and Metro partner Lavea Brachman co-authored an op-ed appearing in the Cleveland Plain-Dealer stemming from the success of the “Ohio Summit” this past September. In it, the two explain the need for a change in the discourse about the national economy.

A Bridge to Somewhere: Rethinking American Transportation for the 21st Century

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Robert Puentes calls on the federal government to empower major metropolitan areas by giving them direct transportation funding and the flexibility to make unbiased decisions between different modes of transportation. The federal government can then maximize performance by committing itself (and the recipients of federal funds) to an evidence-based, outcome driven, and benchmarked way of doing business.

MetroPolicy: Shaping a New Federal Partnership for a Metropolitan Nation

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT

To unleash greater local and national prosperity U.S. metropolitan leaders need to be better equipped to deal with today’s increasingly dynamic economic, social and environmental realities. This report calls for a new federal-state-metro partnership that provides metropolitan actors the support, capacity, tools and discretion they need to resolve key challenges; grow in more productive, inclusive, and sustainable ways; and, ultimately, to maximize America’s overall prosperity.

Driving Competitiveness: A Transportation Policy for the 21st Century

Wed, 11 Jun 2008 15:20:23 GMT

This session explored a new plan to overhaul U.S. transportation policy to meet the needs of the 21st century economy. This included a discussion of the key economic, environmental challenges facing metro areas, the flaws in the current federal policy response and recommendations for a new, unified, and competitive vision for federal transportation policy.

Transportation and the Economy

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 28, 2008, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Opportunity 08 hosted U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters for a discussion of America's transportation infrastructure. Secretary Peters focused on the challenges facing the nation’s transportation network, and how local, state and national leaders can take advantage of new technology and approaches to unleash a new wave of transportation investments in this country.

Pennsylvania Economic Revival Lies in its Metro Assets

Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Bruce Katz and his colleagues in a recent opinion piece in the Philadelphia Inquirer urge the federal government to organize their current fragmented investments in transportation and innovation and targeting them where they will provide the greatest return, metropolitan America.

Easing the Traffic Jam through Congestion Pricing

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 12:00:00 GMT

Event Information:

April 01, 2008, 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM

Brookings’ Hamilton Project and Metropolitan Policy Program hosted a roundtable discussion on the merits and potential barriers to congestion pricing as a tool for combating urban gridlock. Brookings Fellow Robert Puentes provided an overview of the national transportation landscape and David Lewis, senior vice president with HDR Decision Economics, discussed his newly proposal for a coordinated federal-state policy framework for congestion pricing. A panel of experts discussed the proposal in the context of the current national debate.

Metropolitan Pennsylvania

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 15:25:31 GMT

Pennsylvania’s 16 metropolitan areas have great economic potential. Amy Liu explains tha an effort has to be made to build upon those assets for the future of the Keystone state and the nation as a whole.

An Economic Plan for the Commonwealth: Unleashing the Assets of Metropolitan Pennsylvania

Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

In Pennsylvania, the next major presidential primary state, concerns about the economy loom large. A true federal economic agenda for the Commonwealth must empower state and local innovators to leverage the core assets of the nation's economy--innovation, infrastructure, human capital and quality places--where those assets are located: Pennsylvania’s many small and large metropolitan areas.

Pay-As-You-Drive Car Insurance

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Jason Bordoff presents a plan for "pay-as-you-drive" car insurance, a win-win policy—good for society and good for most drivers—that makes significant progress on climate change, congestion and other driving-related harms and is more equitable at the same time, all while reducing insurance costs for the majority of drivers.

Can Traffic Congestion Be Cured?

Fri, 30 Jun 2006 00:00:00 GMT

The Bush Administration recently launched a new "National Strategy to Reduce Congestion on America's Transportation Network." This new policy deals with both air and ground travel, but focuses mainly on highway traffic congestion. But does this strategy show an understanding of what really causes traffic congestion and what might be done effectively in response? Anthony Downs investigates.

Traffic Is Here to Stay

Thu, 11 Aug 2005 00:00:00 GMT

Opinion by Anthony Downs

Peak-Hour Traffic Congestion

Tue, 19 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Anthony Downs, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, before the Presented before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, March 19, 2002

How Real Are Transit Gains?

Fri, 01 Mar 2002 00:00:00 GMT

Article by Anthony Downs, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution, in Governing Magazine

The Future of U.S. Ground Transportation from 2000 to 2020

Thu, 22 Mar 2001 00:00:00 GMT

Testimony by Anthony Downs to U.S. House of Representatives

Transportation Reform: What the UK can Teach America

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 GMT

Amidst a series of local infrastructure failures and shortcomings in federal transportation budgeting, policymakers are beginning to view the upcoming expiration of the federal transportation bill (SAFETEA-LU) as an opportunity to consider significant national transportation reform. A vital element of such reform is to consider policy best practices, from the local to the international level, that will facilitate such future reform.