Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is set to headline the annual Transportation Research Board meeting, a gathering of stakeholders, academics, and experts addressing various challenges in the transportation sector.
Scheduled to deliver the keynote address on Jan. 10 at the Washington, D.C., conference, Secretary Buttigieg will discuss the ongoing implementation of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, which includes the significant Bridge Investment Program. Recently, the Department of Transportation (DOT) announced the availability of funding for bridge projects through this program.
“When a bridge closes, it costs Americans time and money, disrupts supply chains across the region, and sometimes cuts off entire communities from vital resources,” Buttigieg said Dec. 20. “Thanks to President [Joe] Biden, we are making the largest investment in America’s bridges since the construction of the interstate system, and these grants will help repair bridges in communities of all sizes, so we can get people and goods safely to where they need to be.”
Secretary Buttigieg will also participate in a panel at TRB titled, New Materials for Infrastructure: Reinventing the Roadway, Runway, and Railway. The topic of discussion will include a “focus on innovative, durable materials, including green and low embodied carbon infrastructure materials, bioengineered materials, and other topics related to decarbonizing the infrastructure supply chain.”
“These new and innovative technologies can reduce emissions from infrastructure and construction, while making infrastructure more resilient to the impacts of climate threats. The workshop will highlight advances in durable and low-carbon material technologies and will bring together a group of industry experts and research leaders to discuss opportunities for collaboration and deployment,” according to TRB.
The conference, spanning Jan. 7-11 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, will address various transportation modes, along with themes such as climate change, equity, public health, artificial intelligence, electric vehicles, and alternative fuels. The event will also recognize the outstanding contributions of transportation officials nationwide.
Shailen Bhatt, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, is slated to take part in a January 7 panel discussion titled Designing the Transportation Agency of the Future. This session will set about to answer “How must transportation agencies evolve to meet changing customer needs? How can they leverage technology and innovation? Will the future [DOT] focus on system management, mobility or strategic development? How can DOTs work with other public and private partners to carry out this mission?”
TRB will feature panels and workshops focused on safety, with Deputy Transportation Secretary Polly Trottenberg participating in a Jan. 8 panel examining the process for reducing highway fatalities.
DOT’s safety strategy emphasizes a comprehensive approach to reducing fatalities on highways, roads, and streets. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 43,000 individuals lost their lives in motor vehicle traffic crashes in 2022.
“Key to our strategy is recognizing that people make fmistakes, and, as good stewards of the transportation system, we should put in place safeguards to prevent those mistakes from being lethal. Zero is the only acceptable number of deaths and serious injuries on our roadways, and that is our ultimate goal,” Buttigieg wrote in the 2023 Progress Report on the National Roadway Safety Strategy.
The TRB meeting provides a platform for leaders to share insights, discuss critical issues, and work toward innovative solutions in the realm of transportation.
Source: Transport Topics
Photo: Transport Topics
