Audio: Interview with the whizkid who led MIT team to first place in the Hyperloop pod competition

February 3, 2016 at 5:00 pm

Fascinating interview and congrats to winning team.  Very exciting to see the young engineers take to building radically new transportation systems/concepts like Hyperloop that will transform the future of mobility/transportation! Graduate student Chris Merian, chief engineer for MIT’s Hyperloop team, speaks with Radio Boston’s Meghna Chakrabarti about the team’s success in the recent Hyperloop contest

“…really cool engineering challenge that we are really passionate about, and seeing our hundreds of hours of work rewarded like that was really, really nice”

 

Disruptions ahead for automotive industry?

January 25, 2016 at 10:11 am

The latest forecast from McKinsey Consulting on the disruptive trends unfolding in the automotive sector is very much along the lines of what I have been saying for quite a while.  It predictions comes packaged in a nice, easy to consume slick video presentation shown below.

Among the major disruptions, the ones I see having direct and tremendous social and roadsafety implications are ridesharing and vehicle automation, both aided by a confluence of technology and consumer aversion for driving/owning automobiles. Of course, the pace of disruption will be dictated by the Federal policies and that means our lawmakers must remain nimble and be willing to set aside their political ideologies to help the industry as it leaps forward.

Growth of vehicle automation. Source: McKinsey

Scenarios for growth of vehicle automation. Source: McKinsey

Check out the full report here

Now Accepting Nominations for the 2016 Roy Award

November 6, 2015 at 2:42 pm

Roy Awards – via Harvard

CLICK HERE to fill out the nomination form.  Self nomination is permissible and encouraged.

 

The Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership is presented every two years to an outstanding public-private partnership project that enhances environmental quality through the use of novel and creative approaches.

The mission of the Roy Family Award is to encourage governments, companies, and organizations worldwide to push the boundaries of creativity and to take risks that result in significant changes that benefit the environment and create leverage for greater action. We need your help to identify the most innovative and impactful partnerships around the world. Partnerships should be unusually creative and provide a model for improvement that is transferable to other issues or geographic regions. We are looking for organizations that have advanced a new idea, model, or paradigm that could be replicable for other efforts to improve the quality of the environment or natural resources.

Partnerships can consist of individuals or academic, business, civic, government, and non-profit groups. Projects can be domestic or international in scope, should involve a novel leap in creativity, and should foster significant positive changes that improve environmental quality or protect natural resources. The character, scope, and transferability of the environmental benefits created as a result of the partnership will be a major consideration in selecting the recipient. This is not a “lifetime achievement award,” but rather an award for a specific program or initiative. Modafinil online, this award recognizes multiple parties.

For more information on the Roy Award and the nomination process, please contact royaward@hks.harvard.edu

Job Alert: Group Manager (Sustainability Program) – San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District

July 7, 2015 at 2:21 pm

The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) is seeking excellent candidates for the position of Sustainability Program, Group Manager. This is a senior level position that will oversee a $40M energy budget, energy efficiency and implementation of an Environmental Management System for the District.  I’d appreciate it if you could post to your networks.

The group manager will be responsible for guiding BART’s Sustainability planning and implementation in order to advance BART’s long-term vision for sustainability. Plans, directs, manages and oversees the activities and operations of the Energy Division and Environmental Management Systems, to implement BART’s Sustainability Policy through sustainable and resilient provision of energy and other key resources supporting operation of the BART system; coordinates assigned activities with other departments and outside agencies; provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the Assistant General Manager and Chief Planning and Development Officer(s); and performs related duties as assigned.

http://www.bart.gov/about/jobs (See position #5456).

Job(s) Alert – Program Manager & Program Coordinator for Environment – American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) @ Washington, DC

June 7, 2015 at 10:33 pm

via YPTransportation.org

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is currently hiring a Program Manager for Environment & a Program Coordinator for Environment.

Program Coordinator for Environment – NATURE OF THE POSITION:

Reporting to the Program Director for Environment, the Program Coordinator for Environment supports a wide breadth of AASHTO’s environmental programs, projects, and special assignments related to the Center for Environmental Excellence (Center), the Standing Committee on Environment (SCOE), and the Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems (RSTS) Steering Committee and Technical Assistance Program.  This position is housed in the Policy and Management Division of AASHTO.

