When:  Wednesday 24 February 2010; 6:00-7:30 PM

Where:  Capitol Visitor Center Room SVC-20 , E Capitol St NE & 1st St NE, Washington, DC

Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) is pleased to announce the February 2010 Leadership Seminar on Transportation Policy featuring leading industry figures in shaping the nation’s surface transportation vision.  This panel discussion will feature representatives from three major recent efforts that examine the current state of the transportation system and offer policy recommendations moving forward based on a series of testimonies and rigorous research.

In addition, panelists will offer their thoughts on professional development and leadership skills necessary to make a difference in the arena of national decision-making.

Featured Panelists:

Jack Schenendorf, Of Counsel, Covington and Burling – Representing the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission

Jack Schenendorf’s practice concentrates on transportation and legislation with a particular focus on legislative strategy, legislative procedure, and the federal budget process. He was recently appointed by Speaker Hastert to the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission, where he serves as Vice-Chairman. For nearly 25 years, Mr. Schenendorf served on the staff of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was Chief of Staff from 1995 to 2001. In BNA’s Daily Report for Executives, Mr. Schenendorf was described “as one of the most powerful staffers on the Hill, [who] has played a large role in crafting every piece of major transportation legislation in the past decade.” Prior to joining the firm in 2001, Mr. Schenendorf served on the Bush/Cheney Transition where he was Chief of the Transition Policy Team for the U.S. Department of Transportation and was responsible for reviewing all transportation policies and issues for the incoming Administration.

Kathy Ruffalo, President, Ruffalo and Associates LLC – Representing the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission

President of Ruffalo and Associates, LLC – a government affairs consulting firm in Washington, D.C. Ms. Ruffalo has 20 years of experience in the public policy arena at both federal and state levels of government. From 1989 to 1999, she served as a senior advisor to the United States Environment and Public Works Committee – for then Chairman Senator Max Baucus – with the primary responsibility for developing, drafting and negotiating federal transportation policy. From 1999 to 2004, she was a senior policy advisor to Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne. In 2004, she was recruited to return to Capitol Hill where she was a key drafter and negotiator of SAFETEA-LU. She is a 1989 graduate of Northwestern University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering and Management Sciences.

Emil Frankel, Director of Transportation Policy – Representing the Bipartisan Policy Center’s National Transportation Policy Project

Emil H. Frankel is an independent consultant on transportation policy and public management issues. He serves as Director of Transportation Policy for the Bipartisan Policy Center. Mr. Frankel was Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy of the United States Department of Transportation from 2002 to 2005. Appointed by President George W. Bush, Mr. Frankel played a key role in the coordination and development of the Administration’s proposal to reauthorize the Federal highway, transit, and highway safety programs. From 1991 to 1995, he was Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Between state and Federal service, Mr. Frankel was Of Counsel to Day, Berry & Howard in the law firm’s Stamford, Connecticut, office. During that time he was also a Management Fellow of Yale University’s School of Management and a Senior Fellow at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, engaged in teaching and research on issues of transportation, energy and environmental policy and public management. Also at the Yale School of Management and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Mr. Frankel will be a visiting lecturer in Spring 2008. From 1999 to 2001 he was a Selectman of the Town or Weston, Connecticut. Mr. Frankel received his Bachelor’s Degree from Wesleyan University and his LL.B. from Harvard Law School, and was a Fulbright Scholar at Manchester University in the United Kingdom. From 1981 to 1997 he was a member of the Board of Trustees of Wesleyan University, where he is now a Trustee Emeritus.

RSVP: Due to security restrictions, a list of names for non-Congressional staff must be submitted to the Capitol Visitor Center prior to the event.  Please send your RSVP to ypt@transportation.org with “YPT Seminar” as the subject by COB Monday 22 February 2010.

(Source: Court TV via Ridelust.com)

You probably heard many stories about crazy people behind the wheel and tough looking  police officers who handle these people effectively (in many cases with guns drawn, or on hot pursuits with sirens blazing, which makes for good TV) ensuring the safety of the traveling public on our roads..  But here comes a completely different, stereotype shattering officer who epitomizes patience while dealing with his irate customer who gets pulled over for speeding..

