April 16, 2024

LAST CALL TO JOIN US IN PHOENIX

We are one week away from ITS America’s 2024 Conference and Expo. The countdown is on! If you haven’t registered yet, what are you waiting for? Recently, we have talked about our plenary sessions on artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure, our demonstrations, and highlighted sessions but there are still so many more reasons to join us. Including: 

• Before you hit the ground running in Phoenix make sure you download the Conference APP sponsored by Michael Baker International. Bookmark sessions to attend, see who’s coming, set up meetings, and network! Download the app today to prepare for the event.  
• The City DOT Roundtable will be discussing the potential applications and deployment of digital twins and their ability to play a crucial role in enhancing public safety by creating virtual replicas that simulate real-world scenarios. This session is sponsored by Miovision and we will hear from Brent Rogerson and Kurtis McBride. The panel will include Eulois Cleckley of Miami-Dade County, Abraham Emmanuel of Chicago DOT, Stephanie Dock of DDOT, Manny Manriquez of Albuquerque, and Karina Ricks of Cityfi.  
• We previously announced our first State DOT Roundtable panel of state DOT leaders and are able to add a second panel to the session. Both will discuss how state DOTs are increasingly investing in connectivity and deploying digital infrastructure solutions to save lives, increase transportation mobility, and improve sustainability within the nation’s transportation system. In addition to our first panel, we are pleased to announce a second panel in this session that is hosted by HNTB featuring Elise Feldpausch of Michigan DOT, Tara Olds of Minnesota DOT, Darran Anderson of Texas DOT, alongside John Hibbard of Georgia DOT. These will be enlightening conversations about all the work at America’s state DOTs. 

• Join ITS America staff in the ITSA Booth #856 on Thursday, April 25 from 1:30pm to 2:30pm for the ITS America Membership Meeting over coffee and treats. Network with your ITSA staff and discuss Committee engagement, upcoming networking & event opportunities, and learn more about the ITS America Policy Summit this fall.  

• This year, companies could submit for the ITS Innovation Showcase which features groundbreaking innovations and solutions that define the future of transportation. There six submissions for the first year of the award that include: Drivewyze, Iteris, GridMatrix, HyMax, Western Systems, and ZED Digital. The winner will be voted on in real-time for the technology you feel embodies the innovation that is driving the future of transportation toward increased safety, efficiency, and sustainability. The winner will be announced at the ITS Awards Ceremony & Reception, taking place on Wednesday, April 24 at the Expo Hall Education Theater Booth #2255.  

• On Wednesday, April 24^th, the Student Transportation Summit will take over our main stage in the Exhibit Hall. As part of the ITS Future Leaders Program, the ITSAZ Student Transportation Summit will see students presenting their ITS-related research, opportunity, or challenge to practitioners in our field. The summit will be hosted in partnership with ITS Arizona and SwRI.  
• New DEMO announced – The new Coalition for Cyclist Safety will provide live opportunities to experience the significant near-term safety benefits for the cyclist community from deployments of vehicle-to-everything, or V2X, technology. These deployment demos will take place at The Canyon on Third throughout the day on April 23. Visit our demo on Cyclist Safety along with our demonstrations from May Mobility/PAVE featuring an autonomous vehicle ride and Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and IntelliRoad will demonstrate on Phoenix roads, real-time detection of incidents and audible alerting in-vehicle to motorists.
• Want to take a fully autonomous ride in Phoenix? Waymo One currently operates 24/7 across 225 square miles of Metro Phoenix. Let the Waymo Driver take the wheel from Downtown Phoenix, to Scottsdale, to the East Valley. Download the Waymo One app and enjoy your next ride in an all-electric Jaguar I-PACE, with no human behind the steering wheel. Visit: waymo.com 

April 2, 2024

Phoenix Mayor Gallego Announced as Newest Keynote Speaker as Excitement for ITS America Annual Conference & Expo Continues to Build

We are less than a month away from the biggest event of the year for ITS practitioners in the Americas, the ITS America 2024 Conference & Expo in Phoenix, Arizona. We have a robust program of events throughout the week, but we want to highlight a few sessions and encourage you to look over the event program in full at www.itsamericaevents.com. No matter what your focus, we will have a session that applies to your goals for 2024.

