SIS 57 Making the case for modernization and new road financing in an era of digital realities and budgetary constraints

29 April 2026

Special Interest Session, Multimodal mobility system management

Special Interest Session • SIS 57 • 10:30 > 11:30 • SIS 57 Making the case for modernization and new road financing in an era of digital realities and budgetary constraints • EMIRGAN 2 Special Interest Session
>Around Europe and the world, governments face widening gaps between transportation needs and available public funding. Aging infrastructure, rising maintenance costs, and increasing traveller expectations place agencies under pressure to innovate. Yet wider adoption of digital asset management, traffic services, and sustainable financing requires significant public trust. At the same time, staff must justify investments to elected officials and constituents wary of new costs, technologies, or risks. This session will explore the challenge of building and sustaining trust—across the public, political leaders, and institutions—so that forward‑looking ITS investments can move from vision to reality. Participants will examine strategies for communicating the value of digitalisation, addressing cross‑agency concerns, and making the case for performance‑based infrastructure management and funding. Real‑world case studies will show how trust‑building determines the success or failure of modernization. ITS technologies offer cost‑effective tools for improving safety, reliability, and efficiency—especially crucial when capital budgets are limited. Yet despite their benefits, digital solutions often face scepticism: “Why invest in technology when roads and bridges need repair?” “Is this another IT project to overspend and under‑deliver?” “Will this actually save money?” “It’s about cost, not value.” These are not purely technical challenges—they are communication and trust challenges

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