Seventy-Five Years of Transportation Administration Becoming Public Administration

Authors

Chad Miller, University of Southern MississippiFollow
Bruce Lambert, Institute for Trade and Transportation StudiesFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-1-2014

School

Leadership

Abstract

Public sector investment in transportation accounts for about 4% of all governmental spending but may represent the public investment most frequently accessed by citizens. This means that transportation administration faces public administration (PA) type challenges, and a number of these are discussed in this special issue of Public Works Management & Policy. Transportation administration is a subfield of PA, but it has enjoyed its own distinct history and evolution, partially due to the dependence upon engineers to carry out this mission. This commentary argues that the field has evolved from a coterie of apolitical technicians to more closely mirror the practice and values of the general body of the American Society for Public Administration (ASPA). Recent changes in spending on transportation infrastructure and a shift to a more integrated operational focus have moved transportation to be more in alignment with PA.

Publication Title

Public Works Management and Policy

Volume

19

Issue

4

First Page

310

Last Page

315

Recommended Citation

Miller, C., Lambert, B. (2014). Seventy-Five Years of Transportation Administration Becoming Public Administration. Public Works Management and Policy, 19(4), 310-315.
Available at: https://aquila.usm.edu/fac_pubs/20071