It is amazing how cool and unfazed this young man (Artur, who is 21yrs old, according to the notes in YouTube) was while handling the traffic at such a busy intersection in Toronto.  What’s even more amazing is the response from the drivers..  They just follow his guidance and move along without much trouble.. Above all, kudos to the cops for not arresting him (which could very well be the case in some cities in the US).

via Reddit

TDM Specialist

Position Description
The primary function of the TDM Specialist is to serve as an advocate for alternative transportation options. The Specialist also acts as a liaison among a variety of agencies working cooperatively to promote TDM and alternative commute options. The TDM Specialist will advocate for policy directions that support alternative modes of transportation and TDM strategies while also coordinating with various agencies in the development of related programs. Additionally, the position will review development proposals and work with clients to develop and implement programs to promote alternative transportation modes, improve air quality, and reduce automobile trips. The position also entails monitoring results, verifying plan compliance, and researching other successful programs.

Duties and Responsibilities
1. Conduct highly technical transportation analyses to form basis for future recommendations.
2. Develop scopes of work and contractual documents, as project manager, and assume responsibility for managing consulting services to address long and short term regional travel issues.
3. Supervise data collection efforts and record data in a concise and functional format, and review completed data prior to dissemination.
4. Serve as spokesperson for our clients at meetings, special and media events.

5. Organize, attend, and/or participate in special events and promotions advocating transportation alternatives.
6. Establish and maintain effective relationships with local, state, and federal agencies, employers, and other parties to develop transportation programs and resolve other transportation issues.
7. Implement annual communication plans that include promotional and educational strategies.
8. Supervise the efforts of lower level staff members.
9. Perform responsible professional and administrative related duties as required.

Qualifications
Education and/or Experience Bachelor’s degree (B.A.) in Transportation, Engineering, Geography, Planning, Economics or a relevant social science.   Previous experience working in commuter transportation/TDM industry is desirable.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
Computer proficiency and knowledge of transportation planning principles and experience with Transportation Demand Management concepts and strategies is highly preferred. Applicant should have excellent oral and written communication skills, be organized, capable of working independently on complex assignments, and manage multiple tasks.

Must possess a driver’s license and have access to a vehicle during business hours.

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TDM Marketing and Communication Specialist

Position Description
The primary function of the Marketing and Communication Specialist is to serve as an advocate for alternative transportation options. The Specialist also acts as a liaison among a variety of organizations working cooperatively to promote TDM and alternative commute options. The Marketing and Communication Specialist has a direct responsibility to develop marketing strategies that advertise TDM programs and promote travel behavior change. The Specialist generally assists with the following duties and reports to the Senior TDM Specialist.

Duties and Responsibilities

1.  Organize, attend, and/or participate in special events and promotions advocating transportation alternatives.
2.  Serve as spokesperson for our clients at meetings, special and media events.
3.  Develop and implement all outreach and marketing activities, campaigns, and strategies to promote alternative transportation programs. This can be done through a combination of personal contacts, brochures, mass mailings, public presentations, special events, the Internet, social media, etc.
4.  Establish and maintain effective relationships with local, state, and federal agencies, employers, and other parties to develop transportation programs and resolve other transportation issues.
5.  Develop and implement annual communication plans that include promotional and educational strategies.
6.  Performs and supervises all communication, outreach, marketing, public relations, and media duties relating to TDM projects as required.
7.  Supervise the efforts of lower level staff members.
8.  Assist the Senior TDM Specialist with the aforementioned duties and performs other related tasks as required

   Qualifications

Education and/or Experience Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Journalism, Public Relations, Marketing/ Advertising, Business or Public Administration. Previous experience working in commuter transportation/TDM industry is desirable.

Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities
Must have proficiency in MS Office Applications, desktop publishing, database and spreadsheet software. Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills are required. Must have the ability to effectively prepare and present information to various groups. The ability to work independently or with others to manage multiple tasks with minimal supervision is essential. Knowledge of marketing principles to develop and implement strategies to promote TDM programs is critical.  A creative thinker a plus.

