How to Use This Guide
Find general transportation policy resources on this page. Find resources on specific topics in the left-hand sidebar. You can also use the resources on this page to search for specific topics - e.g., search "pedestrian safety" in the TRID database and Transportation Policy journal.
Google Custom Search for Transportation Policy Research
Search all the websites in this research guide at once! Excludes books and content with a Harvard Login.
Find Books
For books, search for full titles or keywords in HOLLIS, Harvard's library catalog.
When you've found a book, click on the linked subject terms in the HOLLIS record or explore the Shelf View at the bottom of the record for related books.
Featured Books
Find Courses
Find past, current, and future courses related to transportation at Harvard via Syllabus Explorer (Harvard login). Many are taught or cross-listed at HKS.
Find Journal Articles & Reports
Key Resource: Literature Searches and Literature Reviews for Transportation Research ProjectsMarch 2015. Transportation Research Board.
"This circular presents the necessary steps for producing a high-quality literature review for a transportation research project. The circular explores how to conduct literature searches; where to search for transportation information; how to put it all together as a quality literature review; and what the definitions are for related terms. The publication is aimed at all transportation researchers, including university investigators, graduate students, consultants, and practitioners at state and federal transportation agencies."
The Northwestern Transportation Library has created a practical research guide based on this circular, with step-by-step instructions and examples of effective transportation literature reviews.
Top Resources
- RosaP: USDOT Repository & Open Science Access PortalOpen access data and reports from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Data Archive, National Transportation Library, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and more.
- TRIDProject of the Transportation Research Board. Largest and most comprehensive collection of worldwide transportation research. Includes research publications and data.
Databases
- Academic Search Premier (Harvard Login)Multidisciplinary database covering primarily the social sciences and humanities, with decent coverage of the sciences. Full text access may not be available for all citations; click on the "Try Harvard Library" links to check if full text is available elsewhere.
- CQ Researcher (Harvard Login)Weekly reports written by experienced journalists on current social issues published by CQ (Congressional Quarterly). Includes transportation-related topics.
- EconWorks Case Study SearchDatabase of case studies on completed transportation projects around the U.S. Includes project descriptions and pre/post data about economic impacts. Users can filter on project type, mode, region, cost, and end date.
- House Committee on Transportation and InfrastructureCollection of bills, reports, hearings, documents, and prints from the U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- OECD International Transport Forum (Harvard Login)"OECD International Transport Forum's work prioritises connectivity, safety and security, digitalisation, and universal access and decarbonisation providing evidence-based policy insights and recommendations."
- UC Davis Institute of Transportation StudiesSearchable collection of publications by faculty, researchers, and graduate students.
- Urban Studies Abstracts (Harvard Login)Interdisciplinary database covering research literature in urban sociology, community development, urban planning, urban history, and related fields.
- Web of Science (Harvard Login)Multidisciplinary database containing citations of primarily science and social science scholarship; particularly helpful for citation analysis. Click on the "Try Harvard Library" links to find the full text of an article.
Recommended Journals
- European Transport Research Review (Harvard Login)"Open access journal publishing original high-quality scholarly research and developments in areas related to transportation science, technologies, policy and practice."
- International Journal of Sustainable Transportation (Harvard Login)"Provides a discussion forum for the exchange of new and innovative ideas on sustainable transportation research in the context of environmental, economical, social, and engineering aspects, as well as current and future interactions of transportation systems and other urban subsystems."
- Journal of the American Planning Association (Harvard Login)"Since 1935, the quarterly JAPA has published research, commentaries, and book reviews useful to practicing planners, policymakers, scholars, students, and citizens of urban, suburban, and rural areas."
- Journal of Planning Literature (Harvard Login)"Aims to give the reader an understanding of the state of knowledge of the field for use in research or professional practice in planning and design."
- Journal of Transport Economics and Policy (Harvard Login)"Published four times a year, the journal covers all modes of transport and a wide variety of economic themes, including: Passenger Transport, Freight Transport, Shipping, Aviation, Transport Infrastructure, Environment & Energy, Traffic, Planning and Policy, Safety, Costs & Pricing, Competition, Evaluation, Productivity, Demand & Elasticities, Service Quality, Economies of Scale, Economics Regulation and Choice."
- Journal of Transport Geography (Harvard Login)"A leading interdisciplinary journal focusing on the geographical dimensions of transport, travel and mobility."
- Mobilities (Harvard Login)"Mobilities examines the large-scale movements of people, objects, capital, and information across the world, as well as more local processes of daily transportation, movement through public and private space and the travel of material objects in everyday life."
- Public Works Management & Policy: Research & Practice in Transportation, Infrastructure, & the Environment (Harvard Login)"This journal addresses the planning, financing, development, and operations of civil infrastructure systems at all levels of society— from federal policy to the demand for, and delivery of, state and local public works services."
- Sustainability: Sustainable TransportationAll articles published in Sustainability under the special topic Sustainable Transportation. the journal has published many special issues related to sustainable transportation over the years.
