Ethical Issues in Transportation Research

This author of this paper believes there are significant values issues in what transportation professionals do. This paper will examine a few selected aspects such as problem definition, public involvement, technical methods, work program definition, substantive positions, legitimacy of debate, and alternative styles of professional work. As a result, the paper concludes that work in transportation is not value-free and that self examination is not engaged in enough. To change the norms of behavior, the paper proposes a number of specific actions to promote professional awareness and some principles to serve as a normative model for professional roles.