Must possess a driver’s license and have access to a vehicle during business hours.

Contact

If interested in applying for the TDM Specialist positions, please send a cover letter and resume to Courtney Menjivar atcjmenjivar@mjwells.com.  Learn more about WELLS + ASSOCIATES.

(Source: National Coalition for Safer Roads)

No technology in the transportation domain gets the general public in a tizzy as much as the red light enforcement. Though the technology has been in use for  over a decade and raked up some impressive stats in terms of lives saved, the sight of cameras at the intersection continue to remain a point of contention in many communities across the country.  For the naysayers, here comes an infograph highlighting the dangers of red light running and how enforcement technology has helped address this problem.  Also check out the one-page Get The Facts (PDF document) that accompanies this infographic.

(Source: Gizmodo)

Image Courtesy: Gizmodo

Image Courtesy: Gizmodo

It’s an incredibly simple idea: LED lights trickle down in a virtual sand glass that countdowns how much more Red and Green there will be. When it approaches 3 seconds left, the LEDs switch to yellow and give you an exact count on what’s left.

Click here to read the entire article.

Related articles

• Innovative Sand Glass Traffic Light Uses Hourglass Design to Show How Much Time is Left (techeblog.com)
• Hourglass LED Traffic Light Design Concept (laughingsquid.com)
• Hour Glass LED Traffic Lights [Pic] (boredpanda.com)

TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) has an opening for a Senior Program Officer with knowledge in highway operations and/or traffic management and experience related to the implementation of innovative technologies or practices within transportation-related agencies or enterprises. Experience in research management is also desired. SHRP 2 is a congressionally authorized research program that addresses critically needed research in highway transportation including highway safety, infrastructure renewal, and congestion relief. This Senior Program Officer will be responsible for managing multiple and/or highly complex research and innovation programs and projects. They will develop program and project strategies, budgets, and resource requirements; and ensure that programs and projects meet their stated objectives. They will also act as a liaison between and coordinate with internal and external groups, organizations, and agencies. A listing of minimum requirements, full job duties, and application information for the opening is available on the National Academies’ Office of Human Resources Web page.

Click here to learn more about the organization and the position.

“Connecting Communities through Smart Transportation Solutions”

ITS America cordially invites you to actively participate in the national conference that will bring you a fresh look at emerging projects, products, technologies and services that are making America strong by helping to solve the Nation’s transportation challenges.

The annual meeting of America’s leading intelligent transportation systems (ITS) industry association brings you speakers, sessions, demonstrations and technical tours that will show you how technology innovations are connecting communities and transforming transportation, while fostering job creation and economic growth.

Tour Houston’s innovative ITS-enabled Houston TranStar, a national leader in freeway incident management, and the Security System of the Port of Houston, ranked second in the US in total tonnage.

Begin the ITS America Annual Meeting on Monday morning, May 3, with a Texas State Senate hearing focusing on transportation and security.  Immediately following, the Opening Plenary addresses the Texas transportation experience, featuring leading Texas state and local officials.

Tuesday’s US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Plenary brings together Presidential appointees and executives to focus on how ITS can help improve job creation and economic growth, create a more integrated, performance-based transportation system and provide Americans with safe, affordable and environmentally sustainable transportation choices.

Monday and Tuesday afternoons you’ll want to witness the striking demonstration of the emergency response to an overturned 18-wheeler.  And headlining the Closing Plenary on Wednesday are IBM Chairman, President and CEO Sam Palmisano and USDOT Secretary Ray LaHood.  From their unique perspectives, both confirmed speakers will share their vision for a smarter 21st Century transportation network founded on technological innovation.

Topic-specific briefings in the exhibition hall followed by guided tours to those topic-specific exhibits, opportunities to build your business development network at our exposition and networking events,

earning “professional development hours” and taking advantage of co-located meetings and workshops of organizations such as NASCO, AASHTO and USDOT make the ITS America Annual Meeting this year’s must-attend conference!  Be sure to register and make your hotel reservations now.