The incumbent coordinates the environmental research program, including maintaining the Transportation and Environmental Research Ideas database, soliciting research ideas for the database, facilitating the SCOE process for rating ideas, developing research statements, and submitting research statements to the appropriate research programs.  The incumbent also maintains the Center and SCOE websites including managing two website consultants. The incumbent ensures regular monitoring of the Center website usage, content updates, and periodic enhancements to the SCOE and Center websites.

Additionally, the incumbent serves as staff liaison to the SCOE Subcommittee on Community and Cultural Concerns. As the SCOE frequently develops comment letters on proposed federal actions related to transportation and the environment, the Program Coordinator assists in coordinating with the member state departments of transportation (state DOTs) to discuss proposed federal actions and electronically submits AASHTO’s comments on the actions.

Under the supervision of the Program Director, the incumbent is responsible for contract negotiation and management, and oversight in performing some of the aforementioned tasks. The incumbent regularly coordinates activities in the environment area of AASHTO through skillful and timely research, analysis, and utilization of a variety of technology and communication platforms. Such duties may include assisting in planning and implementing national conferences, training workshops, webcasts, webinars, and meetings with state DOTs and resource agencies; and receiving and answering inquiries from members and the public about environmental programs.  In addition, the incumbent performs a wide range of technical and administrative support tasks including but not limited to drafting correspondence, conducting surveys and tabulating results, coordinating meeting and teleconferences, filing expense reports, organizing committee mailings, processing invoice requests, and tracking billing against budgeting for accuracy.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

Candidate must possess excellent written and oral communication, research, and analysis skills, and the ability to establish work program priorities and carry them out independently. Incumbent must be sensitive to the needs of multiple members and customers and have a general understanding of federal and state environmental policies, regulations, procedures and practices as they relate to transportation. Incumbent must be highly skilled in the use of computers, and proficient in word processing software packages with experience in graphics, spreadsheets, and the operation of conventional business equipment. It is desired that the incumbent be familiar with the fundamentals of project management and budgeting, including consultant selection and oversight, drafting requests for proposals, and negotiating and overseeing consultant scope of work and budgets.

A minimum of two to three years of previous transportation and/or environment program and policy support experience is required. A Bachelor of Arts or Science degree is required, preferably in an environment or transportation related field. Evidence of a higher degree of professional development, such as a postgraduate education, is desirable.

TO APPLY:

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to recruiter@aashto.org by Monday, June 15. Relocation costs are not reimbursable. For more information, visit http://web.transportation.org/employmentopps/Default.aspx?lid=4221.


AASHTO is also currently hiring a Program Manager for Environment.

Took this awesome pic of i-10 and i-45 right a...

Awesome pic of i-10 and i-45 right at the northern edge of downtown Houston. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NATURE OF THE POSITION:

Under the leadership of the Program Director for Environment, the Program Manager for Environment serves as the staff liaison to the AASHTO Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems (RSTS) Steering Committee and manages the RSTS Technical Assistance Program (TAP). The Program Manager also serves as the staff liaison to the Standing Committee on Environment’s (SCOE) Air Quality, Climate Change, and Energy Subcommittee (AQ Subcommittee) and the SCOE Natural Resources Subcommittee. Additionally, the Program Manager oversees and directs various activities under the Center for Environmental Excellence (the Center) by AASHTO. Duties are performed with input from the Program Director and oversight groups consisting of state transportation agency representatives.

As liaison to the above committees, the Program Manager’s primary duty is to ensure AASHTO members are cognizant of key technical, legislative and regulatory issues related to climate change, extreme weather, air quality, stormwater, wetlands, endangered species, and other related environmental topics. In addition the incumbent ensures AASHTO members’ awareness of the linkage between general environmental topics and transportation. The Program Manager monitors the legislative, regulatory and technical activities of appropriate Congressional committees, federal agencies and other public interest groups and associations, and provides this information to members to assist them in policy deliberation and development.

In managing the RSTS Technical Assistance Program, the Program Manager is responsible for the development of long-term program and project objectives and strategies; program and project planning and budgeting; contract preparation, negotiation and administration; marketing of RSTS services and products; coordination of activities, programs and projects with governmental agencies, trade associations and public interest groups.