Keynotes

We are excited to announce that on Wednesday, April, 24^th, we will be joined by Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego. The mayor, who is a national leader in advancing innovative transportation and also serves as the Chair of USDOT’s Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC), will welcome our attendees at our opening keynote session and discuss the city of Phoenix’s 2024 goals to improve mobility by investing in both physical and digital infrastructure.

The first keynote session, sponsored by AECOM, “Rethinking Infrastructure in the New Digital Era”, will include a fireside chat between U.S. DOT ITS JPO Director Brian Cronin and ITS America President & CEO Laura Chace focusing on the priorities of the JPO to advance ITS technologies nationwide. It will also feature industry leaders discussing how to bring a balanced approach to supporting infrastructure, merging physical assets with digital layers to create a unifies solution for better outcomes in safety, sustainability, equity, and efficiency in the future. The U.S. transportation system is in the midst of an urgently needed transformation. That transformation would be incomplete without embracing the digital layer of sensors, data, software, and connected systems.

Our second keynote session: “Artificial Intelligence – Unlocking the Next Frontier in Transportation”, will feature a fireside chat between USDOT’s Dr. Robert Hampshire and FTA’s Veronica Vanterpool, moderated by ITS America’s President & CEO Laura Chace.  This session will include a keynote presentation from keynote sponsor Amazon Web Services, Adam Raymer  and a panel discussion on artificial intelligence focusing on how we ensure AI applications are being developed through a holistic, human lens that prioritizes the human user?

Program Highlights

Beyond our plenary sessions, we have a number of other workshops, trainings, and sessions in our program focused on topics including automated vehicles, climate resilience & sustainability, multi-modal equitable mobility, emerging technologies, V2X, digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence.

Some sessions include:

• State DOT Roundtable – Tuesday, April 23 at 10am: Hear from State DOT leaders who will share their best practices, lessons learned, and successful strategies on how to enhance our physical infrastructure with proven digital solutions.
• City DOT Roundtable – Wednesday, April 24 at 8am: This session will discuss the application of digital twins to improve public safety, traffic operations, autonomous vehicle support, and more.
• Autonomous Shuttles – Transforming Mobility for All – Wednesday, April 24 at 8am:  Learn about the enormous benefits in mobility access for all, sustainability, workforce development, and job creation and lessons learned around autonomous vehicle technology and how it will benefit communities and enhance the quality of life for all.
• Insights from the First Cohort of SMART Grant Awardees – Wednesday, April 24 at 1pm: In this session the Director of the SMART Grants Program will provide an overview of the program, and representatives from four SMART grantees will provide updates on their projects and lessons learned.
• U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge: Insights, Progress, Connections, and Next Steps – Thursday, April 25at 8am: This panel session will discuss the objectives, structure, and progress to date concerning the U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge, including insights on data collection efforts for Stage 1B Virtual Testing
• Gender Equity Workshop – Thursday, April 25 at 8am: This discussion will focus on the United Nations theme for International Women’s Day, “Invest in Women – Accelerate Progress.”  The goal of this year’s discussion is to share and advance concrete strategies for investing in women to progress towards an equitable future.

Take some time and review the full program and list of speakers to plan your time at the conference and build out your own robust calendar to meet your professional and organizational goals.

Technical Tours

This year’s technical tours provide a comprehensive experience of digital monitoring and physical testing facilities that highlight local innovation during the Conference & Expo. This year two outstanding tours are available:

• Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT), Arizona DOT (ADOT), and the University of Arizona have joined together to spearhead the testing of Connected Vehicle technology in Anthem, Arizona. This tech tour will bring you to Anthem, Arizona to tour the 5.3-mile test bed where operational field tests of connected and automated vehicle (CAV) technologies occur.

