Suggested Citation:
Handy, Susan L. (2026)

How Transportation Research Can Influence Policy Change – I Hope

We transportation researchers are often called upon to document the impact of our work. This is hard to do, especially when the goal of the research is to influence policy change. While it is easy for researchers to document outputs such as research reports and journal articles, the outcomes with respect to policy change are usually uncertain, in part because the policy process is so complex. Evidence suggests that research most commonly influences policy through a diffuse process in which a body of research “enlightens” policy makers. To increase the influence of their work, researchers must consider dissemination strategies beyond peer-reviewed journal articles, including publications written and formatted for non-academic audiences, as well as translational work that increases accessibility to a body of work. To further improve research “uptake,” the policy literature suggests that researchers need to foster relationships with policy makers to improve communication and trust. Under the right conditions, research can contribute to significant policy change. To explore this possibility, I share examples from my own work that illustrate the uncertainty of the influence of research on policy. I conclude by offering three additional imperatives for transportation researchers: we need to educate ourselves about the policy process, we need to think about the ethics of research influence, starting with the questions we choose to study, and we need to remember that teaching is another important way our research can have influence.