Future of Mobility: Active transportation

bikers

What’s next in transportation?

The Future of Mobility series collects the perspectives of top U researchers and other national experts. In 17 articles, the authors scan the horizon and reflect on critical transportation topics. Each article recommends action steps for public officials and policymakers.

CTS is highlighting the articles over the course of the year. This month, we explore active transportation in an article by Jennifer Dill.

Dill asks us to imagine a future where instead of measuring the performance of an intersection based on vehicle congestion, we measure it based on its level of physical activity. She believes our future transportation system needs to focus on some of the lowest-tech modes—walking, bicycling, and rolling (e.g., in a wheelchair)—but with a modern, high-tech twist. For example, e-bikes and other low-powered electric vehicles should be promoted via incentives, and infrastructure must be built to accommodate them.

Fundamentally, Dill says, we need to change priorities and how we make decisions. Read more in Is the Future the Past, with a Technology Twist?

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Michael McCarthy
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