• Arizona Department of Transportation Traffic Operations Center and the Maricopa County Department of Transportation’s Traffic Management Center (TMC). These Centers serve as critical communications hubs, providing increased speed for accident response, roadway incident reporting, coordination between government agencies as well as helping to address problems with traffic signals and flagging pothole issues.
  

Demonstrations

This year we feature two demonstrations focused around Automated Vehicles and V2X technologies:

• Partners for Automated Vehicle Education and May Mobility will be hosting demonstrations of autonomous vehicle demo rides on April 23 and 24. You can sign up today. https://pavecampaign.org/its-2024
• Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise and IntelliRoad will be demonstrating real-time detection of incidents and audible alerting in-vehicle to motorists. These tools assist motorists to make informed driving decisions while also supporting traffic management professionals. Attendees will see demonstrations of critical safety applications like wrong way, queue, disabled vehicle, emergency electronic brake light warning, and SPaT. https://intelliroad.io/floridas-turnpike-intelliroad-demo-at-its-america-2024-sign-up-sheet/

We look forward to welcoming you to the show and be sure to stop by the ITS America Booth #856 to learn about all of the incredible things we have been working on. We also welcome all ITS America members to join us on Thursday, April 25^th at 1:30pm for the Annual ITS America member meeting. You will be able to talk to ITSA Staff about your benefits and other questions you have while enjoying coffee and treats.  

March 5, 2024

Investing in Women and Accelerating Progress: ITS America Leaders on Women’s History Month

Introduction by Laura Chace, ITS America President and CEO

In 1987, when I was 13, Congress designated March as Women’s History Month.  At age 13, I was not aware of the significance of that moment, or of how celebrating would become a clarion call for me nearly 4 decades later.  Today, I can’t help but think about my own daughter who just turned 14.  She is acutely aware of female empowerment, gender equity or better yet the many inequities present in society.  She keenly observes her mother, a female in a male dominated industry, attempt the delicate and often imperfect balance of advancing a career and individual goals along with raising a family.  She and her friends sing Taylor Swift’s song “The Man” like an anthem – although they haven’t yet personally experienced the challenges it calls out. She is aware of the impacts of policy decisions that reduce her rights.  What will the future hold for her? 

This year, on March 8^th, the United Nations recognizes International Women’s Day with a theme of “Invest in Women. Accelerate Progress”. So what does it mean to invest in women?  How do we truly accelerate progress?  What does it mean to our daughters?   In 2024, it transcends mere recruitment and pay equity, extending to robust support for women’s professional advancement and ability to live balanced lives and pursue opportunity.  As the UN notes, we continue to see serious deficits in gender-equality measures that continue to grow. We know that women’s rights are human rights, and that better investment in women can directly impact the strength of our economy, our communities and pull families from the verge of poverty. Nowhere is this more vital than in transportation, an arena where women are underrepresented in the workforce, and expend more both in cost and in time for mobility that meets their needs. 

To get a diverse view of what investing in women means, we reached out to several leaders in the ITS space and asked for their thoughts about their own personal experience, advancements in their organizations and their expectations for the future. 

Joanna M. Pinkerton, ITS America Chair, President/CEO Central Ohio Transit Authority

Investing in women is vital for the transportation industry to embrace because women have unique life experiences that can help us imagine, build, and operate our systems in transformative ways that are centered around positive human and economic impact.  Decades of research and performance show women’s involvement helps increase productivity, enhance collaboration, inspire dedication and outcomes, and improve fairness of solutions.  By challenging us to think more broadly, women’s voices can accelerate the advancement of this important profession. There is already a rich history of impact and innovation from women in the United States – even during times when women were not welcome as equals in the workforce. From Sarah Clark Kidder who was the first woman to run a railroad company in 1901; to Helen Schultz, a pioneer and first woman owner of a bus transportation company in 1922; to Bessie Coleman the first African-American female to hold an aviation pilot’s license who went on to also be the first known to earn an international pilot’s license and stretched the boundaries of early flight equipment and Dr. Kathryn Sullivan, who explored space in 1984 and then dove into the deepest parts of the ocean in 2020, women have made indelible contributions to all modes of transportation. 