Shot from his police vehicle’s dash cam, in this video State Trooper. Stephen Murray looks like the most patient man on earth, and probably the best in the history of law enforcement (as ridelust puts it).  Trooper Murray kept his cool and poise while that nut case driver went nuclear and unleashes a verbal tirade, loaded with a barrage of F bombs..And the funny thing is that he stands there politely without showing any reaction, and that gets the driver at fault even more mad..Boy, this is some fun to watch!

I wonder how the situation would have turned if the officer put his hand on the weapon holster?  Amazing, the driver didn’t get into much trouble and went away with a speeding ticket after unloading so many F-bombs and behaving badly with the officer!  Easily Qualifies for MUST SEE title. Great job, Trooper Murray.

New Report: U.S. Falling Off Pace of World Leadership In Intelligent Transportation Systems

Why the U.S. is Missing the Intelligent Transportation Systems Revolution

WASHINGTON, D.C.— A new report by a leading Washington, D.C. think tank will be released on Wednesday, January 27^th, highlighting the increasing disparity between foreign industrialized nations and the United States regarding the current use of new technologies to address major transportation congestion, safety, and environmental problems.

At Wednesday’s forum, researchers from the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) will issue the report and discuss its findings with domestic and international transportation experts.  The report, Explaining International IT Application Leadership: Intelligent Transportation Systems, discusses why the United States has fallen behind in developing intelligent transportation technology while nations such as Japan, South Korea, Singapore and others have made significant progress and advances.

Date:   Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Time:  9 AM – 10:30 AM

Place:  Information Technology and Innovations Foundation,  1101 K Street, NW, Suite 610A , Washington, DC 20005

(News media inquiries, please call ITIF at 202-449-1351)

Participants

• Robert Atkinson (moderator),  President, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
• Stephen Ezell (presenter), Senior Analyst, The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

Respondents:

• Scott Belcher, President and CEO, ITS America
• Riz Khaliq, Global Business Executive, Intelligent Transportation Systems and Growth Markets, IBM Global Government
• Masahiro Nishikawa, Japan Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transportation and Tourism (MLIT)

Report Should Be “A Serious Wake Up Call” For the U.S.

“The report should be a serious wake-up call to our nation’s transportation leaders and policy makers as to why the U.S. is not staying competitive in the international market,” said Scott Belcher, President and CEO of ITS America. “Other industrialized nations have learned that a major key to transportation efficiency and economic growth is by deploying intelligent transportation systems (ITS) to allow for the safe and easy movement of goods and people.

“We have the opportunity to reverse this disparity if we don’t continue to ignore 21^st Century technology in addressing our transportation problems,” Belcher said.

According to the report: “Many think improving a country’s transportation system solely means building new roads or repairing aging infrastructure.  But the future of transportation lies not in concrete and steel, but in a network of sensors, microchips, and communication devices that collect and disseminate information about the functioning of the transportation system.”

The report also introduces specific recommendations on how the U.S. government can accelerate the deployment of ITS to remain economically competitive with other industrialized nations.

“Information Technology Is Revolutionizing Transportation”

ITS technology includes real-time, in-vehicle traffic and transit information; new types of automated road pricing; adaptive traffic signal timing; safety warning systems; and many other applications which leverage IT to enhance the safety, efficiency and convenience of transportation, including for cars, trucks and mass transit.

“What ITS do is empower actors in the transportation system—from commuters, to highway and transit authorities, even down to the actual traffic lights themselves—with actionable information, that is, intelligence, to make better-informed decisions, whether it’s choosing which route to take, when to travel, or whether to mode-shift; how to optimize traffic signals; where to build new roadways; or how to hold providers of transportation services accountable for results,” said Stephen Ezell, ITIF lead report author.

“As we have seen technology revolutionize how we work and live, information technology is revolutionizing transportation. Other nations are already using intelligent transportation technology to reduce traffic collisions, congestion and carbon emissions,” Belcher said.

“Imagine being able to receive real-time information about traffic congestion or incidents on freeways, updates of when the next bus or train will arrive when using mass transit, or collision avoidance warnings from autonomous vehicle sensors when crashes appear imminent,” Belcher said. “In many other industrialized parts of the world, this is already happening.”

NOTE: This event will be live webcast here on the day of the event. News media inquiries, please call ITIF at 202-449-1351.

(Source: Washington Post)

It was dark and rainy, and the battery on his nifty Mini E electric car was almost gone.

