On Friday, February 20th, Aii hosted its first listening session of 2026, focused on the upcoming surface transportation reauthorization later this year to hear what transportation stakeholders think is missing, misunderstood, or due for debate. The live session was designed to support thoughtful, independent examination of the many questions facing the U.S. in transportation policy, including funding levels, governance, and accountability.
The session followed the release of Aii’s new report, Building Smarter, Safer Systems: Framing the 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization. The paper is intended to be a foundational framework for discussion throughout 2026, rather than a set of specific conclusions or recommendations.
Surface Reauthorization is on a recurring 5-year cycle, but the underlying questions facing the nation are foundational. In this listening session, Aii’s goal was to convene a big-tent nonpartisan discussion focusing on authentic policymaking and debate. Headed by Aii’s founder Brigham McCown, the listening session heard voices from across different industries, including rail, trucking, telecommunications, and more.
Audience comments focused on both abstract and practical priorities. Several participants raised concerns that local projects are increasingly dependent on federal funding, with improvements delayed and made more expensive by numerous layers of process for funding pathways. Fiscal discipline was also discussed, including that if projects are designed for extreme, worst-case scenarios without clear guardrails, costs can balloon in ways that undermine public interest.
Technology and resilience were another major theme. The development of new digital infrastructure and upgrades to existing systems demand improvements in awareness and sensing. One discussion focused on leveraging existing fiber deployed along highways and rail infrastructure as distributed sensors to detect hazards like ground movement, construction, and more. Partnerships between private companies, federal agencies, and local authorities will be key to maximize benefits of new infrastructure investment.
Freight and rail issues also surfaced, including questions about train length and the operational tradeoffs that interact with efficiency and safety. The transportation ecosystem does not exist in a vacuum. Every system and network reacts to and depends on one another, necessitating coordination, partnerships, and compromise to maximize public benefit.
This listening session was a starting point for Aii’s broader 2026 Surface Transportation Reauthorization work, including future discussions, policy papers, and briefs. More importantly, it was an early opportunity to gather practical input and test assumptions before the reauthorization debate begins in earnest. At Aii, we believe discussion and debate are necessary for effective public policy. Thank you for taking the time to participate in our first listening session of 2026, and we look forward to convening future listening sessions in the near future.