Alex Karner
@alexkarner.bsky.social
associate professor//community & regional planning. mobility justice, transportation equity, civil rights, environmental justice, accessibility, GIScience, etc. views my own.
Bored with TRB's censorship and cancellations?
Submit your work to the Crossroads Convening on Transportation Equity and Justice instead -- proposals due October 25.
www.crossroadsconvening.org
Submit your work to the Crossroads Convening on Transportation Equity and Justice instead -- proposals due October 25.
www.crossroadsconvening.org
October 2, 2025 at 12:51 PM
Bored with TRB's censorship and cancellations?
Submit your work to the Crossroads Convening on Transportation Equity and Justice instead -- proposals due October 25.
www.crossroadsconvening.org
Submit your work to the Crossroads Convening on Transportation Equity and Justice instead -- proposals due October 25.
www.crossroadsconvening.org
The Transportation Research Board has abandoned its founding principles--scientific integrity, objectivity, & freedom of inquiry.
We wrote a short piece about TRB censoring work, canceling projects, and eliminating certain committees--with an eye towards the future.
osf.io/53dsk_v1
🧵
We wrote a short piece about TRB censoring work, canceling projects, and eliminating certain committees--with an eye towards the future.
osf.io/53dsk_v1
🧵
![Abstract with highlighted text as follows:
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. [begin highlight] The Transportation Research Board (TRB), a stalwart of U.S. transportation research, has canceled research contracts, undertaken a dramatic internal restructuring, and appears poised to censor research presented at its marquee annual meeting. [end highlight] 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. [begin highlight] We argue that TRB’s recent actions suggest that it is no longer able to act with scientific integrity. [end highlight] 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.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:4d6lz4wh4xbbztf7it7ainxs/bafkreigoazfjkfuhcelkdartvxoezl2gejnkrcevztwinhvk72lcqk6sry@jpeg)
July 30, 2025 at 3:28 PM
The Transportation Research Board has abandoned its founding principles--scientific integrity, objectivity, & freedom of inquiry.
We wrote a short piece about TRB censoring work, canceling projects, and eliminating certain committees--with an eye towards the future.
osf.io/53dsk_v1
🧵
We wrote a short piece about TRB censoring work, canceling projects, and eliminating certain committees--with an eye towards the future.
osf.io/53dsk_v1
🧵
TRB's FAQ about the committee dissolution contains this bit, where they claim "independence" regardless of funding sources.
This claim is contradicted by the facts--the org immediately canceled over a dozen projects and then dramatically restructured, all in response to perceived sponsor desires.
This claim is contradicted by the facts--the org immediately canceled over a dozen projects and then dramatically restructured, all in response to perceived sponsor desires.
June 19, 2025 at 12:30 PM
TRB's FAQ about the committee dissolution contains this bit, where they claim "independence" regardless of funding sources.
This claim is contradicted by the facts--the org immediately canceled over a dozen projects and then dramatically restructured, all in response to perceived sponsor desires.
This claim is contradicted by the facts--the org immediately canceled over a dozen projects and then dramatically restructured, all in response to perceived sponsor desires.
The 2025 DOT policy prioritizes areas with high marriage/birth rates and compliance with the administration's immigration policies. We show how the median tract prioritized under the prior Justice40 initiative was about 37% white. Under the 2025 DOT policy, the median tract is 83% white.
March 26, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The 2025 DOT policy prioritizes areas with high marriage/birth rates and compliance with the administration's immigration policies. We show how the median tract prioritized under the prior Justice40 initiative was about 37% white. Under the 2025 DOT policy, the median tract is 83% white.
Trump DOT's new funding policy will shift resources towards wealthier, whiter areas in the heartland and away from Black and brown populations in the southwest and south. Appalachia also loses.
Our new paper in Findings summarizes the demographic implications: findingspress.org/article/1324...
Our new paper in Findings summarizes the demographic implications: findingspress.org/article/1324...
March 26, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Trump DOT's new funding policy will shift resources towards wealthier, whiter areas in the heartland and away from Black and brown populations in the southwest and south. Appalachia also loses.
Our new paper in Findings summarizes the demographic implications: findingspress.org/article/1324...
Our new paper in Findings summarizes the demographic implications: findingspress.org/article/1324...
Can someone make sure Douthat sees this headline?
March 23, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Can someone make sure Douthat sees this headline?
Come see my PhD student Minyu Situ talk about bus network redesigns and equity analysis this morning at 10:15 in 146A!!
January 7, 2025 at 2:28 PM
Come see my PhD student Minyu Situ talk about bus network redesigns and equity analysis this morning at 10:15 in 146A!!
.@wklumpen.bsky.social is talking at 1:30 about our paper on measuring transportation poverty--tentative title "The Line Must be Drawn Here!" h/t Picard.
We address a somewhat narrow but important technical question about setting and measuring a transport poverty *line*. 146C at 1:30p
We address a somewhat narrow but important technical question about setting and measuring a transport poverty *line*. 146C at 1:30p
January 6, 2025 at 4:05 PM
.@wklumpen.bsky.social is talking at 1:30 about our paper on measuring transportation poverty--tentative title "The Line Must be Drawn Here!" h/t Picard.
We address a somewhat narrow but important technical question about setting and measuring a transport poverty *line*. 146C at 1:30p
We address a somewhat narrow but important technical question about setting and measuring a transport poverty *line*. 146C at 1:30p
Hoping we can get some #TRBAM content going…
I’m participating in a workshop on mixed methods for transportation research tomorrow in Salon A at 9am. I’ll reflect on some lessons learned from over a decade of research and practice and expect a lively discussion.
I’m participating in a workshop on mixed methods for transportation research tomorrow in Salon A at 9am. I’ll reflect on some lessons learned from over a decade of research and practice and expect a lively discussion.
January 4, 2025 at 10:36 PM
Hoping we can get some #TRBAM content going…
I’m participating in a workshop on mixed methods for transportation research tomorrow in Salon A at 9am. I’ll reflect on some lessons learned from over a decade of research and practice and expect a lively discussion.
I’m participating in a workshop on mixed methods for transportation research tomorrow in Salon A at 9am. I’ll reflect on some lessons learned from over a decade of research and practice and expect a lively discussion.