Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
House of Representatives

Congress Looking at High-Tech Solutions to Nation’s Infrastructure Woes

Cutting edge transportation technologies like real-time bus trackers and intelligent parking systems could be coming to a city near you thanks to a new bill before the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. Lawmakers are considering establishing a pilot, competitive grant program that would bring time-, money- and pollution-saving technologies to six cities.

Smart Parking Systems can save pollution and congestion. Photo: ##http://spectrum.ieee.org/green-tech/advanced-cars/smart-parking-systems-make-it-easier-to-find-a-parking-space## ieee Spectrum##

Existing technologies allow cities to coordinate traffic lights, warn highway commuters about crashes and point drivers to available parking spaces, explained Scott Belcher, president and CEO of ITS America, in a hearing before the committee this morning. These technologies can have a big impact on the efficiency of our transportation systems, potentially reducing the need for new infrastructure, said Belcher.

"Smart" transportation technology has been shown to reduce congestion and accident rates by 10-15 percent, according to an analysis by USDOT [PDF]. The same report showed transit systems taking advantage of real-time data were able to reduce their fleets by 2-5 percent. Schedule adherence on the part of transit agencies was also positively affected by as much as 9 to 23 percent, according to the report.

If adopted, the legislation would enable cities and rural areas to compete for grant funding through USDOT, according to Russ Carnahan (D-MO), the bill's sponsor.

"These great ideas about intelligent transportation have been sort of sitting on the shelf but they haven’t been implemented into our transportation strategies," said Carnahan. "This is a great opportunities to get these into American communities so that we can show their value."

Lawmakers are awaiting analysis from the Congressional Budget Office on the cost of such a program. It is too early, as well, to say what the exact criteria will be for competing cities, although Belcher said the program will likely take into account each proposal's potential to reduce cost, boost operational performance, improve safety, reduce environmental impact and provide economic benefit at a low cost.

Carnahan said the bill has bi-partisan support, thanks to its potential for savings. An GAO analysis cited by Belcher found that smart technologies have a nine-to-one return on investment. Transportation for America also examined the myriad potential transportation improvements offered by technological innovation in a report last year.

For example, instituting systems that could electronically collect transit fares could save $5.9 million in Seattle, $2.4 million in Cincinnati and $1.1 million in Tuscon, according to an analysis by USDOT. Other available technologies allow communities to install weather-activated fixed road salting equipment or use electronic toll collection to enforce variable pricing on congested freeways.

When questioned about the prospects of pushing new spending through a budget-conscious Congress, Carnahan was optimistic.

"The question is, can we afford to continue to make the transportation investments we are making without the better technology?" he said. "I don’t think we can do that."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

Friday Video: The London Neighborhood Where Bikes Outnumber Cars

...and how they got to that impressive milestone.

July 11, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Battle Galactus

Like the Marvel supervillain, U.S. interstate highway system seems to eat up everything in his path. A new book explores how to stop it.

July 11, 2025

New Report Shows Pedestrian Fatalities Drop — But Experts Say Not Enough

The Governors Highway Safety Association report showed a 4 percent drop in the number of pedestrian deaths last year, putting a slow on a dangerous trend — but advocates say the drop isn't nearly big enough.

July 11, 2025

Talking Headways Podcast: Localities Subsidize the State DOT

Adie Tomer of Brookings on how to improve regional coordination around infrastructure.

July 10, 2025

Five of the Ugliest Transportation Policies In the ‘Big, Beautiful’ Bill

Here's a rundown of some of the transportation provisions in the Republicans' reconciliation package, and what they might mean for your community.

July 10, 2025

Viva La Thursday’s Headlines

Why is French transit ridership up 10 percent since before the pandemic, while American transit ridership is down 23 percent?

July 10, 2025
See all posts