Paul Heitmann rolled quietly through the suburban New Jersey gloom, peering through the rain on the windshield, not sure what he was looking for, anxiety turning into panic. He needed juice. He spotted a Lukoil gas station, which was closed, and beside the point, anyway. But beyond the pumps, there was a Coke machine, and it was lit up.

“I thought ‘Finally!’ because I knew if there was light, there would be electricity,” he said. “I managed to find the outlet behind the Coke machine and plugged in.”

As many of the auto companies tell it, next year may be the year that the massive U.S. auto industry really begins to go electric.

The all-battery Leaf from Nissan is scheduled to go on sale in November. General Motors will begin selling the Chevy Volt, a primarily electric car (with a small auxiliary gasoline engine that kicks in to boost the car’s range). Ford has plans to produce an electric commercial van. The Obama administration has doled out $2.4 billion to companies involved in producing batteries and other parts of electric cars.

“We have to get on with the electrification of our industry,” William Clay Ford Jr., chairman of Ford, said during a visit to Washington on Monday.

“I know we have to have an electric car,” GM Chairman Edward E. Whitacre Jr. told reporters last week.

But overshadowing prospects for the transition of the vast U.S. auto fleet to electric — and the billions of dollars the automakers have invested in the switch — is the question of whether anyone beyond a sliver of enthusiasts will soon embrace the newfangled cars, which force drivers to rethink their habits and expectations of convenience.

Click here to read the entire article.

(Source: Office of Planning, Environment and Realty – Federal Highway Administration)

Recent Events

U.S. DOE and U.S. EPA announce the 2010 Fuel Economy Guide for model year 2010 vehicles. Each vehicle listing gives an estimated annual fuel cost, based on the vehicle’s MPG rating and national estimates for annual mileage and fuel prices. The online version of the guide allows consumers to input their local gasoline prices and typical driving habits to receive a personalized fuel cost estimate. Fuel efficiency is important for reducing CO2 and other GHGs. The top ten fuel economy leaders for 2010 include nine hybrid vehicles, from compact cars to SUVs.

World Resources Institute issues provisional GHG emissions reporting standard for public sector. The standard was developed in consultation with agencies from all levels of government and is supported by the Federal Energy Management Program within U.S. DOE and U.S. EPA. The standard includes guidance on how to apply GHG accounting principles to government operations at the federal, state and local level. The standard is compatible with the Local Government Operations Protocol recently adopted by The Climate Registry, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and California Climate Action Registry (CCAR). For questions or to submit comments on the standard, please email Stephen Russell or Mary Sotos at pspcomments@wri.org.

EESI publishes State Actions on Climate Change: A Focus on How Our Communities Grow, to encourage State, regional, and local governments to focus on land use reform as a key strategy for reducing GHG emissions. The publication is the result of collaboration with the American Planning Association to develop tools to assist planners. The study examined State and regional climate action plans for their inclusion of transportation, green building, and land use or “smart growth” practices and found that the plans cover a broad range of strategies, because each area has unique geographic and socioeconomic conditions. Of the three, transportation practices were the dominant feature, along with, to a lesser degree, green building policies. Some common transportation policies include adopting California’s vehicle emissions standard (the country’s most aggressive standard), creating more mass transit options, and providing incentives to lower VMT. Specific smart growth practices appeared to be the least likely component of the plans. A table at the end of the document shows some aspects of urban planning that are incorporated. Any GHG reduction targets adopted or regional climate action plans to which a state belongs are provided.

Simple Measures Can Yield Big GHG Cuts, Scientists Say in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Thomas Dietz, Michigan State University assistant vice president for environmental research, and his colleagues find that simple, voluntary activities such as routine vehicle maintenance, carpooling and trip chaining, eco-driving, and use of low-rolling-resistance tires can result in significant reductions in GHG emissions and, therefore, “deserve increased policy attention.” They examined 17 household action types in five behavioral categories. Adoption of these actions typically is the result of several policy tools and strong social marketing, the authors state. They estimate that if the behaviors became the norm across the nation it could save 123 million metric tons of carbon per year, equal to 7.4% of U.S. national emissions, within ten years with little or no reduction in household well-being. Their estimates are based on “how many families could reasonably be expected to take such measures if they were provided information, offered financial assistance and could interact with others doing so.”