At COTA, the impact of women in the industry does not go a day without being noticed. We invest in crucial programs for women and their families, from tuition reimbursement and student loan stipends to an industry-leading paid family leave policy. We hear suggestions from our female employees which influence how we operate, how our equipment is designed to accommodate the majority of the population (women), and how we can develop solutions to issues facing a wide array of neighborhoods and cities. While women only make up 15% of the transportation industry across the nation, they comprise 35% of Team COTA . . . and that number is growing. We are also proud to say that two-thirds of our leadership team are women as well.  We celebrate that women are willing to give and contribute and keep us rolling. 

Laurel Straub, ITS America Treasurer, Assistant Vice President, State Farm

“Investing in women is not just a choice, but a catalyst for progress. It is a recognition of the immense potential, talent, and unique perspectives women bring to the table. By empowering and supporting women, we accelerate progress towards a more inclusive and equitable society.” 

Perspective on how the organization is accelerating progress: 

We believe diverse leadership is crucial in realizing our vision at State Farm. By actively engaging women in formal and informal leadership roles, we foster an inclusive culture that embraces different perspectives and drives innovation. 

At State Farm, we understand the importance of investing in women as a key driver of success. Through our Wnet and Women & Technology Employee Resource Groups (ERGs), we provide a platform for women to thrive as leaders in our organization. These ERGs enable us to tap into the diverse skills and experiences of our women employees, facilitating their development and retention in leadership positions. 

As we look towards the future, we are committed to accelerating progress by investing in women. By harnessing their talents, promoting their leadership, and creating a supportive environment, we are confident that we can drive positive change and create a more inclusive world for all. 

Tilly Chang, ITS America Board Member, Executive Director, SFCTA

“The SFCTA is proud to join ITSA in celebrating Women’s History Month and echoes the call for parity in the transportation industry for women’s leadership at all levels,” said San Francisco County Transportation Authority Executive Director, Tilly Chang. “We’re proud that our agency is composed of 55% employees and 62% of management who identify as females, and 58% and 50% respectively who are persons of color. We are part of a region that is making progress as shown in the San Francisco Bay Area Women’s Transportation Seminar’s latest Glass Ceiling Report #5 (WTS Bay Area Chapter, November 2023), though challenges remain and much work remains to be done.” 

In the WTS Glass Ceiling #5 report, a majority of Bay Area employers reported having 20%-29% women in managerial positions in 2022, a rate that remains steady from 2020. That rate has risen since prior years (2010, 2012) when it was under 10%. And the proportions of organizations offering telecommuting, mentoring, and diversity training has increased to the highest rate since the survey effort was first initiated. However, women are still significantly under-represented in management ranks and women of color are disproportionately affected by economic and societal factors impacting pay and advancement, particularly as they face the “broken rung” problem of being bypassed for that first management promotion more often than white female and male counterparts. As noted from a McKinsey and Company report (Women in the Workplace, 2022) referenced in the Glass Ceiling report, “for every 100 men promoted from entry level to manager, only 87 women are promoted, and only 82 WOC are promoted.”  

Laurie Matkowski, ITS America Board Member, Vice President, Gannett Fleming

As one of the few women in my college engineering classes, I often found myself standing alone. Yet, this solitude fueled my determination to create a more inclusive future for women in STEM. I’ve dismantled stereotypes, championed diversity, and ensured equitable representation in the projects and teams I create and collaborate with. But my mission extends beyond the present—I commit to carving a path for future generations of women in the transportation field and beyond. We need to consistently nurture our network of women to lift each other up. Whether through involvement in organizations like ITS America or WTS, or other forums, these connections are our lifelines. They open doors, amplify our voices, and remind us that we’re not alone on this journey. 