As staff liaison to the SCOE Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy and the SCOE Natural Resources Subcommittees, the Program Manager provides management support to the subcommittees. In this capacity, the Program Manager attends meetings and provides policy and procedural advice; advises on meeting agendas; disseminates informational materials to committee members, provides other assistance as required; and serves as liaison between the subcommittees and SCOE.

As a task manager for the Center, the Program Manager supports the Program Director in developing the annual work plan; long-term environmental program objectives and strategies; environmental program and project planning and budgeting; contract preparation, negotiation and administration; marketing of the Center’s services and products; and coordination of activities, programs and projects with governmental agencies, trade associations and public interest groups. The Program Manager oversees the development of training materials, webinars, websites, workshops, and national conferences that provide AASHTO members opportunities to engage in critical environmental discussions.

The Program Manager represents and promotes AASHTO’s environmental goals and policy positions in meetings, task forces and workshops; prepares and delivers presentations; and performs other functions as needed.

POSITION REQUIREMENTS:

A broad understanding of federal and state environmental policies, regulations, procedures and practices as they relate to transportation; and sound comprehension of the administrative, legislative and regulatory process at the federal and state levels is required.  The incumbent must have an understanding of state transportation responsibilities, planning and project delivery practices and policy issues. Project planning, budgeting and management skills, experience with contracts administration and financial reporting, and excellent written and oral communication skills are required. The incumbent must be able to travel approximately 30 days per year.

The successful candidate must have a minimum of four to six years of progressively responsible, professional experience in the transportation sector; with a focus on environmental issues or in the environmental field with a focus on transportation issues.  Prior experience in project management is desired.   A bachelor’s of arts or science degree is required, preferably in an environment or transportation related field.  Evidence of a higher degree of professional development, such as a postgraduate education, is desirable.

TO APPLY:

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to recruiter@aashto.org by Monday, June 15. Relocation costs are not reimbursable. For more information, visit http://web.transportation.org/employmentopps/Default.aspx?lid=4220.

AASHTO is an equal opportunity employer.

 

Job Alert: Project Manager – Green Trucks China Project — Smart Freight Center @ Netherlands

April 1, 2015 at 5:10 pm

Smart Freight Centre (SFC) is looking for an energetic and efficient individual with initiative to manage the implementation of the Green Trucks China project, and be part of our global team to advance green freight and logistics worldwide.

The Green Trucks China project is the first project of SFC to catalyze the sector-wide adoption of proven technologies. SFC has selected China as the first market and will operate under the umbrella of the China Green Freight Initiative (CGFI) that is managed by the China Road Transport Association. SFC has selected a ”green tires package” consisting of high quality tires supplemented with tire maintenance and telematics as the first technology package, which could reduce 20 million tons of carbon dioxide from trucks in China annually.

The full job ad is available on www.smartfreightcentre.org

Job Alert: Program Manager for Environment – American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) @ Washington, DC

March 6, 2015 at 2:35 pm

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials is currently hiring a Program Manager for Environment, a position located in Washington, DC.

American Association of State Highway and Tran...

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO ) Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Under the leadership of the Program Director for Environment, the Program Manager for Environment serves as the liaison to the AASHTO Resilient and Sustainable Transportation Systems (RSTS) Steering Committee and manages the RSTS Technical Assistance Program (TAP). The Program Manager also serves as a liaison to the Standing Committee on Environment (SCOE) Air Quality, Climate Change, and Energy Subcommittee (AQ Subcommittee). Additionally, the Program Manager oversees and directs various activities under the Center for Environmental Excellence (the Center) by AASHTO. Duties are performed with input from the Program Director and oversight groups consisting of state transportation agency representatives.

As liaison to the above committees, the Program Manager’s primary duty is to ensure AASHTO members are cognizant of key technical, legislative and regulatory issues related to climate change, extreme weather, air quality and other related environmental topics; and ensuring members are aware of how general environmental topics relate to transportation. The Program Manager monitors the legislative, regulatory and technical activities of appropriate Congressional committees, federal agencies and other public interest groups and associations, and provides this information to members to assist them in policy deliberation and development.

In managing the RSTS Technical Assistance Program, the Program Manager is responsible for the development of long-term program and project objectives and strategies; program and project planning and budgeting; contract preparation, negotiation and administration; marketing of RSTS services and products; coordination of activities, programs and projects with governmental agencies, trade associations and public interest groups.

