Source: University of Florida

The Transportation Research Center (TRC) at the University of Florida is soliciting applications for the position of Director of the Technology Transfer (T2) Center. The appointment will be at the Assistant/Associate Engineer level based upon qualifications and experience. The salary and benefits package are competitive. This is a non-tenure track faculty appointment reporting to the director of the TRC.

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An interesting competition announced by the U.S. Department of Transportation encourages college students to design a better way to help consumers make smart decisions when booking their bus travel.  This is what you need to know about the challenge:

• Who: Creative college students with imaginative ideas.
• What: A mobile app or web-accessible tool that presents our safety information in a simple, intuitive way that would help the average person choose the safest bus available.
• When: January 31st, 2013

Here is an embed of the announcement, as seen on USDOT Sec. Ray LaHood’s blog.  Please share widely.

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Via CNN

Thanks to CNN for this awesome infograph.. Who knew – Japan, with a population of~127 Million people, clocked an amazing 8 Billion trips annually, which put it at the top among nations with most number of trips by train. Interestingly,  next to Japan is India (with a population of 1.2 Billion), who despite its massive population only raked up 7.2 billion trips on its extensive rail network..

Image Courtesy: CNN

(via Young Professionals in Transportation)

Image Courtesy: WIKIPEDIA

The Connecticut Department of Transportation (ConnDOT) is one of the leading transportation agencies in the nation.  ConnDOT offers a variety of transportation-related career opportunities for entry level civil engineers in their Office’s of Engineering and Construction, including traffic engineering, transportation design, and construction. Advancement opportunities also exist in our Bureaus of Policy & Planning and Bureau of Aviation & Ports.

ConnDOT is recruiting new hires to work in the Transportation Engineering field.  Entry at the Transportation Engineer Trainee level requires a 4-Year Engineering Degree from an accredited school and a ConnDOT interview. These positions have:   

• Starting Salary: $56,208
• 40 Hour Work Week
• Excellent Benefits Package
• On-the-job Training
• Advancement Opportunities

More information can be found on their Human Resources webpage.

Found this neat infograph via a tweet yesterday.. Couldn’t go without sharing it here.

Note: One of the subtle yet unexplored issue is the impact of America’s bulging waistlines on our national security.. It is not about our Armed forces struggling to find men and women who are physically fit.  If you look at it from a macro level, the obesity issue has some serious implications for our national security. You may ask why? Because we import way too much of our oil from some of the very troubled parts of the world to haul our our people around the streets and highways of this nation.   According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), In 2011, the United States consumed about 134 billion gallons1 (or 3.19 billion  barrels2) of gasoline, a daily average of about 367.08 million gallons (8.74 million barrels). This was about 6% less than the record high of about 142.38 billion gallons (or 3.39 billion barrels) consumed in 2007.  Interestingly,  the U.S. imported approximately 11.4 million barrels per day of petroleum in 2011 from about 80 countries (~45% net consumption is from imported oil).  So, the heavier we become as a nation, the more fuel we will consume everyday. The more we import, more money goes to these troubled countries and eventually resulting in conflicts that inflict a greater loss of life.  Some of these conflicts zones even have our personnel directly engaged in combat and  now you see where this is going? Glad the current administration is taking steps to minimize our oil consumption with such measures as raising fuel economy standards but as a nation we still have a long way to go before we reach a secure energy future. And to get there every ounce matters.

Related articles

• A McClatchy special report: Is the era of oil nearing its end?
• America Needs Less Foreign Oil… For the Wrong Reasons
• Group: America’s obesity problem is hurting national security

(via ABC News on YouTube)

You can steal but you can’t hide! Stupid thieves never realize that these days they can be easily tracked down after stealing a digital device. That’s exactly what happened in this case. ABC NEws did an investigation into this allegation that TSA staff are swindling gadgets and other valuables at 10 airports and found out that 9 out of time times their valuables (incl. money and iPads) made it back.  Except at that one airport – Orlando, FL. Too bad the crooked staffer who stole the iPad didn’t realize that he was caught handling it on the surveillance system at the airport.  To make it worse, ABC staff turned on the “Find my iPad” app that does exactly that – homes in on an iPad device – and ended at the front door of this TSA employee’s house.  Too bad for him! His face after getting caught is one that he will never want to see ever in his life!

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Note: It is worth adding this bit – TSA says 381 of its officers have been let go for alleged thefts.  For more on this story, click here.

Related articles

• Stolen iPad Tracked To TSA Agent
• Flight Attendant Steals iPad From Passenger And Gets Caught By Amazing App!
• ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home of TSA Officer | THE JEENYUS CORNER
• ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home Of TSA Officer
• TSA Agent Caught Stealing Passenger’s iPad
• ABC News Tracks Missing iPad To Florida Home of TSA Officer
• Flying and Personal Property

(via TRB)

The National Conference of State Legislatures has released a chart that highlights those states that have statutes regarding motorists passing bicyclists and provides a brief summary of each state’s statute on motorists passing bicyclists. Click image below to learn more.

On Sept. 10-12  the Northwestern University Transportation Center will again offer its Infrastructure Pricing Executive Program – this year focusing on Highway Infrastructure Pricing.

Don’t miss the opportunity to participate in this highly relevant and timely program aimed at transportation professionals who manage private and public fee paying facilities; engineers and project managers who oversee maintenance and new construction; and consultants and advisors to infrastructure providers and those who finance infrastructure projects.

Topics to be covered will include dynamic and congestion pricing, demand forecasting, private/public partnerships, infrastructure investments decision-making based on projected revenues, network demand prediction tools and more.

20% Discount for Government and Academic Registrations; Early Bird rate available until Aug. 17^th.

Please contact Ms. Diana Marek if you have any questions.

For more information and to Register see:  Pricing Highway Infrastructure Executive Program