Creation of the Interstate Highway System, like development of the first intercontinental railroad a century earlier, was transformational, ushering in a new era of transportation, economic development, and social change in the nation’s history. President Eisenhower’s signing of the Interstate Highways and Defense Act in 1956 and the driving of the "Last Spike" at Promontory Summit, Utah, in 1869 were symbolic moments—comparable to landing a person on the Moon. These actions advanced a vision for transportation infrastructure that shaped and supported our economy and our communities for decades. 

The aim of the Interstate System was focused and succinctly stated: "…to connect principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial centers, serve national defense, and connect with Canada and Mexico," and this statement became foundational to the culture and missions of the state departments of transportation (DOTs). These agencies have evolved in response to changes in the nature of the work, from planning to construction to operation and maintenance of increasingly mature networks. While notable gaps remain and funding for maintenance and updating is a perpetual challenge, observers suggest the goals and objectives of the Interstate era have largely been achieved. Today, social, economic, and technology trends place the nation at the cusp of a new era for transportation, one engaging new technologies, interactions among transportation modes, interdependence of private and public interests, and a broadening range of partners and stakeholders in our transportation system’s performance. State DOTs are called upon to help define and realize a vision of this next era and how that vision may be realized. 

State DOTs and the public face challenging questions and choices. For example:

• How can the transportation system be designed and operated to make meaningful progress toward Vision Zero?
• How can the shift away from reliance on fossil fuels be accelerated? 
• How can the transportation system provide access to health care, education, jobs, and high-quality and affordable housing for asset-limited, income-constrained, employed households?
• How can transportation contribute to stable neighborhoods and communities?
• How will new technologies and new transportation services support system performance improvements?
• How can the transportation system support technological changes in communications and mobility?
• How can the condition and performance of our transportation system contribute to sustained prosperity by efficiently moving people and goods?

While each state DOT must address such questions, individual agencies also must harmonize perspectives and strategies with others: our transportation networks do not end at political borders and many of the challenges can only be addressed through collaboration with partners and stakeholders.  

Phase 1 of the project explored the factors and trends likely to characterize the next era of transportation. Through outreach and engagement with state DOT leadership, partners, and thought leaders from other industries, a vision for the next era of transportation was developed. The vision is a community-centered transportation system—focused on connecting communities, moving people and goods, and meeting customer needs at all scales, from local to global—delivered as a partnership between state DOTs and other public, private, and civic sector partners. The vision includes six aspirational goals describing how the system should function: 

• Safe and secure;
• Accessible and affordable;
• Seamless and reliable;
• Healthy and thriving;
• Clean and sustainable; and 
• Agile and resilient.  

In October 2022, the AASHTO Board of Directors unanimously adopted the vision and aspirational goals, further resolving that state DOTs should work toward implementation of the shared vision through individual actions that are appropriate for the context of each state. Several bold ideas—“moonshots”—that support one or more of the aspirational goals were identified in Phase 1 of the project. Research is needed to further refine these ideas, articulate specific opportunities and actions needed to implement them, and directly engage with state DOT leadership to initiate implementation. 

The objectives of this project were to explore and articulate specific actions that can be taken by state DOTs both collectively and individually to establish and realize a transformative vision of the next era of America’s transportation infrastructure, by:

• Describing the social, technological, and economic trends and evolution of community values, problems, and priorities now and in coming years that are likely to influence the role of transportation in local, regional, and national prosperity and wellbeing;
• Articulating a set of evocative state DOT ambitions and goals that, if pursued, would respond to evolutionary trends and shape an agency’s culture and mission to maintain and enhance transportation’s contribution to prosperity and well-being;
• Presenting a visionary narrative and supporting insights, projections, and aspirational ideas to inform state DOT leadership; and
• Providing resources and tools that state DOT leaders can use to tailor their own efforts to shape their agency’s culture and mission and craft meaningful and motivating targets, achievements, objectives, and narratives or vision statements to communicate with stakeholders.