Pretty cool video that offers a nice overview of the 2nd avenue subway project and its impact on residents and businesses in the Upper East Side neighborhood. The size and scope of the project in addition to the geographical location makes for an interesting combination..
Did you know that for every 1km/h reduction in average speed, there is a 2% reduction in the number of crashes? With the growing population of humans and vehicles globally, the safety of road users is becoming more and more important. The 2013 World Health Organization (WHO) report indicates that worldwide the total number of road traffic deaths is ~1.24 million per year. Only 28 countries, covering 7% of the world’s population, have comprehensive road safety laws on five key risk factors: drinking and driving, speeding, and failing to use motorcycle helmets, seat-belts, and child restraints. What’s more scary is the fact that this number is going to rise sharply – 1.9 million fatalities /year by 2020 if we don’t take any action.
So, how do we achieve a better safety record for the rest of the 93% global population? How do we build communities where every one can access the transportation infrastructure safely? One of the easiest ways to reduce the number of crashes is by reducing the speed of vehicles, which can have immediate and direct impact on the number of crashes according to this infograph from PTV. If you want to learn more about road safety, download PTV’s free white paper and register to participate in webinars on this topic in early September.
Image Courtesy: PTV Group Traffic Inside
Infographs are always a nice way to tell a story visually and this one below gets adopts that visual story telling to explain the complex societal impacts that are in the offing as the auto & tech heavy-weights like Google are vying to bring their self-driving technology to the mass market.. Imagine a world with no crashes, no traffic lights and no parking? Mind boggling stuff for today’s drivers but that future doesn’t seem too distant anymore.. Though I think Level 4 automation (i.e., completely autonomous) is at least a decade away, anyone would get excited about the prospect of not waiting for a light to turn green (or for that matter to not drivearound in circles looking for parking)…
The Amazing Ways The Google Car Will Change the World
Today’s Wall Street Journal has an interesting piece that covers the various efforts underway in the world of autonomous vehicles (aka driverless cars i lay people speak) and how manufacturers are working with legislators to introduce their products to the tech-hungry driving public at least in a few states across the country.. here is a video that accompanies that article.
What caught me by surprise is the sheer volume of activity and how certain people are that they will see autonomous vehicles on the roads in just a few short years.. As much as I would like to believe, full automation (Level 4) is still a decade away and we still have a lot of hurdles on the technology, policy and infrastructure side. As one of the interviewed researchers points out, there are many concerns that dog this challenge incl. the high cost of laser vision, the risk that radar and camera sensors won’t see properly in bad weather, and complex legal issues raised by giving control to a robot. Let’s hope we overcome these hurdles soon because we, as a society, are paying a heavy price in terms of human lives and hard earned treasure as we continue to drive with manual control (~33K people killed on American roads during 2012).
Today the British government has announced that testing of automated cars will be allowed on public roads from January next year. The tests are then intended to run for between 18 to 36 months. What more innovative is the approach they have taken to doing this. The government has invited cities to compete to host one of three trials, which would start at the same time. Cities interested in hosting the trials have until early October to declare their interest and the Department for Transport has created a £10m fund to cover their costs (BBC says the sum to be divided between the three winners but not sure what the criteria would be for this split). Quite novel! Good to see the British government pushing the envelope on its road safety agenda using the driverless cars. Hope this nudges other EU countries (and the rest of the world) to get their act together and pave way for the automated vehicles.
for more information, click here.
Summary:
IHS Global Trade and Transportation Consulting provides multi-modal transportation services to public and private sector customers, particularly in the areas of freight and commodity movement and transportation planing. IHS Consulting also offers a range of offerings and capabilities in economic analysis and forecasting, industry-specific market intelligence and research, strategy development, and market analysis.
The candidate should be able to demonstrate experience in one or more of the following areas: transportation planning practices, policy and program initiatives, freight and commodity flow analysis, economic or financial analysis, travel demand basics, and/or institutional/organizational issues.
The Consultant will report to the Global Trade and Transportation Practice’s management, and will perform as a member of a consultant team or as a sole contributor to projects, conducting analysis on a wide range of projects. This will require an ability to work collaboratively and cooperatively with team members and across IHS’s business areas. Problem-solving abilities are highly valued. This includes conceptual thinking along with an ability to delve into details, manage databases, and synthesize information.
General Job Duties:
Perform technical analysis based on knowledge of the principles of transportation, economics, policy, finance, and strategic planning.
Develop internal working relationships and participate in team endeavors while working with IHS’s public and private sector colleagues to perform project work.