See you in May!

ITS America’s 20th Annual Meeting & Exposition, scheduled forMay 3-5, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas will provide transportation professionals and policymakers the necessary tools and strategies they need to create communities that are safer, cleaner, more livable and less congested.

This year’s theme is “Connecting Communities through Smart Transportation Solutions.” We will also provide you with important policy insight from government officials and planning insights from leading transportation practitioners.

The competition, held in conjunction with the 2010 ITS America Annual Meeting & Exposition and sponsored by Southwest Research Institute, provides an opportunity for today’s transportation and engineering students to apply their knowledge in a thought-provoking and enjoyable competition and to build awareness of a career path with unlimited potential in the ITS industry.  Contest guidelines are attached.

2010 Student Essay Competition Guidelines

The Student Essay Competition is designed to encourage student interest and future participation in the development of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and solutions. The objective of the essay competition is to provide an opportunity for today’s transportation and engineering students to apply their knowledge in a thought-provoking and enjoyable competition and to build awareness of ITS as a career path with unlimited potential.  Essays will be judged on their creativity, quality of exposition, originality, depth of knowledge, and awareness of ITS issues and challenges.

Eligibility Requirements

• Authors must be graduate or undergraduate full-time students enrolled in an accredited institution of learning in the U.S.
• Entries are limited to one paper per student and should be original, unpublished work of an individual student.

Essay Topics

Essays must be based on one of the following topics.  You may also focus the paper on the sub-topics listed:

Topic 1:  Cooperative Systems

• How cooperative systems will quantitatively improve the performance of standalone active vehicle safety systems?
• One of the challenges of implementing cooperative systems is the penetration rate required.  What are the barriers to achieving the necessary penetration rates in order to realize system level benefits of a specific cooperative system/application?
• Describe relevant research into the application of multi-agent/intelligent agent theory on current transportation challenges.

Topic 2: How will Traffic Management evolve, possible subtopics:

• What new technologies/approaches will be used for collecting traffic status data?
• How will regions integrate their data to provide consolidated views for the traveling public?
• How can the information dissemination to travelers be improved?

Essay Format Requirements

• The cover page must include the title of the essay, author’s name, name of school, mailing address, phone number, and the student’s e-mail address and phone number.  The author’s name and essay title should appear at the top of all other pages.
• Essays should be typed, double spaced, and appear on 8 ½”x11” white paper.
• A complete bibliography should be included, if appropriate.
• Essays are not to exceed 2,000 words in length, must be written by only one person, and should not have appeared in any publications other than in school publications.
• Essays will be evaluated considering: writing quality and clarity; interest of the topic and content to the broad Intelligent Transportation Systems industry; analysis and reasoning; timeliness, originality, and creativity; quality and use of research; and compliance with these rules.

AWARDS

The 1st, 2^nd , and 3rd place winners will :

• receive $1,500, $1,000, or $500 respectively to cover expenses of their trip to the conference.
• receive a complimentary full registration to attend the conference.
• have the opportunity to present their winning essay at the dedicated Interactive Session area in the exhibit hall on Tuesday, May 4, 2010,
• have their winning essay displayed on the Student Essay Competition Web page of ITS America’s
• be featured in nationally-distributed press releases.

Application Procedure

Entries must be submitted in electronic formats.  Essays must be accompanied by a cover letter from a faculty advisor or department chair.  E-mail essays to Edgar Martinez at emartinez@itsa.org by 5 p.m. (EST) on March 15, 2010.

Selection

Entries will be reviewed and the final selections made by a selection committee comprised of ITS America members and Southwest Research Institute representatives.  The winners will be notified on March 29, 2010.

ITS America and Southwest Research Institute strongly encourage the winners to be present for the awards ceremony on Monday, May 3, 2010, at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas.

Questions should be directed to Edgar Martinez at 800-374-8472 ext. 4223 or emartinez@itsa.org.   For more information, please visit the 2010 ITS America Annual Meeting website.