Managing Our Coastal Zone in a Changing Climate: The Time to Act is Now Issued by the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia Provides Insights Relevant to U.S. The fact that many Australian coastal communities have single-access roads is an issue of grave concern to the Commonwealth. The report noted that evacuation routes were a significant factor in the extent of a July 2009 bushfire tragedy (“Black Saturday”). Dr. John Church, from [the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Australia’s national science agency] pointed out that “sea-level-rise planning benchmarks need to be part of a risk management framework,” stating “We really have to move into a risk assessment framework…where we talk more about probabilities and the risks that we are prepared to take….One problem that we have is that planners tend to come to us and say, “How much do we need to allow for sea level rise?’ The retort I always give is, ‘What kind of risks do you want to take?’ I think this is a very important change in process that we need: to put the onus of the risk back onto the planners and the policymakers, not leave it to the scientists.’

State and Local News

Draft Pennsylvania Climate Action Plan released for comment. The plan contains 52 climate policy actions, which are estimated to reduce the Commonwealth’s GHG emissions by 95.6 million metric tons (a 36 percent reduction below year 2000 business-as-usual levels, 42% if recent state and federal actions are included) and to provide a net gain of $5.13 billion and 54,000 new jobs by 2020. The Plan does not address climate change adaptation. The GHG emissions inventory and projections, which cover 1990 to 2020, use “standardized methodology prescribed by the [EPA] and in accordance with international standards.” Transportation is the third largest source of GHG emissions in Pennsylvania (24% in 2000, of which gasoline-powered on-road vehicles accounted for about 64% and on-road diesel vehicles for 15%). Of all the sectors analyzed, GHG mitigation actions from transit and ground passenger transportation are projected to produce the second largest financial gain for the Commonwealth. The Land Use and Transportation work plan recommendations are listed in the following table.

¹NA in this column means “not applicable.” Work plan numbers 1,2, and 4 are recent state actions that are being implemented by the state; and the federal government will be implementing national vehicle GHG emissions and corporate average fuel economy (CAFE) standards starting in 2012.
²Because T-9 uses federal dollars exclusively, it should be noted that the cost figures for T-9 are calculations of how many federal dollars – not state dollars – would be required to implement the work plan.
³This cost per ton value excludes the emission reductions associated with the “Federal Vehicle GHG Emissions and CAFE Standards” since costs (savings) were not quantified for this recent federal action.
GHG = greenhouse gas; MMtCO₂e = million metrice tons of carbon dioxide equivalent; $/tCO₂e = dollars per metric ton of carbon dioxide equivalent; NPV = net present value; NQ = not quantified; PA = Pennsylvania; PAYD = Pay-As-You-Drive; CAFE = Corporate Average Fuel Economy.

Climate Change and Transportation in Maine published by MaineDOT. This white paper prepares MaineDOT to respond to the Governor’s call to evaluate climate change adaptation options and positions the agency to work with transportation stakeholders to evaluate short-term and long-term approaches to preparing for and adapting to climate change. Judy Gates, Director of MaineDOT’s Environmental Office said “…uncertainty [about long-range impacts due to climate change] can create paralysis in an agency charged with making and justifying long-term, fiscally-responsible decisions around the safety and efficiency of public travel. But the long life-cycles of most transportation infrastructure demand early preparation to protect significant tax payer investments…” The white paper includes a table showing how Maine’s current and proposed adaptation strategies compare to seven other States whose Climate Action Plans address adaptation (see below). The paper references the part of TRB’s Special Report 290: Potential Impacts of Climate Change on U.S. Transportation that discusses the Caltrans process of evaluating bridges for seismic retrofitting, in which TRB suggests that a similar approach could be used to screen and identify critical infrastructure that is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. MaineDOT has already included climate change as a factor to be considered in future planning with an eye towards conducting technical, risk-based assessments such as California’s.

Announcements

Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference in DC, November 16-18, has webcast option. The webcast costs $150 for one day or $300 for all three days, versus $320 and $600, respectively, for on-site attendance. The webcast option is limited to 200 people who register by November 12.The conference is sponsored by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, Stanford University’s Precourt Energy Efficiency Center, and the California Institute for Energy and Environment.

TRB announces webinar: A Transportation Research Program for Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change and Conserving Energy. This web briefing on December 2, from 2:00-3:00 p.m. EST will explore the findings of TRB’s Special Report 299: A Transportation Research Program for Mitigating and Adapting to Climate Change and Conserving Energy.Participants must register at least 24 hours in advance, space is limited, and there is a fee for non-TRB-Sponsor employees. To learn more about current and planned FHWA research on climate change mitigation and adaptation, visithttp://www.fhwa.dot.gov/hep/climate/index.htm.

