2012: Transportation Finance and Policy Related Solutions

For 2012, the competition theme focused on transportation finance and related policy solutions.

The U.S. transportation system is rapidly aging and in dire need of reconstruction and rehabilitation. The general public pays the price for this under-investment every day by sitting in traffic and paying more for goods. As car ownership, transit ridership, and goods movement increases, there is a need for greater capacity across all modes. Similarly, as the global economy continues to change, mobility and transportation efficiency become even more critical to staying competitive in world markets. With this immense need for transportation rehabilitation, recovery, and capacity improvement, federal monies are spread too thin, and state and local transportation agencies are seeking innovative financing strategies to fund transportation. Similarly, agencies are considering policy solutions, such as mileage-based user fees and managed lanes. These solutions may require public support in the form of a referendum or behavior change. How the solutions are communicated to the public becomes critical.

In response to the competition call, 18 entries were submitted. Of these, four winners and five honorable mentions were recognized for their efforts in communicating transportation finance and related policy solutions. These communication tools, featured in the 2012 competition brochure, epitomize the spirit of communicating complex information in an uncomplicated manner.

Transportation Priorities: How Would YOU Invest?

Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco Bay Area

Every four years, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission updates its Regional Transportation Plan. Public participation is critical to ensure an open, democratic process, in which all stakeholders have opportunity to offer input and share their vision for what a vibrant, livable Bay Area will look like decades from now. But how do transportation professionals help the public make sense of it all?

MTC’s answer in 2011 was to produce a clever and informative animated video focused on the transportation investment decisions – some $256 billion worth – at the core of the Plan Bay Area effort. The Transportation Priorities: How Would YOU Invest? video served to demystify the complexities of transportation planning and finance, and show interested Bay Area residents some of the trade-offs that will have to be made by MTC decision makers, all in five minutes.