As staff liaison to the SCOE Air Quality, Climate Change and Energy Subcommittee, the Program Manager provides management support to the subcommittee. In this capacity, the Program Manager attends meetings and provides policy and procedural advice; advises on meeting agendas; disseminates informational materials to committee members, provides other assistance as required; and serves as liaison between the AQ Subcommittee and SCOE.

As a task manager for the Center, the Program Manager supports the Program Director in developing the annual work plan; long-term environmental program objectives and strategies; environmental program and project planning and budgeting; contract preparation, negotiation and administration; marketing of the Center’s services and products; and coordination of activities, programs and projects with governmental agencies, trade associations and public interest groups. The Program Manager oversees the development of training materials, webinars, websites, workshops, and national conferences that provide AASHTO members opportunities to engage in critical environmental discussions.

The Program Manager represents and promotes AASHTO’s environmental goals and policy positions in meetings, task forces and workshops; prepares and delivers presentations; and performs other functions as needed.

Position Requirements:

A broad understanding of federal and state environmental policies, regulations, procedures and practices as they relate to transportation; and sound comprehension of the administrative, legislative and regulatory process at the federal and state levels is required.  The incumbent must have an understanding of state transportation responsibilities, planning and project delivery practices and policy issues. Project planning, budgeting and management skills, experience with contracts administration and financial reporting, and excellent written and oral communication skills are required. The incumbent must be able to travel approximately 30 days per year.

The successful candidate must have a minimum of four to six years of progressively responsible, professional experience in the transportation sector; with a focus on environmental issues or in the environmental field with a focus on transportation issues.  Prior experience in project management is desired.   A bachelor’s of arts or science degree, preferably in an environment or transportation related field is required.  Evidence of a higher degree of professional development, such as a postgraduate education, is desirable.

To apply:

Applicants should submit a cover letter and resume to recruiter@aashto.org by close of business on Friday, April 3. Relocation costs are not reimbursable.

AASHTO is an equal opportunity employer.

Chart(s) of the day: These two charts are enough to paint the appalling state of air pollution in India

March 2, 2015 at 9:18 pm

These graphs below via Qz.com paint a compelling picture of air quality in India. In most western media discussions/stories about environmental pollution is often China-centric. One would expect China to be topping the charts when it comes to pollution, given the country’s ginormous population, its economic clout and the manufacturing prowess which earned it the “factory of the world” label, . But in reality, ‪#‎India‬ is the worst offender and it deserves far more scrutiny than China. 14 of the top 20 most polluted cities are in India and a not a single Chinese city made it to this list. Govt. of India should take urgent steps to combat this issue because of the risks it pose to public health. 

Image Courtesy: Quartz I Qz.com

Image Courtesy: Quartz I Qz.com

For what it is worth, the transportation sector is one of the major culprits, accounting for a significant portion of the overall emissions. While congestion in major cities continues to grow worse, the vehicle sales continues at a torrid pace and doesn’t show any signs of a slow down. To put this in perspective, I am borrowing the following points from the ICCT fact sheet:

  • India’s vehicle population has grown from 50 million in 2003 to 130 million in 2013.
  • Vehicle PM10 emissions have fallen 14% since 2003, but emissions will return to 2003 levels by 2017 due to vehicle population growth if new controls are not mandated

Another major source of pollution in India related to the transportation sector is the noise pollution, which requires a dedicated blog post by itself. So, one of these days I’ll get around to doing some research on that topic and write it up.

Ditching my car for Uber saves me over 6 days of time and $11,000/ year – Millennial shows a glimpse of the future that auto industry dreads

February 9, 2015 at 6:52 pm

The simple math of owning a car vs. not owning one marks the paradigm shift in attitudes among generations. What was once not feasible – living without a car – has now become easy (at least in many cities across the US), thanks to location-based, on-demand transportation solutions such as Uber and Lyft. In a Business Insider article, Katherine Krug, summarizes her car-free life in San Francisco.

Since giving up my car (in Oct’ 2013) , I now spend an average of $572 per month on transportation, which comes to $11,352 per year in savings. On top of that, I get back my time, the most valuable thing of all. I save an average of 6.5 days per year — almost a full week! — to focus on the things I want to be doing, rather than serving my car.

What caught my attention is the last sentence – Katherine’s elation about not “serving” her car. If this is how the youngsters feel about automobiles there is no way anyone can make an argument for owning a car. Maybe we have turned a new page in America’s love affair with the automobiles (which, at times, seems untrue when you read about booming auto sales)?

