The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), the nation’s largest nonprofit association representing the transportation technology industry, is seeking a Government and External Affairs Manager to support the organization’s legislative affairs, communications and media outreach activities. ITS America’s membership includes more than 450 public agencies, private sector companies, and research institutions as well as state chapter affiliates in 40 states dedicated to advancing the research, development and deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems to improve mobility and build a safer, smarter, more efficient and sustainable surface transportation network. The Government and External Affairs Manager will be responsible for the following activities:

• Serve as a liaison for personal offices with the U.S. House of Representatives;
• Schedule and manage logistics for monthly Congressional Roundtable events with Members of Congress;
• Manage logistics and outreach for ITS America’s annual Capitol Hill Transportation Technology Showcase & Reception and Legislative Fly-in;
• Schedule, prepare materials for, and when needed represent ITS America at Congressional meetings and briefings;
• Assist in maintaining relationships and managing logistics related to ITS America’s Legislative Steering Committee;
• Plan and manage media, Congressional and stakeholder outreach events;
• Plan and manage Smart Solution Spotlight awards and related promotional activities;
• Write and manage the distribution of ITS America’s monthly member e-newsletter;
• Draft press releases, media statements, and other communications as needed;
• Perform legislative and regulatory research and writing;
• Write, edit and update copy regularly on www.itsa.org;
• Assist with government and media outreach for ITS America’s quarterly Regional Symposium Series events;
• Assist with government and media outreach for ITS America’s Annual Meeting and the global ITS World Congress;
• Serve as the point of contact for the ITS America SmartBrief—a daily email of the industry’s top news articles–and respond to content questions as necessary from the external editor
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date Congressional, media and stakeholders contacts and distribution lists; and
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The incumbent will report to the Senior Vice President for Government and External Affairs, with day-to-day management provided by the Vice President for Legislative Affairs and Director of Communications. Candidates should have at least 2-4 years of relevant legislative and/or government experience, extremely strong writing skills with a working knowledge of AP Style, the ability to manage multiple projects under tight deadlines, and attention to detail. Congressional affairs, media relations, and transportation and/or technology policy experience are all a strong plus. Salary is commensurate with experience. Please submit your resume and at least two writing samples to pfeenstra@itsa.org.

Present your ideas for smarter mobility and urban development at Transforming Transportation 2015

Transforming Transportation 2015 (#TTDC15) is the annual conference co-organized by EMBARQ, the sustainable urban transport program of the World Resources Institute, and the World Bank. This year’s conference will focus onSmart Cities for Shared Prosperity, and will examine how smart, connected urban mobility can improve quality of life in cities.

We’re inviting YOU to become a presenter! Pitch your ideas to present on either “Innovations in Urban Development for Smart Cities” or Innovations in Mobility for Smart Cities.” Presentations will follow the PechaKucha format and must be submitted by December 2, 2014 at 11:59pm EST. Those interested can consult the detailed submission guidelines.

For any questions or comments, please contact embarq@wri.org. Tune in for regular updates at www.TransformingTransportation.org and on social media by following #TTDC15.

Image courtesy: Automoblog

Add this to one of the million other articles you would see around the web that hypes the arrival of self-driving cars and how they are going to change our lives..

Click here to read the accompanying article.

Photo by cogdogblog

The Federal Highway Administration plans to produce deployment guidance in 2015 on connected vehicles to transportation infrastructure owner/operators.  Tell us what would best support decision making and deployments at the state and local level.

National Associations including AASHTO, ITE and ITS America are working together to form a Vehicle to Infrastructure(V2I) Coalition.  What type of organization will best meet your needs?

Please provide comments based on the materials distributed on these topics at the September 12, 2014 public meeting including the initial draft guidance, a handout on the proposed coalition, and the list of supporting V2I products/tools under development. The V2I Deployment Guidance Draft is an initial draft document. USDOT is seeking feedback from State and local Departments of Transportation, transit operators, other operating agencies, and infrastructure owners who are starting to plan for the deployment and use of connected vehicle technologies in their area. Any interested parties may provide comments on the initial draft guidance through Friday, November 14, 2014.

Questions to Consider on the Proposed CV Guidance

• Will the topics covered in the proposed guidance and the companion products being developed provide you with enough support to successfully deploy connected vehicle technologies in your area?
• Are there additional tools, training, or resources that you would like to see developed?
• Any other concerns/comments?

Questions to Consider on the V2I Deployment Coalition

• What are your thoughts about the structure of the proposed coalition?
• How should associated organizations’ and agencies’ leadership be involved?
• What challenges are likely to arise and need to be addressed?
• Any other concerns/comments?

Review source materials and provide comments at: http://www.its.dot.gov/meetings/v2i_feedback.htm by Friday, November 14, 2014.

via Forbes/Statista

Image courtesy: Statista via Forbes

Click here for the accompanying story

via BuzzFeedVideo

Given the high number of road deaths around the world (~1.2million fatalities/year globally and ~34K in the US alone), we can definitely use something like this to get the kids ready for the road ..  It is quite funny with all the innuendos and not-so-subtle references to sex-ed. (BTW, looking at the number of hits the video has garnered on YouTube, I couldn’t  help but wish the safety videos from Govt and other non.profit organizations enjoy this level of attention).