Recently, I stood at a crossroads. An incredibly talented woman who worked under my wing faced an irresistible opportunity—a chance to spread her wings at a different firm. I encouraged her to seize it. Why? Because growth isn’t a zero-sum game. Her success accelerates the entire industry, and my pride lies not in holding her back, but in propelling her forward. 

I share my experiences openly. My insights and wisdom are not mine alone. They belong to every woman who dreams of taking the next step in their career, forging a non-traditional path, standing up for themselves, and shattering glass ceilings. Together, we navigate challenges, set ambitious goals, and create maps of resilience. 

Monali Shah, ITSA Past Chair, Transformation Catalyst

 For a good portion of my career (and life), I learned how to be a chameleon. I molded myself to the environments I was in so I could blend in as seamlessly as possible. I found myself in various settings, including on the factory floor, in tech companies, and with public sector officials. I dressed the part, adjusted how I spoke, and only shared ideas when they were fully developed. I became so proficient at “fitting in” that I almost subconsciously adjusted myself to what I perceived as necessary. 

Several years ago, I attended a women of color summit, where I was inspired by the empowering perspectives of countless incredible women. I specifically recall Michelle Obama saying, “What if the ideas you are holding back are the things we need to move things forward in a better way for everyone?”  This statement sparked a significant shift within me. 

It made me recognize the responsibility and privilege I had to influence the design of products, services, and policies to be more inclusive. I also didn’t realize how much energy it took to do my shape shifting…to assess my surroundings, gauge what would be comfortable to others, and carefully construct myself to show up in this form.      

This prompted a shift in my mindset, from blending in to breaking through. I came to value my voice, my lived experiences, my unconventional ideas and my responsibility to the voices that were not present in the room.  

MJ Maynard, ITS America Board Member, CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada 

As CEO of the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, it is not lost on me that I am leading and working in a male-dominated industry. Prior to joining the RTC, I spent 25 years in the private-sector hospitality industry, which also gave me a front row seat to understanding the importance of advancing women. With this perspective, I look for opportunities to encourage, promote and support others, especially women and minorities – those who may not see their full potential, but who exhibit ability, perseverance, aptitude, and passion for their work.  

During my tenure with the RTC, advancing women in transportation has become one of my top priorities. I am fortunate to walk in the footsteps of the RTC’s previous CEO, another strong female who set the bar high and from whom I learned much as her number two. Together, we made it our personal mission to find and elevate talented female professionals in the organization. Today, I proudly continue carrying on this initiative. Nothing gives me greater satisfaction than boosting the career and position of deserving and worthy employees, especially women and minorities.  

It is very important to me to lead by example and to champion diversity and inclusion in the workplace and beyond. The RTC has a strategic plan called RIDE – Road towards Inclusion, Diversity and Equity – to ensure we have concrete demonstrations in place of our commitment to employee engagement, education, advancement, and progress. At the RTC, we seek to shape and support an agency culture that empowers individuals to feel comfortable in their own skin, and for employees to accept and celebrate each other’s differences.  

I am always on the lookout for talented people in our community to connect them with professionals, workplaces or resources that can help advance their careers or businesses. The RTC’s RiSE (Resources, Involvement, Support and Education) certification program is designed to help connect Nevada’s small and diverse businesses, which include women-owned firms, to all RTC-funded transportation contracting opportunities. Our goal is to award eight percent of construction and two percent of professional service contracts to local small or diverse businesses, metrics that I am proud to have met.  

Wary of resting on our laurels, I remind myself daily that there is always more work to be done, especially around advancing women and minorities within the transportation industry. To that end, I am grateful and appreciative of my opportunity to serve on the national board of WTS (Women in Transportation Seminar), something that enables me to play a role in influencing the development of   programs and initiatives tailored specifically to the needs and talents of women who want to make their mark in our incredibly dynamic industry. Ladies, let’s go, together!  

