Check out the New Report on Departments of Transportation!

Our transportation system impacts every aspect of our lives, from how we get to work, buy food, visit friends and family, and every to where we live or where development is built. How our transportation system is designed impacts how we get around, how safe we are getting around and, impact our ability to address climate change.  Read the new report on DOTs in the Midwest! and check out the Fast Facts on DOTs!

Transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for roughly 27% of all GHG emissions in the Midwest. The Departments of Transportation play a key role in shaping our transportation system. State DOTs work with regional organizations such as Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) to allocate certain federal funds, and conduct statewide planning. They also play a coordinating role across various transportation modes statewide. They own, design and maintain the primary highway systems, including the Interstate system, US highways, and state highways. Though these DOT-owned highways are only about a tenth of the road system by length, they carry a majority of our region’s traffic and are the places where nearly half of our pedestrian fatalities occur. They connect communities, and are often the main streets going through our cities and towns. 

Because of the key role DOTs play in shaping our transportation system, our friends at the REAMP Network, along with key member organizations, like 1000 Friends of Iowa, wanted to better understand state DOTs, and the opportunities that exist when working at the state DOT level to help achieve our goals. We found opportunities in every Midwestern state. This report provides a brief summary of key findings, and then allows you to dig deep into the DOTs of each of the ten RE-AMP states. 

Dig into the report –DOTs in Conversation as well as the Fast Facts document here!

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Want to learn more about how transportation decisions are made and how you can impact those decisions? plan to attend one of our upcoming Community Transportation Academies this year! Keep an eye on our Transportation Academy Page. More information is coming soon!