Below is a tweet that got me wondering.  Despite knowing the bad status of the Highway Trust Fund, why is congress so hesitant to raise the gas tax? I’m sure many of you are left asking the same question. Several years have gone by and many transportation reauthorizations bills have been enacted since the last time we raised the gas tax (in the early 1990s). But there is still no appetite to raise the gas tax, even by a few cents (and there seems to be any sense of urgency as well).  Hopefully this trend is reversed in the upcoming re-authorization in 2015.  BTW, am I alone in thinking that this picture below also subtly answers why we love our cars so much and like to build houses far from the urban core? What would happen to our current development model/real estate practices if gasoline was taxed like how it is done in Europe?

#roadfinancing #advocacy RT @ARTBA: Funding = road quality, just ask the EU #TMAW #FixtheHTF http://t.co/POeb0cEyq3 pic.twitter.com/HSHKuEFsbT

— CarolineVisserGRL (@GlobalRoadLinks) June 24, 2014

If you get a chance, visit this brilliant website (by ARTBA), Transportation Makes America Work, to see the impact of how this current gas tax situation is affecting the nation’s progress (you can even check out the impact on your particular state’s infrastructure). Also if you are interested, you can take action by contacting your local representative right on the website (and if you are a transportation nerd like me, you can always download the app on your phone and be ready to spill the facts in any discussion).

Image courtesy: tmaw.com –

Related articles

• Looming Highway Trust Fund Crisis: Impact on State Transportation Programs
• Do Low Oil Prices Justify Raising the Gas Tax?

Position Description

The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) Center for Transportation Safety is seeking an individual to lead and serve as Program Manager for the Traffic Crash Analysis Program.  The incumbent will lead efforts to identify new sources of funding, ensure timely submittal and quality of work products, oversee proposal development, and develop and mentor staff.  Responsibilities include managing traffic safety projects which may include literature review, data collection, analysis, and technical report development in areas such as crash analysis, impaired driving, and other traffic related topics.

Continued employment in this position is dependent upon availability of funding and satisfactory level of performance.

Essential Duties:

Serve as principal investigator of research studies involving transportation safety, performance evaluations and program evaluation 25%
Conduct literature review 15%
Prepare technical reports 15%
Collect data and conduct analysis 10%
Outreach – Community & Stakeholder 10%
Report/presentation preparation and delivery 10%
Proposal and project development 10%

Required Qualifications:

• Masters degree in engineering, planning, public health, health education or related field
• 8 years of experience in traffic safety analysis using crash data and statistical methods
• Strong project management experience
• Proposal and project development experience
• Strong oral and written communication skills specifically related to technical reports in related field
• Proficient with MS Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and statistical analysis software (e.g., SAS)
• Ability to travel overnight
• Ability to work effectively with others to identify and accomplish project tasks

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prefer Ph.D. in related discipline
• Record of successful proposal submittals in traffic safety.
• Prior experience in managing a program of traffic safety analysis.
• Record of successful relationships with local, state or Federal transportation or safety agency officials and project managers.
• Extensive experience with traffic records and/or crash analysis and data-linking techniques
• Experience in developing traffic safety related training and educational materials.
• Experience with MS Project and/or MS Access as well as SPSS or SAS statistical software.
• Experience with crash analysis software related to problem identification in geographical areas or according to demographics.

For more information and to apply, please visit: https://cw.halogensoftware.com/texas_transport/loadJobPostingDetails.do?jobPostingID=101384&source=jobList

via CityLab & synapticdigital.com

Los Angeles is preparing to trial a two-way, one-mile e-highway road design project along the diesel truck-dominated Alameda Corridor in an effort to reduce pollution and health-related costs. Officials say the system relies on emission-free electric power delivered through overhead wires to fuel the trucks. The city is partnering with Siemens and the South Coast Air Quality Management District to run the $13 million project set to begin operations in July. The one-mile test of the e-highway system may just be the start. Apparently the various funders are hoping to expand the system along the remaining three miles from the ports to the major railhead, and there are discussions underway about a 20-mile northwest corridor that could connect the ports with inland warehouse complexes. If this first mile test works out, it could help provide a healthier future for high-traffic corridors around the world.

More about the project here.

This is how it works: The catenary infrastructure will be installed on the North and South-bound sections of Alameda Street where it intersects with Sepulveda Boulevard in Carson,California. Up to four trucks will be running in the demonstration, making multiple drives per day. Thanks to an innovative current collector the trucks can connect and disconnect from the catenary system at any speed for dynamic power supply directly to the electric engine and for on-board storage. To further ensure the same flexibility as conventional trucks, the eHighway vehicles use an electric drive system, which can be powered either by diesel, compressed natural gas (CNG), battery or other on-board energy source, when driving outside of the catenary lines.  One big question that bogs me is this: assuming the demonstration is successful, who will pay for the cost of turning over the existing fleet to this hybrid-mode?

Related articles

• Siemens To Conduct eHighway Trials With Electric Volvo Trucks In California
• eHighway Project In Los Angeles
• Siemens eHighway Expected to Cut Ports’ CO2 Emissions