US DOT Innovation Principles

Serve our policy priorities

Biden-Harris Administration’s goals around creating high quality jobs, achieving racial equity and increasing opportunity for all Americans, and tackling the climate crisis should drive innovation in the U.S. Department of Transportation (Department). Innovations should reduce deaths and serious injuries on our Nation’s transportation network, while committing to the highest standards of safety across technologies.

Help America win the 21st century

The Department must play a meaningful role in future proofing infrastructure, enabling adaptability and resilience, and helping communities and public sector partners to bring legacy systems into the digital age.

Support workers

The Department will empower workers and expand access to skills, training, and the choice of a union. They will have a seat at the table in shaping innovation.

Allow for experimentation and learn from failure

The Department is committed to supporting public sector experimentation, sharing insights, embracing open data and transparency, while protecting privacy. That means elevating lessons learned from both successful deployments and those that fall short.

Provide opportunities to collaborate

The Department will embrace public private partnerships that share risk, foster purpose-driven innovation and protect the interests of the public, workers, and communities. The Department must encourage an outcomes-based approach that is technology neutral.

Be flexible and adapt as technology changes

The Department should identify opportunities for interoperability among innovations and foster cross-modal integration. In addition, DOT’s posture must remain nimble, with a commitment to support technologies that further our policy goals.