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We thank all the members of ITS America for taking the time to share their thoughts with us.  It is important that we share these experiences, memories, and actions as we continue to shine a light on the need to invest in women to accelerate true progress.  

We hope that you will join us at the ITS America Conference and Expo in Phoenix, where we will host a number of sessions on focused on Gender Equity including:

Tuesday, April 23, 2024 | 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
SIS03: Allyship in Transportation

Wednesday, April 24, 2024 | 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
SIS24: Gender Equity Roundtable – Making Changes and Moving Forward Together

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Gender Equity Workshop

Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
SIS49: Women in Transportation (WTS) Speaker Panel

February 6, 2024

The Legislative Year Ahead for ITS Technologies

As Congress kicks off another year, ITS America is engaged in conversations to educate lawmakers about our priorities and tracking legislation of interest to ITS America members. On January 18th, Congress passed a continuing resolution extending government funding, including for the U.S. Department of Transportation until March 1. We expect another contentious round of discussion in the coming weeks as the Senate and House look to reconcile appropriations bills. If lawmakers cannot pass all spending bills by April 30, they will trigger a 1% cut in spending across all federal programs as agreed upon in last year’s debt ceiling deal. We will continue to monitor the transportation appropriations process and keep our members informed on our weekly Friday policy calls.

Senator Markey of Massachusetts reintroduced Complete Streets legislation in January, co-sponsored by Sen. Heinrich of New Mexico, Sen. Warnock of Georgia, and Sen. Blumenthal of Connecticut, along with Congressman Cohen of Tennessee in the House. The bill would allow eligible local and regional entities to use funds from their state’s Complete Streets Program for technical assistance and capital funding to build safe street projects such as sidewalks, bike lanes, crosswalks, and bus stops. The legislation would also phase in a requirement for states to incorporate Complete Streets elements into all new construction and reconstruction projects.  

Additionally, Senator Markey reintroduced the GREEN Streets Act, which would establish goals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the national highway system and help states adapt their transportation systems to withstand the impacts of climate change. These bills will be referred to the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.

Representative Greg Stanton (D-AZ) and Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced the bipartisan Autonomous Vehicle (AV) Accessibility Act to help people with disabilities better access the mobility and independence benefits of ride-hail AVs. This bill will prohibit states from issuing motor vehicle operator’s license in a manner that prevents a qualified individual with an ADA disability from riding as a passenger in an ADS-equipped vehicle operating in fully autonomous mode (SAE Level 4 or Level 5) vehicle. It also directs the Secretary of Transportation, in collaboration with the National Academies of Science, to conduct an accessible infrastructure study to determine the best practices for public transportation infrastructure to be modified to improve the ability of Americans with disabilities to find, access, and use ride-hail automated vehicles.

We are watching for future legislation in Congress related to ITS technology and the transportation industry in general, and we expect even more legislation and conversations on AI and AVs to come.

Outside of legislation, we are continuing to follow all activity from key committees, including the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, House Energy & Commerce Committee, Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation, and the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. We have already seen hearings on the “State of Transportation” in the U.S., cybersecurity and internet of things (IoT), and artificial intelligence. Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) remains a hot topic among Members of Congress, as well as developing the transportation workforce and improving technical education.

Notably, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich), has raised concerns about the transportation and automotive industry using parts and software from China, particularly in AVs and electric vehicles (EVs). In a hearing, she asked witnesses what the U.S. can do to ensure that the Chinese Communist Party is not successful in its attempt to flood the AV and automotive sector.

ITS America tracks with interest the continued conversations on Capitol Hill related to privacy laws, AVs, and transportation technology. We will be monitoring hearings throughout the year and providing timely updates to our members on relevant exchanges and information.