- Transportation Quarterly (Harvard Login)Published by the Eno Center for Transportation "to help improve transportation in all its aspects through the conduct and encouragement of appropriate research and educational activities, and through the publication and distribution of information pertaining to transportation planning, design, operation, and regulation."
- Transportation Research, Part A: Policy and Practice (Harvard Login)"Papers of general interest in all passenger and freight transportation modes: policy analysis, formulation and evaluation; planning; interaction with the political, socioeconomic and physical environment; design, management and evaluation of transportation systems."
- Transport Policy (Harvard Login)"An international refereed journal aimed at improving quality of transport policy and strategy analysis, designing and sharing innovative policy and management practices, and application bridging the gap between theory and practice in transport."
- Transport Reviews (Harvard Login)"An international review journal covering all aspects of transport."
- Urban Geography (Harvard Login)"As the urbanization of our planet has deepened and extended, and as some of the older assumptions over the geographies of urban theory generation have been questioned, so the intellectual remit of the journal has evolved and expanded. This is reflected in the work we publish and in the editors of the journal."
Research & Practitioner Groups
For policy papers and other gray literature, try our HKS Think Tank Search, a custom Google search across the websites of 1,200+ U.S. and international think tanks. Simply search using standard Google conventions (i.e. putting quotation marks around phrases).
We also recommend:
- Eno Center for TransportationResearch and a weekly newsletter on topics across the transportation landscape.
- HKS Data-Smart City Solutions: MobilityHKS's Data-Smart City Solutions initiative is housed at the Bloomberg Center for Cities. It aims to "catalyze adoption of data projects on the local government level by serving as a central resource for cities interested in this emerging field." Mobility is one of the initiative's main research themes.
- HKS Faculty Publications: Cities & CommunitiesCollection of publications by HKS faculty on cities and communities, often on transportation-related topics.
- Institute for Transportation & Development Policy"ITDP’s publications support our work implementing sustainable urban development around the world," including reports on the environmental and economic impacts of cycling and public transit, the gendered dynamics of transportation, and the impacts of parking policy reform.
- JTL Urban Mobility Lab at MIT"The JTL Urban Mobility Lab at MIT brings behavioral science and transportation technology together to shape travel behavior, design mobility systems, and improve transportation policies. We apply this framework to managing automobile ownership and usage, optimizing public transit planning and operation, promoting active modes of walking and cycling, governing autonomous vehicles and shared mobility services, and designing multimodal urban transportation systems."
- Marron Institute of Urban ManagementBased at NYU, the Marron Institute conducts applied research in partnership with cities, primarily to address challenges of urban density. Programs include transportation and land use, and civic analytics.
- Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)Transportation-related research from the regional planning agency of Metropolitan Boston. Covers topics like autonomous vehicles, e-commerce, public transportation, parking, biking, walking, and more.
- National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO)Design guides and other publications from an association of 96 major North American cities and transit agencies with a mission "to build cities as places for people, with safe, sustainable, accessible, and equitable transportation choices that support a strong economy and vibrant quality of life."
- Northwestern University Transportation CenterResearch center spanning transportation topics including policy, operations, asset management, economics, and more. Home to the Northwestern Transportation Library.
- Report Card for America's InfrastructureProject of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Since 1998, ASCE has issued a "report card" on the state of U.S. infrastructure that examines current conditions and assigns a grade. Categories assessed include several related to transportation including roads, transit, rail, bridges, and aviation.
- Road Safety ToolkitFree information on causes and prevention of road crashes that result in death and injury. Created by the alliance of international organizations in alignment with the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Includes case studies from around the world.
- Rudin Center for Transportation Policy & ManagementBased at NYU, the Center "explores challenges in transportation and infrastructure. The Center draws upon faculty and graduate students to conduct research on cities and mobility, information technology in transportation and access to mass transit."
- State Transportation WebsitesList of state departments of transportation throughout the United States, curated by the Federal Highway Administration.
- Streetlight DataWhile their primary product is proprietary mobility data, Streetlight Data also produces research reports, white papers, case studies, and blog posts on issues across the transportation sector.
- Transportation Alternatives Data ExchangeProject of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) that tracks federal Transportation Alternatives (TA) spending across tens of thousands of trail and active transportation projects nationwide. Projects are searchable by state and activity type.
- United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) - Transport"The UNECE Transport works to facilitate the international movement of persons and goods by inland transport modes. It aims to improve competitiveness, safety, energy effciency and security in the transport sector. At the same time, it focuses on reducing the adverse effects of transport activities on the environment and contributing effectively to sustainable development."
- University of Michican Transportation Research Institute"At UMTRI we are focused on multidisciplinary research to advance safe, equitable, and efficient transportation and mobility."
- Vision Zero Network"Vision Zero is a strategy to eliminate all traffic fatalities and severe injuries, while increasing safe, healthy, equitable mobility for all. First implemented in Sweden in the 1990s, Vision Zero has proved successful across Europe — and now it’s gaining momentum in major American cities."
