ITS America Events Blog

As I fly across the country leaving the 2021 ITS America Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina, I’m reflecting on everything I learned, from our incredible membership and strong programming to understanding the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act’s impacts on society to hosting events and our team.

What is the mission of Emergency Response Day?

Emergency Response Day highlights the ongoing needs and challenges that emergency responders face on our roadways. The day will honor our valued response community and focus on educating ourselves and the ITS industry on the technologies that can save responder lives and keep the transportation system moving...

Launched during the recent 18th IRF World Meeting & Exhibition in Dubai, a new IRF report titled “ITS for Climate Impact Mitigation” addresses the important role of Intelligent Transport Systems and Services in contributing to carbon emission reductions and in helping the road sector meet…

Tell us a little bit about your mission at Ferrovial. What current project are you most excited about and why?

Adrian Talbot: Innovation has always been at the heart of what we do at Ferrovial. With technology moving ahead much faster than our infrastructure...

Tell us a little bit about your mission at Advantech. What current project are you most excited about and why?

Ken Kao: Our mission is to establish Advantech as a key thought leader in the Transportation industry with our industrially designed, reliable hardware solutions and team expertise.

Can you please talk about your goal of connecting Charlotte – why is that important for residents, and how do you think CDOT is doing? Our goal is to maintain a commitment of sustaining, maintaining, and enhancing the city’s transportation infrastructure, including the driving, bicycling, and walking experiences. It’s important that our work provides a variety of transportation choices for residents and visitors. Some of the ways we are fulfilling this commitment is through programs such as Charlotte BIKES, Charlotte WALKS

Just as my kids are beginning a new school year, I am also embarking on a new and exciting beginning as ITS America’s President & CEO – and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Our vision – a better future transformed by intelligent mobility, one that is safer, greener, and smarter – is at the center of all we do. It is a powerful incentive for our entire staff, and it motivates me every day.  

Cloud computing, the on-demand delivery of IT resources over the Internet, has emerged as a foundational tool for digital transformation in the public sector. Transportation is one area that stands to benefit from wider cloud implementation. Transportation agencies and authorities can turn to new cloud technologies to manage their networks as well as optimize operations, and many already have. 

We are excited to announce the launch of ITS TV at the ITS America Annual Meeting, taking place December 7 - 10, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina.  ITS TV brings a thrilling new element to the conference, using video to enhance your experience throughout this leading ITS event. It will serve as a unique platform to explore the deployment of intelligent transportation technologies that saves lives, improves mobility, promotes sustainability, and increases efficiency and productivity – narrating the theme “Reimagining Transportation”.

Los Angeles’ priorities align with our vision of a safer, greener, smarter future transformed by intelligent mobility. The city is transforming into a leader for progressive technology and advanced infrastructure making sure that the new transportation innovations are available to all, accommodating a diverse group of travelers.

In early 2020, North Carolina hosted the country’s first autonomous air taxi flight and the first emergency drone operation for a hospital pandemic response – the North Carolina Department of Transportation delivered critical equipment and medical supplies in the Charlotte area. The state was also first in the country to use drones to monitor flooding, road conditions and traffic impact after Hurricane Florence in 2018. On the rail line between Charlotte and Raleigh, infrared cameras help with tailoring safety efforts to prevent people from getting hit by trains. 

Groundbreaking transportation technologies used to improve the quality of life in communities - this and much more makes for an exciting 2021 ITS America Annual Meeting location: Charlotte, NC.

The city of Charlotte is a perfect destination to host the ITS America 2021 Annual Meeting. The “Queen City,” also known as the “Jewel of the South” is a hub of museums, world-renowned restaurants, beautiful parks, shopping, universities, sports teams and more.

As we gear up for our December event taking place in Charlotte, NC, the city is well under way of showing the ITS community what a Smart City is truly about. Charlotte, home to 34 of the top 150 automotive parts manufacturers in North America, is aiming to reduce emissions in buildings, cars, and buses across the region.

Last month, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46^th president of the United States and Kamala Harris is our country’s first woman and woman of color to hold the office of vice president. As a candidate, Biden released Build Back Better, a plan to invest in infrastructure, jumpstart the economy, and address issues like climate change, safety, and equity. Many of the priorities outlined in this plan closely align with ITS America’s priorities.

Everyone who owns a car, no matter what country they are in, depends on traffic intersections. Whether they stop at the light, or they drive through the intersection at break neck speeds, those intersections are there for the safety of drivers and to enhance traffic flow to create a balance between protection and favorable customer experience. Many intersections today are security vulnerabilities waiting to adversely affect drivers and cities.

In response to COVID-19, transit and transportation leaders are rethinking resiliency, which is no longer just about having a backup facility. Transportation agencies need to prepare to operate networks safely and efficiently to support essential workers in a disaster type scenario. We recently talked with Phil Silver, transportation leader at Amazon Web Services (AWS), about how COVID-19 is impacting transit and transportation along with what resiliency looks like for these agencies going forward.

The world of mobility continues to grow and change. Automobiles, trains and traffic lights are moving from disparate parts of a loosely federated physical network to key nodes of operation on a far-reaching and virtually connected network. We are transitioning from industries driven from a centralized, top-down view to one focused on, and shaped by, the consumer.

Our world is getting smarter and more connected day by day. Your smartphone controls your smart home. Your smart refrigerator orders groceries. Your smart doorbell lets you know when your guests arrive. Smart lighting helps you relax. And your smart thermostat makes sure you’re comfortable while you move from room to room.

The closing ceremonies for the 2019 ITS World Congress seem like they just occurred. In truth, the “Smart Mobility, Empowering Cities” event was hosted in beautiful Singapore just five months ago. We’re now 172 days away from the 2020 ITS World Congress, being hosted in downtown Los Angeles. 

After the ITS World Congress in Singapore last year, the Organizing Committee of the 2020 ITS World Congress launched the Emerging Leaders Program (ELP) to discover the “new age” of the transportation workforce. 

In recent days and weeks, we have all become acutely aware of the availability of certain products. What you may not be aware of is how those products reach warehouse and grocery store shelves – and the importance of transportation technology in that supply chain.