FYI

What is the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Convention? The Convention is an international treaty adopted in 1992 in Rio de Janeiro and ratified by almost all of the countries of the world, in which they agreed to undertake policies and measures to return their greenhouse gas emissions to 1990 levels by 2000. In 1997, all but two of the Convention signatories (the U.S. and Turkey) adopted an addition to the Convention, the Kyoto Protocol, which has specific binding GHG emission targets to be achieved in the 2008 – 2012 time period (which would have been 7% for the U.S.) The U.S. has not ratified the Protocol primarily because China and India are exempt from a numerical cap on their emissions. Below are data from the UNFCCC on trends in GHG emissions in industrialized countries (called Annex I Parties) that committed to voluntary GHG reductions under the Convention

Related news. Indian Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh and Chinese Minister for National Development and Reforms Xie Zhenhua signed a 5-year commitment for their countries to collaborate on GHG emission reduction programs, projects, technology development, and demonstration. The Ministers agreed to work together to protect and promote the interests of developing countries like China and India.

Next month:What is “cap and trade” GHG emissions trading, which is in the media so much lately?

(Source: USDOT Press Release)

Dallas and San Diego selected as Integrated Corridor Management Pioneer Demonstration Sites

In an historic step towards ending gridlock in urban areas across the country, the U.S. Department of Transportation today announced that the Dallas and San Diego areas will receive $14 million as the nation’s first demonstration sites for new Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technologies that help fight congestion and enhance travel.  The Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) initiative will help the Dallas and San Diego metro areas become “living laboratories” in the fight against congestion.

“These communities are leading the way by using state-of-the-art technologies to create a commute that is safer, less congested and more convenient.” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.  “America can’t simply build our way to a more modern and efficient transportation infrastructure.  These projects will show the rest of the nation that bumper-to-bumper traffic doesn’t have to be the status quo.”

Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) will contribute $3 million for an $8.3 million project. DART will use a transportation management model to predict travel conditions 30 minutes into the future, allowing diversion of traffic to other routes during freeway incidents and special events along US-75.  Travelers will have access to real-time information about traffic, public transit and expected travel times, through wireless and web-based alerts.

The San Diego Association of Governments and its partnering agencies will contribute $2.2 million for a $10.9 million project.  San Diego will use ITS investments along I-15 to enable a “smart” traffic management system that combines road sensors, video and traveler information to take steps to reduce congestion.  It will deliver information to commuters via the internet and message signs and will enable managers to adjust traffic signals and ramp meters to direct travelers to HOV lanes, HOT lanes, bus rapid transit and other options.

Since 2005, ICM has laid the groundwork for transportation agencies to use existing roads, intersections and other elements of urban transportation networks more efficiently

The demonstrations will build on past findings about ICM to provide a first-hand evaluation of the real-world impact.  The new technology will avoid the dangers of text-messaging and other distractions behind the wheel that result in distracted driving.

The initiative is jointly sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), and the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).

Below is a summary of the ICM Pioneer sites (courtesy of the ITS JPO):

ICM Pioneer Sites–Dallas, Texas

The Dallas-Fort Worth area is currently populated by 6 million people, and is growing by 1 million every 7 years. Travel demand and congestion in this area continue to grow. Dallas’ US-75 ICM Corridor is the highest volume and most critical transportation corridor in the region. It has major employment centers and while there is no room for expansion of the corridor, it will be impacted by major construction planned in the surrounding area.

Dallas is creating an operational entity responsible for all ICM activities. In this region, transit availability and capacity is being increased, park-and-ride facilities will be improved, and intelligent transportation system elements are being deployed in the field. In addition, HOV and HOT lanes will be added, and value-pricing strategies are being explored.

The Dallas US-75 ICM corridor was chosen as a site for Analysis, Modeling and Simulation (AMS) of ICM strategies. Click here to learn more about this site’s Experimental Plans and early results.

More on Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas’ ICM Corridor:

The Dallas, Texas application proposed U.S. route 75 from downtown Dallas to SH 121 with the North Dallas Toll Way to the west and DART and various arterials to the east as their corridor. The Dallas Area Rapid Transit Authority was the lead agency, accompanied by the City of Dallas, the City of Richardson, the City of Plano, the City of University Park, the Town of Highland Park, the North Central Texas Council of Governments, the North Texas Tollway Authority, and the TxDOT Dallas District. In addition to the expected freeway and arterial capabilities, the corridor includes HOV, tolling, express bus, and light rail.

