New NTPP Report Released

This afternoon NTPP released its latest report, Transitioning to a Performance-Based Federal Surface Transportation Policy.

Drawn from the conversations of a workshop that convened leaders in the transportation field, the report identifies a number of actions that should be taken immediately to effectively transition to a performance-based transportation framework. The next step actions include: conducting baseline inventory and assessment of current data collection capacities, investing in systems that help establish performance metrics and data collection techniques, developing performance measures in areas of safety and asset management, and applying national goals and performance measures to existing transportation programs. The report explores the importance of federal performance measures, the need to incentivize performance, and the need for collaboration across federal, state and local agencies moving legislative action forward.

Check out this and other NTPP reports here.

Emil Frankel in the Financial Times

Emil Frankel, Director of Transportation Policy for the National Transportation Policy Project, was recently quoted in a Financial Times article “US deals with the politics of recovery”. In the article, Mr. Frankel argues that a greater emphasis should be placed on how federal funds “perform” as evidenced by how well the funds generate economic activity.

This emphasis on performance is at the core of NTPP’s vision for federal transportation policy reform. Implementing federal transportation policy that aims to foster economic growth, among other national goals, will ensure wasteful or unnecessary projects are replaced with investments that encourage long-term, sustainable economic growth across the nation.

NTPP Launches Its Report - June 9th!

The Bipartisan Policy Center and its
National Transportation Policy Project
invite you to the launch of its report

Performance Driven:
A New Vision for U.S. Transportation Policy


Press Conference at 9:00 AM featuring NTPP Co-Chairs
Dennis Archer, Former Mayor of Detroit
Sherwood Boehlert, Former U.S. Congressman from New York
Slade Gorton, Former U.S. Senator from Washington
Martin Sabo, Former U.S. Congressman from Minnesota

Keynote Address at 9:20 AM
The Honorable Mark Warner, U.S. Senator from Virginia

Panel Discussion at 10:30AM
The Honorable Thomas Petri, U.S. Congressman from Wisconsin
Tyler Duvall, McKinsey & Co.; Former Asst. Secretary for Policy at U.S. DOT
Douglas Holtz-Eakin, DHE Consulting; Former Director of CBO
Nancy Kete, Director of the WRI's Center for Sustainable Transport
Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution

Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Breakfast Available

Washington Court Hotel
Atrium Ballroom
525 New Jersey Ave, NW
Washington, DC

RSVP to ehawkes@bipartisanpolicy.org or 202-204-2399

How Many Bird Strikes...

The Federal Aviation Administration recently released data about the number of bird strikes (plane-bird collisions) in the United States, and it is a number that surprised many people: more than 73,000 bird strikes in the last eight years (and the FAA believes only 20% of strikes are even reported). Previously, the downing of a plane in the Hudson River in January because of a bird strike seemed like a bizarre rarity; the data has changed our perception. While in some ways it is reassuring that major problems from bird strikes are so infrequent, the number of strikes is still of concern because they present a real, if unusual, danger. Of broader importance, however, is the power this new information gives us to assess which methods of bird strike prevention work best and whether progress can be made to decrease the number strikes.

The issue of data about bird strikes holds a lesson for transportation more generally because, as the saying goes, “you can’t manage what you don’t measure.” Although the FAA has kept data about bird strikes for many years, the number of strikes has increased annually since the early 1990s, indicating that either there are more collisions occuring, increased reporting, or the FAA is not taking effective action. (We should note that the annual number of flights has increased over that time period as well, however.) Hopefully, public scrutiny will incentivize progress in reducing the number of strikes. There are a number of methods of deterring birds from near airports, including annoying noises, habitat manipulation, use of predators, shooing of birds, and shooting of birds. Data can illuminate which methods work best, and the public can judge whether their local airports are taking effective action. In short, it is good news that the FAA is tracking data, and it is of equal importance that the data is now available for public assessment.

One of the National Transportation Policy Project’s consistent themes has been the need for performance measurement and accountability. As the bird strike example shows, measurement and accountability should go hand-in-hand. Accountability is impossible without data, but data alone does not mean much unless it can be used to find best practices and reward good performance. Increased transparency should be at the core of a new approach to transportation performance and accountability.

National Transportation Policy Project Reception at TRB Tonight

Dear Readers,

The Bipartisan Policy Center's National Transportation Policy Project is hosting a reception tonight, Wednesday, the 14th, as part of the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The reception will be at the Omni Shoreham (by Woodley Park metro), in the Congressional Room, from 6-7:30pm. All are invited to attend.

The reception will feature two of NTPP's Co-Chairs, former Congressman Sherwood Boehlert and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer. Several members of the NTPP will be in attendance as well, including former FAA administrator Jane Garvey. Senator Mark Warner, a former NTPP Co-Chair, will also be stopping by early in the evening, and there may be a guest appearance by a former Senator...

Thanks for reading.

Our Commentary on the Department of Transportation's Reform Proposal

In case you missed it, last week we released a commentary on the DOT's reform proposal. If you are interested in reading it, the document can be found here.