Transportation Radio

Aimee Flannery, Ph.D., P.E., Global Principal – Transportation Risk & Resiliency at Jacobs, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to talk about making the transportation system more resilient and steps the industry can take to set standardized methods to measure resilience. She discusses several strategies to improve transportation resilience, including hardening assets, nature-based solutions, and improving system redundancy. She also addresses educational and training needs around resilience and how to better support practitioners in their professional development on the topic.

Cadaver dogs play a crucial role in identifying buried remains and culturally sensitive artifacts during transportation projects. Their exceptional sense of smell helps locate historic and prehistoric resources, ensuring that significant cultural sites are preserved. Today, Jen Anderson from the Texas Department of Transportation will discuss the impact of these trained canines on managing archaeological resources in transportation initiatives.

Brian Cronin, Director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office of the U.S. Department of Transportation, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss the recently released National V2X Deployment Plan. The plan, drafted and advanced with collaboration across public and private partnerships, provides stakeholders with vital information to enable a safe, efficient, and sustainable transportation system through the national, widespread deployment of interoperable V2X technologies. Brian talks about what agencies need to do to implement the plan, the short- and long-term goals of the plan, and available resources for implementation. He also touches on the Accelerator Grants and pilot projects that have resulted in real deployments of V2X at-scale, and talks about what the future may look like with full deployment of V2X.

This is the first episode of a two-part series that focuses on the impacts of transportation noise on the road. This episode features Ross Hudnall, Noise Abatement Coordinator for the Virginia Department of Transportation. Ross discusses how VDOT is working to address noise impacts. 

Cipriana Patterson, P.E., PTOE, Director of Operations, Mid-Atlantic Region for Toole Design, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to delve into issues of equity, representation, and collaboration. She shares both her background and her experience as a Black woman in transportation, and discusses what more can be done to make both the profession and the built environment a better experience for all users. She also talks about HBCUs and their role in the development of Black transportation engineers and planners, and the importance of representation in the industry. 

This is the second episode of a two-part series on The Stream by AASHTO podcast covering NEPA in the transportation sector. Joining us to talk about challenges and creative solutions to completing the NEPA process is Douglas Kolwaite, Environmental Program Manager with the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities.

ITE's 2024 Young Member of the Year Sam Harris, P.E., joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to share his journey from beginning at ITE through a Student Chapter to his current leadership roles on the Safety Council and the ITE Georgia Section. He also shares his passion for safety and how he has progressed in his career, as well as what he looks forward to accomplishing in the future.

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) mandates federal agencies evaluate the environmental impacts of their actions, crucially influencing transportation projects like road construction and bridge expansions. Our guest on The Stream by AASHTO is Ted Boling, a partner at Perkins Coie with over 30 years of public service. He discusses NEPA’s role in promoting sustainable development within the transportation sector.

Kathy Falk, a vice president with Kimley-Horn, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss the newly released edition of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). She discusses the significant changes within the 11th edition, and highlights how the manual addresses safety concerns surrounding pedestrians and bicyclists, including bicycle lanes. She covers other new parts of the MUTCD, including provisions for setting non-statutory speed limits, and shares more about ITE's delegation to the National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and what this body does. 

Often, the highway infrastructure of the state is taken for granted. We hop in our cars and drive from place to place with little thought of what’s necessary to let it happen. When something goes wrong, however, we quickly realize how fragile our infrastructure can be.

Chris Feinthel, Assistant Commissioner for Operations in the New Jersey Department of Transportation, grew up in Cranford never thinking he would be in charge of operations for a massive roadway system stretching from High Point to Cape Map Point. On this joint production of Cranford Radio and Transportation Radio, I talk with Chris about his job, what happens when weather throws a wrench into transportation and how NJDOT is making adjustments as climate change impacts the transportation infrastructure.