ICM Pioneer Sites–San Diego, California

San Diego experiences significant traffic congestion during peak travel periods, has limited HOV and HOT lanes, and has limited transit capacity. The strong consortium of partnering agencies in San Diego is increasing multi-jurisdictional and multi-agency collaboration on corridor management. Together, they are introducing dynamic ramp metering to reduce arterial spillover and they are looking to collect arterial data to support efficient signal timing strategies. This ICM team is implementing dynamic variable pricing along 21 miles of managed lanes and pioneering congestion avoidance awards.

The San Diego I-15 ICM corridor was chosen as a site for Analysis, Modeling and Simulation (AMS) of ICM strategies. Check back in late 2009 for updates on this site’s Experimental Plans and early results.

More on San Diego, California’s ICM Corridor:

The San Diego, California application proposed I-15 from SR 52 in San Diego to SR 78 in Escondido as their corridor. The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) was the lead agency, accompanied by Caltrans, the City of San Diego, the City of Escondido, the City of Poway, the Metropolitan Transit System, and the North County Transit District. In addition to the expected freeway and arterial capabilities, the corridor includes HOV, tolling, value pricing, express bus, and BRT.

Click here to read more.

SALARY RANGE: 102,721.00 – 133,543.00 USD /year	OPEN PERIOD: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 to Friday, December 11, 2009
SERIES & GRADE: GS-0301-14/14	POSITION INFORMATION: Full Time Permanent
PROMOTION POTENTIAL: 14	DUTY LOCATIONS: 1 vacancy(s) in one of the following locations:   Washington, DC
WHO MAY BE CONSIDERED: To qualify, you must either: Be a current or former federal employee with status OR Be a veteran who qualifies under VEOA	TARGETED WORK ENVIRONMENT(S): Mission Focused: Attracting applicants who want a work environment that welcomes all motivations, from general service commitment to a specific passion. Flexible Arrangements: Attracting applicants who want a work environment that welcomes and accommodates traditional and flexible work arrangements.

JOB SUMMARY:

Real solutions to meet genuine challenges. Innovative ideas to take on growing realities. That’s the Federal Highway Administration – Leaders in Paving the Way on the Road to Success.

This position is located in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office (JPO) of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA), and serves as the Communications and Outreach Specialist within the ITS Knowledge Transfer and Policy (KTP) Team. As such, you will be responsible for and will be a national expert in leading and coordinating communications and outreach activities for the ITS JPO as a whole and advising and assisting individual program managers with related activities for their programs. Maintaining liaisons and networks with national transportation trade press and outreach communities and helping research program managers build and coordinate stakeholder relationships are important aspects of your responsibilities. You will coordinate all publications, web publishing, articles, press releases, conference events, and other external communications activities of the ITS JPO. You will work with the RITA’s Government, International and Public Affairs Office (GIP), supporting Administration-wide communications initiatives for the ITS JPO. Responsibilities support the ITS JPO in accomplishing core objectives of transferring research results into practice.

The Communications and Outreach Specialist will work with the other members of the KTP Team, including the Team Lead and the Knowledge and Technology Transfer Program Manager, to execute a coordinated program of knowledge transfer, policy, and communications for the Office, and has primary responsibility for communications and outreach related activities. Works through contracts, agreements, and liaisons with other offices and program managers to accomplish the program of work. Ability to work in a matrixed team environment and with external stakeholders and to manage and oversee contracts are critical components of the position.

The ideal candidate has experience supporting communications and outreach in the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) industry such as for a Federal agency, State Department of Transportation with a major ITS program or for a national association with a related focus. Experience should include dealing with unique challenges, key stakeholders, and terminology used within the ITS industry.

KEY REQUIREMENTS:

• You must be eligible for status consideration & meet specialized experience
• Submit application and resume online by 11:59 PM EST on the closing date.
• Provide ALL required documents by closing date (see How to Apply Tab)
• Position is telework eligible.
• Job also advertised open to all U.S. Citizens see FHWA.JPO-2010-0002
• Job announcement may be used to fill similar positions within 90 days.

Click here to learn more about the position.

