Transportation Radio

Marek Slaby has worked in the maritime field for nearly three decades. It's a career that's brought him from cargo vessels to cruise ships. During a cruise from Vancouver, British Columbia to Seward, Alaska aboard Royal Caribbean International's Radiance of the Seas we sat down with Captain Marek to learn a bit about what it's like to captain a passenger ship and about the path that led him to the seas.

Sam Zimbabwe, Director of the Seattle Department of Transportation, discusses how the city and surrounding region have incorporated Mobility as a Service, as well as how they are addressing equity and accessibility gaps in the transportation system. 

Many older suburbs that grew up around train stations face the challenge of providing sufficient parking for commuters. A New Jersey-based company, a little over two years old, is doing something to address that. Boxcar is finding parking in places that have been overlooked and, in some towns, also providing bus service. It's all available via an app.

Charles Brown, MPA, senior researcher and adjunct professor at Rutgers University, addresses the challenges to creating healthy and sustainable communities through transportation and highlights innovative solutions, including complete streets policies. He also addresses equity issues and what communities can do to improve access to the transportation system for low-income and minority populations.

This month’s episode of the ITE Talks Transportation podcast features Leah Shahum, founder and executive director of the Vision Zero Network, and Robert Spillar, director of transportation for the City of Austin, Texas. With host Bernie Wagenblast they discuss how communities can safely manage speeds with roadway design and speed limit setting, and create a speed management program to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on roads.

Susan Zielinski, independent consultant and former managing director of the SMART program at the University of Michigan, discusses Mobility as a Service (Maas), including what initiatives are currently underway in the space, how the public and private sectors are contributing to the MaaS ecosystem, and the opportunities and practical challenges of implementing a true MaaS environment in a community.

There has been a tremendous shift in the parking industry over the last few decades, both in terms of how parking is generated and regulated, as well as how practitioners approach their job. Mike Klein, CAPP, founder and CEO of Klein & Associates, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss these issues and more.

Neil Pedersen, executive director of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss the “Critical Issues in Transportation” report recently released by TRB. The discussion notes some of the significant changes since the last update in 2013, with a focus on topics including technology, safety, and public health. Pedersen also shares ways in which transportation engineers can utilize the report.

Rachel Maleh has been involved in the transportation industry for a little less than a year, but in her new role at Operation Lifesaver she's now a leader in the effort to improve transportation safety by eliminating rail deaths and injuries from trespassing and grade crossing incidents. Transportation Radio spoke with her to learn more about her and her non-profit organization.

Frederick G. ‘Bud’ Wright, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, announced earlier this year that he will retire at the end of 2018. He joins ITE Talks Transportation to discuss the changes and challenges in today’s environment for transportation officials and professionals.