Implementing technology to improve public highway performance: A leapfrog technology from the private sector is going to be necessary

Policymakers could implement available, well-tested technologies to improve the efficiency of highway pricing, investment, and operations, which would improve travel speeds, reliability, and safety and reduce highway expenditures. Unfortunately, political and bureaucratic impediments to implement such technology exist and are unlikely to be overcome in the near future. However, technological innovations underway in the private sector, especially the driverless car, are likely to eventually leapfrog the technology that the public highway authorities could and should implement and will enable road users to obtain most of the potential benefits from technological advances in highway travel.