In the backdrop of how not owning a car helped manage her mobility needs while also saving her a ton of cash, you would be astonished to see Sarah’s average monthly expenditures (and time associated)  when she owned the car (see table below). Read more here

Image via Business Insider

Job Alert: Transportation Research Analyst – World Resources Institute/EMBARQ @ Washington, DC

February 4, 2015 at 12:48 pm

EMBARQ seeks a full-time  to provide research, data analysis and other support to its Integrated Transport team which conducts global research on sustainable transport and urban development, and supports Cities Network projects in Mexico, Brazil, Turkey, India, and China. The research assistant will support several projects related to sustainable mobility. The projects will require working with transit planning and operations; economic, social and environmental impact analysis of transport projects; and sustainable transport best practices, policies, institutions, and finance.

The position is located in WRI’s Washington, D.C. office. It offers the opportunity to connect with sustainable mobility and urban development experts, and key stakeholders around the world. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Competitive WRI benefits package.

Responsibilities

Research & Analysis

  • Conduct desktop research, literature reviews and synthesize findings;
  • Assist with transport data collection, verification, visualization, and analysis, both qualitative and quantitative;
  • Research, document, evaluate, and analyze emerging trends, best practices, and policies in urban mobility and city planning.
  • Support the maintenance of shared databases;

Writing & Editing

  • Contribute written and graphic content to publications, reports, papers, and presentations
  • Support internal reviews of EMBARQ publications
  • Prepare project-related content for publication on EMBARQ.org and EMBARQ’s blog The City Fix.

Program Support

  • Interact with WRI/EMBARQ Network members (China, India, Turkey, Brazil and México) as well as partner institutions for data exchange, information requests and project coordination
  • Support contract and proposal development, reporting, and tracking
  • Support conferences/events planning
Qualifications
  • Masters degree in transport planning/engineering, or urban/regional planning with a focus on transportation
  • Previous coursework, work experience, internships or papers in urban transportation planning are desirable
  • Strong quantitative, analytical, and research skills
  • Enthusiasm to work on sustainability issues and in developing countries.
  • Detail-oriented and organized thinker.
  • Ability to work well in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, juggle multiple priorities and work under tight deadlines
  • Enjoys working in a fast-paced, results oriented non-profit environment
  • Experience with quantitative analysis of data with software such as Excel, STATA, and ability to learn new software and computer systems quickly
  • Competence to undertake high-profile research assignments with minimal supervision
  • Excellent written and spoken English.
  • Knowledge of Mandarin, Spanish, Portuguese, and/or Turkish, is desirable
  • Some experience using ArcGIS or similar mapping software, or familiarity with at least one transport modelling software such as VISUM or TransCAD would be a plus.

Final candidates will be required to take a writing test.

Duration: Regular full-time

Salary:  Salary is commensurate with experience and skills. WRI offers a generous, comprehensive benefits package.

Location: Washington, DC

Qualified applicants should apply online at www.wri.org/careers. All applications must be submitted online through this career portal in order to be formally considered. 

The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org/wri) is an environmental and development research and policy organization that creates solutions to protect the Earth and improve people’s lives. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, it is WRI’s policy to recruit, hire, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, sexual orientation, parental status, protected veteran status, or disability. WRI’s global agenda requires a staff that is diverse – with respect to race, gender, cultural, and international background. Diverse perspectives and experience enhance the way WRI selects and approaches issues, as well as the creativity and applicability of WRI’s policy research and analysis. WRI, therefore, encourages applications from U.S. minorities, persons from other countries (especially developing nations), and from women of all backgrounds.

About WRI

Established in 1982, WRI is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization respected globally by policymakers, non-governmental organizations, and corporate leaders.

WRI’s reputation is grounded in its excellent analysis, non-partisan approach, and high-impact results. We measure our success based on how our work helps to create real-world change on the ground—and approach we call “Managing for Results.”

WRI’s work is united by and driven by our values: Innovation, Integrity, Urgency, Independence, and Respect.

WRI fosters a culture of innovative ideas, working collaboratively, and thinking independently. WRI employees are driven by the organization’s mission and have the satisfaction of helping to create a more prosperous and healthy planet.

Learn more about our organization at www.wri.org.