While ITS America is not an advocate for specific policies beyond the Federal level, we monitor legislative actions at the state and local level that could impact members or become a federal legislative action at a later date. On that front, beyond Washington, we’ve seen other legislation introduced that will impact the transportation industry. Notably, in California, State Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) introduced a bill (SB 961) in the California state senate that would mandate that Caltrans require speed limiters on all new vehicles bought or manufactured in California commencing the 2027 model year. The speed limiter would operate passively, giving the driver an ability to temporarily disable it, and would prevent the driver from exceeding the speed limit by more than 10 MPH. There would be exceptions for EMS vehicles and law enforcement agencies would have the option to disable it for certain vehicles. Next, the bill heads to committee. If you want to learn more about what is happening on Capitol Hill or engage in the work of our policy team, please reach out to Bobby McCurdy at bmccurdy@itsa.org.  As a reminder, we invite all members to participate in our committees, working groups and communities of practice.  Click here for more information on how to join in this work.

August 1, 2023

From Evolution to Revolution: Transforming Transportation by Harnessing Our People Power A farewell but not a goodbye to our industry

By Kristin White (Kristin recently departed as ITSA’s COO to become FHWA’s Chief Counsel)

Recently an industry colleague asked, “Do you believe we’re experiencing an evolution or a revolution in transportation technology?” He was asking whether he felt that we were simply progressing in small steps, or whether we have the ability to harness this once-in-a-generation opportunity to radically disrupt a system to revolutionize the way we move and how we live our lives. 

I’m often asked, ‘what does the future of mobility look like?’ or ‘what inspired you to start a career in transportation?’ For many of us our transportation story begins with how we move. Maybe we grew up in a part of the world where driving was the only way to get to school. For some, the fear of missing the morning bus could cost us our job. For others, we rely on public transportation services because conventional vehicles can’t accommodate our wheelchairs. 

Whatever our story is, we all know that technology plays a pivotal role in helping us build a future that is safer, more sustainable, and more accessible for all communities. We know the time is now to harness this opportunity to transform transportation and revolutionize this system. We must not and we cannot waste this extraordinary opportunity to affect change in radical ways. 

That is why, with heavy heart I shared the bittersweet news with our team this month that I am leaving ITS America to take on a whole new challenge that I believe will help us all advance future mobility while continuing to champion and scale technology and innovation across our great nation. When I started at ITS America in October 2021, we had a new CEO with a fresh vision to connect ITS technologies with the people we serve. To ensure that technologies are not just safe, but that they have meaningful outcomes to reduce climate impacts, increase access, and ensure all communities have affordable, equitable, opportunity. We believe that the public and private sectors must come together to support communities. Part of this work focuses on specific technologies, but mostly our vocation is about changing systems, building partnerships, and connecting people – the heart of who we serve. This work is about building bridges across organizational silos to deeply collaborate to meaningfully advance community improvements. 

I have often said to our staff, we have the best team, with the best people, with the best organization in the best industry. Founded 33 years ago by Congress to help America deploy transportation technology, ITS America continues to champion its vision of a safer, greener, smarter future for all through transportation technology and innovation. 

In the past nearly two years, we’ve transformed the organization – and evolved with the industry writ large. We published a new 3-year strategic plan. We refreshed our vision and mission. We expanded our membership, integrated our work with other modes and federal agencies, saw our most attended conferences and events, and proudly championed women and diversity in an industry which rarely listens to the female voice, let alone promotes it. ITS America will continue to build on these advancements.

Marcus Aurelius wrote, “Your days are numbered. Use them to throw open the windows of your soul to the sun.” Each of us in ITS America has so much heart and soul; we are passionately dedicated to this work and constantly look to the stars to see ourselves in them. We are all leaders, inspiring others to dream more, learn more and become our whole selves. We inspire each other to tell our transportation story to transform our system through human connection. 

As I leave some of my best friends in this industry for a new adventure in transportation innovation, ITS America is poised to lead in new and exciting ways. ITS America is exploring new ways to grow the industry, to create new markets and train the future workforce. We are publishing strategies on digital infrastructure, artificial intelligence, and other technologies. We continue to champion connectivity and demand a national plan. We will be sharing technology use cases later this year. And we continue to cement ourselves as leaders by serving as the leading voice as the nation’s champion for digital infrastructure. 

