UMD Launches Transportation Economics and Policy Blog

transportation policy

From equity to the environment, the transportation field intersects with many other critical concerns. A newly-launched blog provides expert analysis and commentary on transportation policy issues and their broader context.

The UMD Transportation Economics and Policy blog provides a space for informed commentary on ongoing market and policy developments in transportation, drawing on research at UMD, said lead author Joshua Linn, associate professor in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics and an affiliate of the Maryland Transportation institute.

“Our aim is to highlight timely research we’re doing and provide insights into current events, such as public debate over transportation sector policy as it relates to infrastructure, environmental policy, and other issues,” Linn said.

Though an initial focus on U.S. policy regarding electric vehicles is planned, Linn will be expanding the blog’s scope in the coming months to cover climate-related policy (both at the state and federal levels), and problems with access and equity. “The nice thing about writing for the blog is that I can transition quickly to cover current events, which is much harder to do with long-term research,” Linn said.

In addition to Linn, the blog will regularly feature guest authors, including UMD students and faculty members, giving them an opportunity to highlight their research. Experts from outside UMD will also be invited to contribute occasional guest posts, thus enabling greater diversity of topics.

Posts are pitched to a broad audience that includes researchers in academia and at non-profits, representatives of the media, policymakers, and members of the general public with an interest in transportation policy, Linn said.

In the future, the blog will also highlight research projects supported by a grant to UMD from the Sloan Foundation, which supports one-year transportation economics and engineering Ph.D. fellowships.

Want to learn more? Contact Dr. Linn at linn@umd.edu.

Published May 21, 2021