This year one of the emphasis areas for AASHTO President Victoria Sheehan is helping people understand the value of transportation and how it impacts quality of life. Many of the traditional talking points associated with infrastructure investment are associated with the infrastructure itself (deficient bridges, pavement quality, etc). While those are important points to make, we also need to talk about how transportation projects impact people’s daily lives.

One way AASHTO is trying to shift the conversation is through the publication of our 2021 Benefits of Transportation Report.  This year’s report was released last month and includes a sampling of state DOT projects that are improving people’s lives and growing local economies. The companion web site, launched last year, was updated during the last several weeks and now includes stories from 47 states covering a diverse menu of projects and programs – from transit and multimodal programs to active transportation to improving highways and completing emergency bridge repairs.

The web site, which is searchable by state or by type of benefit, will serve as a resource as we continue educating the Administration and Congressional members and their staffs about the important role transportation plays, and the many ways in which state DOTs contribute to the quality of life and economic development of the communities they serve.

If you have questions about the project or have something to contribute, please contact Lloyd Brown, AASHTO’s communications and marketing director, via lbrown@aashto.org.

The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is hiring an Active Transportation Performance Manager. The position leads the Division of Transportation Planning’s development and tracking of active transportation performance measures, messaging on Caltrans progress, and coordinating with partners to obtain data. The advertisement is available here: https://www.calcareers.ca.gov/CalHrPublic/Jobs/JobPostingPrint.aspx?jcid=248060