(Source: Bloomberg)

Intel Futurist Steve Brown discusses the future of driverless cars and cities on Bloomberg Television’s “Bloomberg West.” Transportation and City planners better start thinking already because we know your long-range plans drafted a decade or so ago is rendered useless by the fast paced evolution of computing and automobile technology (agree with Steve that the technology is coming but it may be more than a decade away). It is time to think different and act fast!

via Oregon Bicycle Transportation Alliance

If you ever hear someone say that bicyclists get a “free ride”, share this infograph below that explains why people on bikes not only pay more than their share of road costs, but save everyone money whenever they ride.

Image courtesy: btaoregon.org

Federal Highway Administration – Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center

Upcoming Position: Research Transportation Specialist

Image courtesy. www.dot.gov

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is looking for a Research Transportation Specialist (GS-12/13) to lead state-of the-art transportation operations research projects at the nationally recognized Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, Virginia.  This position is for a junior or mid-level professional in the Transportation Operations Applications Team in the Office of Operations Research and Development (R&D).  The incumbent is experienced in research related to one or more of the following areas:

(a) Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS),
(b) traffic adaptive control systems,
(c) freeway management systems,
(d) wireless communications systems, and/or
(e) cooperative vehicle-highway systems to help achieve the FHWA’s system performance strategic goal.

This position provides an exciting opportunity to work in a collaborative environment at the Saxton Transportation Operations Laboratory and with nationally recognized experts on meaningful cutting edge research projects such as the connected vehicle initiative and vehicle automation, as well as nearer-term applied problems in transportation operations.  The incumbent will be expected to guide in-house research, manage extramural contracts, and encourage partnerships for on-site research at our Cooperative Vehicle-Highway Testbed, as well as offsite field research on public or private roads and/or test tracks. The ideal candidate will preferably have an advanced degree in an engineering or scientific field, with course work related to one or more aspects of ITS, traffic engineering, or telecommunications.  He/she should have 5 or more years of relevant work experience.  Strong leadership, organization and people skills are a must.

FHWA expects to announce the position soon.  The office will not be accepting resumes, please refer to the USA Jobs web site periodically for the specific vacancy announcement:  https://www.usajobs.gov/

Also see: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/labs/operations/

Contact:  Ben McKeever, 202-493-3270 or ben.mckeever@dot.gov

An awesome biking infographic from the team at Quicken Loans.

How bad is the road safety problem across the planet? Pretty bad.  The global road death toll has already reached 1.24 million per year and is on course to triple to 3.6 million per year by 2030. In “Roads Kill,” The Washington Post joins with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting to bring stories from around the world about this neglected but easily curable public health crisis.

[pageview url="http://roadskillmap.com/#58.53959476664049,89.296875,2" height="500px" border="yes"]

Your colleagues are already taking advantage of the USDOT’s web-based textbook on intelligent transportation systems, the ITS ePrimer. It’s not too late to jump on the bandwagon. Visit the USDOT website and explore the electronic resource’s in-depth modules describing key ITS topics.

The ITS ePrimer helps transportation professionals and students better understand how ITS is integrated into the planning, design, deployment, and operations of surface transportation systems. It’s both a stand-alone reference document for practitioners as well as a text for education and training programs.

Image Courtesy: ITS JPO @ USDOT

Each module includes interactive content via video and web links. Learn more about:

• Systems Engineering
• Transportation Management Systems
• Traffic Operations
• Personal Transportation
• Freight, Intermodal, and Commercial Vehicle Operations
• Public Transportation
• Electronic Toll Collection and Pricing
• Supporting ITS Technologies
• Rural and Regional ITS Applications
• Sustainable Transportation
• Institutional Issues
• Connected Vehicles
• Emerging Issues.

The ePrimer is a free resource offered via the USDOT website. All materials can be downloaded for later use.

What are you waiting for? Click here and expand your knowledge now!

Please join us for Session 651, The Six-Minute Pitch: Transportation Start-up Challenge

Tuesday, January 14, 2014 3:45PM – 5:30PM, Marriott Salon 3

Sponsored by the TRB Young Members Counci

In this exciting session, young professionals pitch their ideas for the “next big thing” to a panel of successful transportation industry entrepreneurs and investors in just 6 min or less. Following each pitch, the panel will provide immediate feedback on the market potential, business model, and the incorporation of innovative technologies or techniques and the latest research in the pitch. An honorary winner will be declared at the end of this fast-paced, interactive session.

Event Date & Time: January 15, 2:30PM-5:30PM

Venue:
Organization of American States
Padilha Vidal Meeting Room (Terrace Level)
1889 F Street NW
Washington DC 20006

GTFS in the World, a follow-up to the GTFS for the Rest of Us event in November 2013, kicks off on January 15th during the Transportation Research Board annual meeting week, and you’re invited to take part. Everyone is welcome and this is a free event.

To facilitate entry into the building, please RSVP, arrive a little early, and bring ID.

At the event’s end, we will continue conversations at an establishment close by TBA.

Click here to RSVP

The 2014 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas has already been abuzz with so many cool innovations targeting the transportation market.. here is one of the coolest gadget and it comes with three wheels from the famed stables of a Japanese OEM.. Say hello to the Toyota i-Road concept.   Check out the Verge doing a test drive of this cool two-seater around a parking lot and offer his 2 cents worth. As Josh noted, this would make for a perfect commuter vehicle, especially for those congested urban areas.   

Originally debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013, this battery operated beauty is a hybrid between a car and a motorcycle and rolls on three wheels.. Gizmag notes that the i-Road is an electric personal mobility vehicle with two in-line seats, that leans into the corners like a motorcycle. With only five horsepower, a top speed of 45 km/h (30 mph), and a range of 50 km (30 mi), the i-Road is aimed squarely at an urban transport market.