Exchange of expertise on traffic and transport policy and planning in the United States and in The Netherlands This paper is a collaborative exchange between the Volpe National Transportation System Centre in the United States and the VERDI Expertise Platform (Kennisplatform VERDI) in The Netherlands. As transportation authority in both countries has increasingly decentralised from the national level to the local level, there remains the responsibility at the top level of government to disseminate transportation information for technical assistance. Exchange of expertise is intended to increase the institutional knowledge and that of its related transportation stakeholders. This paper provides an overview of recent changes in traffic and transport policy in the United States and The Netherlands and the similarities both countries have experienced as transportation responsibilities decentralised from the top level of government to the local levels. This paper describes the initiatives on exchange of expertise at each country has developed to provide the local levels of government expertise and technical assistance in transportation planning and programs. The provided overview in this paper is the first step in learning from each other's initiatives. Next step will be an intensive comparison of these initiatives. The writers of this paper believe that such a comparison will inspire both programs to tempt people in exchanging knowledge and experience. (Author/publisher)
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