Transformation is defined as “a thorough or dramatic change in form, appearance, or character.” The ITS industry is dramatically transforming to evolve with the needs of a changing sector and community. ITS America and its members are the heart of a nation of innovators, a globe of thought leaders, a network of connectors. As the industry continues to evolve, ITS America will remain the leading industry voice in digital transformation, meeting the needs of an industry that is saving lives with connected vehicle technology, addressing the alarming climate impacts by reducing greenhouse gases with electric vehicles, is making purpose-built autonomous shuttles with barrier free design, and is even delivering meals and prescriptions through drones and emerging technologies. 

As I leave this incredible team in even better hands, I am eager to join the ranks of you all to continue to champion a safer, greener, smarter future for all.

Onwards and upwards together we grow.

Please contact membership@itsa.org  if you have any questions.

July 19, 2023

ARTS Conference in Review

ITS America partnered with TRB at their annual Automated Road Transportation Symposium (ARTS) in San Francisco, CA July 9-13, 2023 to foster discussions on autonomous vehicles. The event convenes global leaders from industry, government, and research to collaborate to scale deployment of AV technologies. ITS America & TRB’s Automated Vehicle / Shared Mobility Forum together hosted a forum on Artificial Intelligence in Automated Mobility and a Policy Solutions to Scale AV’s Now: Harmonizing Federal, State and Local Policy to Develop a Consensus National AV Framework session on opening day. Throughout the week ITS America participated in multiple panels, sessions and technology demonstrations.  

Top 11 Takeaways from ARTS 2023:

1. AI integration with AVs has the potential to transform the transportation industry by enhancing safety, improving efficiency, increasing accessibility, reducing human errors, and making real-time updates, but the challenges of its learning capacity are still being worked out. The next big thing is Quantum.  
2. Scaled deployment isn’t a technology problem, it’s a collaboration problem. We must break down silos across institutions like TRB, AASHTO, ITS America, SAE and others and collaborate more effectively. 
3. This tech is scaling but ‘we still have Waymo to learn’ (credit to Julia Friedlander). Cruise and Waymo are operating in San Francisco and those autonomous rides show that while tech is smoother and scaling, there are still problems to solve and the time to scale is now. 
4.  NHTSA is stepping up – Under Ann Carlson’s leadership, NHTSA announced the AVSTEP program to accelerate rulemaking to increase exemption caps and other avenues to make it easier to deploy AVs. The time to scale has never been clearer.
5.  We must collaborate at the national level to create digital infrastructure data exchanges. We must get the right information to the right people at the right time. How do we make decisions across distributed infrastructure? We don’t need a standard, common architecture; we need standard interfaces and shared data exchanges. Agencies are not going to want to pay for this data so we should make common data sets available.
6. Engage communities earlier and more often. We don’t expect tech companies to have the knowledge and resources to meaningfully engage communities, but we must understand public engagement best practices to ensure we’re designing tech for real-world needs. 
7. We need to facilitate more opportunities for women and people of color to connect. This industry lacks diversity. Full stop. There is a powerful desire to make space at these conferences to connect, create national cohorts of friends and colleagues to support each other, and shine light on each other’s talents! 
8. Document use-cases to develop best practices and standards which then are codified into policy. 
9. Yes, AI and quantum are the ‘next big thing’, so let’s roll up our sleeves to ask, ‘what are our AI values and ethics?’ Creating ethical tech is about ensuring our societal values are encoded into it. 
10. We must be change agents and we must act now. As thought leaders we have an obligation to act and not just talk. We must de-silo the work of national stakeholders to move forward together.  We can and must do hard things. Quicken the pace of change. Find better, new ways to collaborate. 
11. We must continue to have ITS America lead the development of sharing best practices that further create standards, and then advocate for the laws, rules, and policy necessary to ensure all local, state, and federal agencies collaborate to scale safe, sustainable, and equitable deployment for all. 

Please contact membership@itsa.org  if you have any questions.