Transportgooru is a proud supporter of the International Benefits, Evaluation and Costs (IBEC) Working Group, which is a cooperative working group set up to coordinate and expand international efforts, to exchange information and techniques, and evaluate benefits and costs of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).  IBEC brings together the best knowledge and experience and is the focal point for discussion and debate of interest to the international ITS evaluation community. IBEC encourages more effective use of ITS evaluation information so that decision-makers can make more informed ITS investments.

IBEC’s newsletters are very informative and offers interesting perspectives on a wide-spectrum of issues pertaining to three important areas of ITS – Benefits, Evaluation and Costs.    Here is the latest newsletter ( September 2009), which can also be accessed/downloaded directly from IBEC’s website.

Click here to learn more about the organization and how to become a member. FYI – Membership is free and open to any interested individual. IBEC currently has over 400 members from over 40 countries.

(Source: Mashable; Washington Post; Pew Research Center)

Image Courtesy: Pew Research Center

The Pew Internet & American Life Project has just published the results of a study on distracted driving behavior amongst teenagers which shows that teens are aware of the dangers of texting while driving, but they choose to do it anyway.

After surveying 800 teens in 4 US cities over the summer of 2009, Pew estimates that 26% of all American teens 16-17 have texted while driving, and 43% have talked on a cell phone while driving.

Even more alarming is that 48% of teens 12-17 have witnessed someone else texting while driving, which points to an ambivalence and acceptance of the practice. The findings also indicate that even state laws prohibiting these activities may not be discouraging newly licensed drivers from using their mobile devices while behind the wheel.

Here are the major findings from the survey and focus groups (courtesy of Pew Research Center):

• 75% of all American teens ages 12-17 own a cell phone, and 66% use their phones to send or receive text messages.
• Older teens are more likely than younger teens to have cell phones and use text messaging; 82% of teens ages 16-17 have a cell phone and 76% of that cohort are cell phone texters.
• One in three (34%) texting teens ages 16-17 say they have texted while driving. That translates into 26% of all American teens ages 16-17.
• Half (52%) of cell-owning teens ages 16-17 say they have talked on a cell phone while driving. That translates into 43% of all American teens ages 16-17.
• 48% of all teens ages 12-17 say they have been in a car when the driver was texting.
• 40% say they have been in a car when the driver used a cell phone in a way that put themselves or others in danger.

The NHTSA said that 5,870 people died and an estimated 515,000 were injured last year in accidents that police attributed to distracted driving.

That number of fatalities last year was exactly half the number of people who died as a result of drunken driving. The actual number of distracted-driving deaths and injuries is probably much higher than the numbers show. There is nothing like the blood alcohol test to prove that someone was texting — phone records are not clear-cut proof and drivers who cause accidents are no more prone to admit they were texting than they are to say they are drunk.

At a conference he convened to discuss distracted driving, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood stressed the importance of parents paying attention to the road to provide a positive example for their children.

The Pew research found that too few do.

“The frequency of teens reporting parent cellphone use behind the wheel in our focus groups was striking, and suggested, in many cases, that texting while driving is a family affair,” the report said.

Click here to read the entire research report in HTML.   Or you can alternatively download/read the report in the PDF format shown below.

How do you drop ~$2m worth in a pond of water in a jiffy?  This is how they do it (at least one man did it successfully) in Texas.  Read along this twisted version of a Pelican Brief style thriller ( though no murder of human beings involved, it involves a very expensive &  rare automobile)..

A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. The accident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.

The Lufkin, Texas, man told of driving his luxury, French-built Bugatti Veyron when the bird distracted him, said La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist. The motorist dropped his cell phone, reached to pick it up and veered off the road and into the salt marsh. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road when police arrived.

The story reported by Chris Paschenko @ The Galveston County Daily News has some interesting details. The man was uninjured after escaping the partially submerged Bugatti Veyron as it came to rest in about 2 feet of saltwater. The man, who refused to give his name, was looking at real estate in Galveston.

About 3 p.m. a low-flying pelican distracted him as he traveled north on Interstate 45 just south of the hurricane levee near Omega Bay. The man jerked the wheel, dropped his cell phone, and the car’s front tire left the frontage road and entered a muddy patch, which foiled his attempt to maneuver away from the lagoon. Chris’ report says Veyron’s powerful engine gurgled like an outboard motor for about 15 minutes before it died.

(Soureces: AP Via Google; The Galveston County Daily News; The Inquisitr)