Woburn, MA Allen & Major Associates, Inc. (A&M) was represented by Corinne Tobias, PE, PTOE at the Joint ITE International and Midwestern/Great Lakes Districts Annual Meeting and Exhibit held in Minneapolis.  Tobias heads A&M’s transportation division.

The meeting provided opportunity to participate in several technical sessions and workshops that outlined the future of transportation engineering practice.  The first theme was regarding a joint effort by the ITE Complete Streets Council and the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) to develop a handbook for local jurisdictions on how to inventory, assess, enhance, and prioritize curb spaces to meet the multi-modal demands in a safe and efficient way. The guide will consider regulatory, operations, and technology strategies to optimize curb access and usage, and feature case studies and reference material.  

An additional theme of the meeting focused on an effort to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries, through innovations in safety by highlighting best practices in design and strategies for implementation that highlighted the consensus and momentum building that’s necessary to change existing and outdated practices.

The most revolutionary theme of the event was Building Smarter Communities through Better Transportation.  These sessions discussed the deployment of connected vehicles, including progress/results from United States Department of Transportation pilot projects around the country; ongoing and planned deployment activity in response to the Signal Phase and Timing (SPaT) challenge; and available policy and technical guidance for those interested in deploying CV services.