The major elements of America’s transportation
infrastructure
and policy
frameworks are six decades old (or older in the case rail). We
haven’t even kept up with the maintenance since then. In addition to taking
care of what we have, we need to adapt to the changes in technology,
culture and
the economy
that have occurred. Our policies haven’t been keeping up.
In Move, Harvard business
professor Rosabeth
Moss Kanter explores how we got here and how we can move forward. We got
here by adopting a defense-oriented policy that emphasized cars (especially interstate
highways) and air
travel, largely ignoring rail, public transit and intermodal development.
The path forward has several elements. First is a focus on mobility.
Transportation infrastructure is a technical, bureaucratic realm of deep silos.
Mobility changes the focus to moving people and products around communities and
the nation in whatever ways make sense. Physical mobility and economic mobility
are tied, and if we want to strengthen our economic leadership on the world
stage, we need to break down internal policy barriers to advancing the way
people move.
That means developing a national strategy. Of course, a rigid approach
won’t work because we have varied nation. However, national priorities and
frameworks can make room for regional priorities, adaption and leadership.
Money is always in issue. There are potentials in public-private
partnership (PPP), and that can be arranged in many ways. America has a
world-leading freight rail system that has very limited public investment.
Airports are generally owned by governments, and attempts to privatize them
have meet a cool response from possible investors. However, there are examples
of successful PPPs in which there is something for everybody.
I already mentioned that technology has come a long way in the past
several decades, especially in the realm of communication
and data analysis. Some transportation industries, such as airlines, are taking
advantage of the opportunities in new technology, while other are lagging. There
are many ways our transportation system can be smarter, and we need sensible
ways of incorporating technology in ways that are safe without losing out on
the benefits through unnecessary delays.
This requires leadership
and vision, especially in government.
Politicians are often motivated by short-term wins, but mobility is a long-term
investment. We need leaders who can see passed the next election and the
boundaries of party.
Finally, citizen engagement is important. Plans can quickly fail if the
people who are going to use, pay for and otherwise feel the ultimate effects of
new transportation policies and infrastructure are not informed, involved and
empowered to take action that works for them.
If you’re interested in this book, you may also be interested in
Kanter, Rosabeth Moss. Move:
Putting America’s Infrastructure Back in the Lead. New York: W. W. Norton &
Company, 2015.
