U.S. transportation research at a crossroads

IF 6.3 2区工程技术 Q1 ECONOMICS

Transport Policy Pub Date : 2025-09-07 DOI:10.1016/j.tranpol.2025.103782

Alex Karner , Dana Rowangould , Jesus M. Barajas

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Abstract

Science in the United States has become increasingly politicized, with a wave of recent federal grant terminations and censorship of equity and climate-related work. U.S. transportation research has not been immune. The Transportation Research Board (TRB), a stalwart convener and funder, has canceled research contracts, undertaken a dramatic internal restructuring, and appears poised to censor research presented at its marquee annual meeting. These shifts are significant in part because TRB espouses the values of scientific objectivity, independence, and integrity. Accordingly, TRB has historically funded work identified as needed by the broader research community and has been a home for the free and open exchange of ideas at its conferences, meetings, and events. We argue that TRB’s recent actions suggest that it is no longer able to act with scientific integrity. In this commentary, we provide a brief history of TRB and its objectives, discuss its recent actions, and propose paths forward for researchers and practitioners interested in pursuing equity, justice, and climate change-oriented work.

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美国交通研究正处于十字路口

随着最近一波联邦拨款终止和对公平和气候相关工作的审查，美国的科学变得越来越政治化。美国的交通研究也未能幸免。交通研究委员会（TRB），一个坚定的召集人和资助者，已经取消了研究合同，进行了戏剧性的内部重组，似乎准备审查在其盛大的年度会议上提出的研究。这些转变意义重大，部分原因是TRB支持科学客观性、独立性和完整性的价值观。因此，TRB历来为更广泛的研究界所需要的工作提供资助，并在其会议、会议和活动中自由开放地交流思想。我们认为，TRB最近的行为表明，它不再能够以科学诚信行事。在这篇评论中，我们简要介绍了TRB的历史及其目标，讨论了其最近的行动，并为有兴趣追求公平、正义和气候变化导向工作的研究人员和实践者提出了前进的道路。

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来源期刊

Transport Policy Multiple-

CiteScore

12.10

自引率

10.30%

发文量

282

期刊介绍： Transport Policy is an international journal aimed at bridging the gap between theory and practice in transport. Its subject areas reflect the concerns of policymakers in government, industry, voluntary organisations and the public at large, providing independent, original and rigorous analysis to understand how policy decisions have been taken, monitor their effects, and suggest how they may be improved. The journal treats the transport sector comprehensively, and in the context of other sectors including energy, housing, industry and planning. All modes are covered: land, sea and air; road and rail; public and private; motorised and non-motorised; passenger and freight.