Coordinate and collaborate with staff in Trade and Transportation in support of projects in all or some of the areas identified above.
Perform as a task leader as a part of larger projects, and develop supporting work plans.
Perform project work within schedule and budget.
Demonstrate an ability to work closely and successfully with customers
Support business development activities, including identification of customers and consulting opportunities, and preparation of proposals.
Prepare and deliver presentations internally and externally to customers and transportation stakeholders.
Specific Job Duties:
Support the Trade and Transportation Practice growth by applying and identifying new capabilities and knowledge areas that are essential to meeting revenue and sales objectives.
Assist with enhancing the collaboration across IHS Consulting and its business areas to improve its competitiveness and market position.
Provide support and share knowledge with other team members to enhance capabilities and expertise.
Participate in professional organizations and forums to present thought pieces and project results. This includes representing IHS’s experience and capabilities to a wider audience.
Specifically, the candidate must demonstrate the ability to:
Conduct analyses to support project delivery
Manage tasks and work to complete projects on time and on budget
Identify issues and challenges as they arise and present alternative solutions
Communicate verbally and in writing effectively with internal staff and with customers
Contribute as a team player, building bridges among all parts of Consulting and IHS
Work effectively according project plans, budgets and schedules
Demonstrate initiative and innovation
Qualifications:
A Bachelor’s degree is a minimum requirement; a Master’s degree is preferred with 1-4 years experience
Other Skills:
Intellectual Curiosity
Attentive to detail, good problem-solving skills, thorough understanding of transportation, financial, and economic principles.
Knowledge of transportation-critical public and private sector issues.
Excellent written and oral communication skills.
Excellent interpersonal skills.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite.
Familiarity with SAS, TransCAD, ArcGIS, EViews, SQL and/or other analytical/data management tools
*Only qualified candidates will receive consideration and follow up*
*LI-TG1
We are proud to be an EEO/AA employer M/F/D/V. We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment drug testing.
IHS endeavors to make our career sites accessible to any and all users. If you would like to contact us regarding the accessibility of our website or need assistance completing the application process, please contact Trina Buchanan, Talent Acquisition Program Manager at303-397-2460 or trina.buchanan@ihs.com. This contact information is for accommodation requests only; you may not use this contact information to inquire about the status of applications.
Image courtesy. www.DOT.gov
SALARY RANGE: $89,924.00 to $138,136.00 / Per Year
OPEN PERIOD: Friday, July 11, 2014 to Sunday, July 20, 2014
This position is located in the Office of Innovative Program Delivery (HIN), Project Delivery Team, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in Washington, D.C. The Office of Innovative Program Delivery, an organizational element within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), provides national leadership, direction, and consulting services in new approaches for project finance, procurement (e.g., public-private partnerships (P3s)), and revenue generation (e.g., congestion pricing). The office also provides for the oversight and stewardship of projects with a total cost in excess of $500 million. HIN brings together experts on transportation credit assistance; project cost estimating and financial plan development; innovative finance; policy development; P3s; and tolling.
This position is for the implementation of stewardship and oversight activities to monitor the cost, schedule, and performance of Federal-aid transportation infrastructure projects, especially major projects (those costing over $500 million) to identify problems and initiate action to mitigate implementation risks. This position provides technical assistance and authoritative consultant services to FHWA field offices, State agencies, and other Federal agencies to assure that Federal regulations and policies are met in the development and delivery of major highway projects.
The ideal candidate will be a mid-career transportation specialist with a specialty in the stewardship and oversight of the major highway project delivery process.
The Planning Section has a position open for a Bay Area Bike Share Program Coordinator to support contract management of the Bay Area Bike Share program’s operations and the hardware procurement and installation. The individual in this position will be working for Local Government Services (LGS) and be assigned to the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) in Oakland, California.
All interested parties MUST APPLY BY: Monday. 07/28/14 5:00 PM Pacific Time
The individual will oversee the fiscal oversight of the program, the strategic planning for growth of the system, including logistics planning; fundraising and sponsorship activities for existing and new jurisdictions; and the development and execution of a regional marketing plan.
For a more in-depth job description please direct all interested individuals, or if you wish to apply go to http://jobs.mtc.ca.gov/. We also appreciate your forwarding the information to any organizations that may further distribute the information.
Ideal Candidate: The ideal candidate for this position will be a civil engineer with a graduate degree and professional engineering license, and significant knowledge and experience in the design, load rating and construction of major and unusual highway bridges and/or tunnels.
Serving as a Supervisory Civil Engineer, you will:
