The NCST produced research that supported innovation in policy by informing legislation and regulation, reforming professional practices, and reshaping programs and plans. Our work has contributed to fundamental policy transformation in a way that ensures that the benefits of the transportation system are broadly distributed in society.
The NCST has produced four kinds of research that support policy innovation:
- building tools to support policy making, including datasets, lifecycle assessments, and predictive simulation models that support scenario planning;
- developing policy elements, such as evidence-based standards, model regulations, pricing strategies, funding strategies, and others;
- conducting evaluation studies that assess the outcomes of policies using techniques such as experimental designs and econometric modeling; and
- undertaking basic research that provides a solid foundation for each of these activities by improving our understanding of the transportation system.
Our work has focused on three critical transportation domains that span both passenger and freight travel, all modes of travel, and all travel settings: vehicle technology, infrastructure provision, and travel demand. Special initiatives included cutting-edge research on the critical issues of vehicle electrification, rural mobility, and sustainable freight.