- World Resources InstituteResearch and data focused on global sustainability, often related to cities and transportation.
Find Data
- Alternative Fuels Data CenterProject of the U.S. Department of Energy. Provides information and data on alternative and renewable fuels and emerging transportation technologies. Covers modes including public transit, school transportation, delivery services, and passenger cars.
- Data.govU.S. government’s open data site. Reaches across 172 federal agencies to bring data to innovators, developers, analysts and citizens across the nation. Raw data, geospatial data, and interactive datasets are available.
- Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) - USDOTNationwide annual census on fatal injuries suffered in motor vehicle traffic crashes.
- Harvard Geospatial Library (Harvard Login)Harvard's central repository for geospatial data. Includes vector and raster data for GIS use, as well as georeferenced paper maps.
- ProQuest Statistical Abstract of the United States (Harvard Login)Summary statistics on the social, political and economic organization of the United States. The only source for current Statistical Abstract of the United States (2013 to present).
- Proquest Statistical Insight (Harvard Login)This database indexes and abstracts the statistical content of selected United States government publications, state government publications, business and association publications, and intergovernmental publications. The abstracts may also contain a link to the full text of the table and/or a link to the agency's web site where the full text of the publication may be viewed and downloaded.
- RosaP: USDOT Repository & Open Science Access PortalOpen access data and reports from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, National Transportation Data Archive, National Transportation Library, Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and more.
- TRIDProject of the Transportation Research Board. Largest and most comprehensive collection of worldwide transportation research. Includes research publications and data.
Find even more data & support resources in our
Data Resources for HKS Affiliates Research Guide
Data Resources for HKS Affiliates Research Guide
Find News
- Bloomberg CityLabNews site covering urban transportation, environment, equity, life, and design, often with a tech and innovation lens. Formerly a project of The Atlantic. For unlimited access, Harvard affiliates can create an individual account at Bloomberg.com with your Harvard email address.
- The Overhead WireDaily newsletter since 2006 on urban transportation news curated by Jeff Wood, a Bay Area consultant who previously served as the New Media Director/Chief Cartographer at Reconnecting America. Free and paid subscriptions available.
- Parking TodayOnline and print news on the parking industry with worldwide coverage.
- StreetsBlog USADaily news site founded in 2006 that "covers the movement to end car dependence in the United States, and to facilitate a just transition to a transportation system where everyone has meaningful access to mobility alternatives that meet their unique needs."
- USDOT NewsroomNews briefings from the U.S. Department of Transportation across all its agencies.
Find Podcasts
- 99% InvisibleA "narrative podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world." Often includes transportation-related topics.
- Arrested Mobility"Why are Black Americans and other people of color disproportionately victims of overly aggressive police enforcement and brutality while walking, running, riding bicycles, taking public transit, or while driving? This podcast explores the ways in which people of color have had their mobility arrested."
- The Big DigNine-episode series by GBH News. Explores why Boston's Big Dig highway tunneling project became a symbol of waste and corruption even though it delivered on its promise to transform the city.
- Freeway ExitProduced by KBPS, a San Diego-based NPR affiliate. "Freeways are not free. We pay for them in all kinds of ways — with our tax dollars, our time, our environment and our health. While freeways have enabled huge amounts of economic growth, they've also caused displacement and division. Learn the forgotten history of our urban freeway network, and how decades after that network was finished, some communities are still working to heal the wounds that freeways left behind."
- ITE Talks Transportation"ITE Talks Transportation is a collaboration between ITE and Bernie Wagenblast, founder and editor of the Transportation Communication Newsletter and host of Transportation Radio. Each month, a new podcast features a thought leader within the transportation industry."
- Land MattersProduced by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, "a behind the scenes look at what makes cities tick. Whether financing infrastructure, adapting to climate change, or building more affordable housing, a big part of innovative solutions can be traced back to land."
- Reinventing ParkingProject of the Parking Reform Network. Discusses parking policy from a critical perspective.
- Spilling the TThe podcast that "takes you behind the scenes" of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA). "Join us as we bring you interviews with individuals from various departments. We'll also highlight success stories and initiatives that make a positive impact on our riders and communities."
- Strong Towns, The Bottom-Up Revolution, and UpzonedProjects of Strong Towns. Features conversations on cities with urban planning, design, and engineering experts, as well as residents who act as advocates in their own communities.
- Talking HeadwaysA weekly podcast about transportation and urban design. Project of StreetsBlog USA.
- Thinking TransportationProduced by Texas A&M University. "Join us as we explore the challenges on Thinking Transportation, a podcast about how we get ourselves — and the things we need — from one place to another. Every other week, an expert from the Texas A&M Transportation Institute or other special guest will help us dig deep on a wide range of topics."
- The War on Cars"We deliver news and commentary on the latest developments in the worldwide fight to undo a century’s worth of damage wrought by the automobile."