Moving Fast: Transportation's Future

With technology advancements like artificial intelligence (AI) moving at a frenetic pace, staying at the forefront of cutting-edge changes has never been more critical.

To stay ahead of the curve, savvy transportation leaders are leaning on expertise and analysis from the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a leading organization for transportation research and policy.

“The TRB annual meeting in early January exhibited the best innovations and professional collaboration to improve all aspects of the transportation industry,” said Paula Hammond, senior vice president and multimodal national market leader at WSP, and a longtime TRB member and contributor.

“We are proud of our platinum patron sponsorship and our capabilities were on full display this year with 57 presentations throughout the week,” Hammond continued. “Our ability to lead and be on the ground floor of research and guide emerging practices for our clients builds a strong foundation for thought leadership and positive transportation outcomes.”

In addition to conference visibility:

Carlos Campo, PE, PMP, senior vice president for project management in the highway and tolling group, was named chair for TRB’s Standing Committee on Managed Lanes. The committee includes public transportation officials and industry professionals, focusing its research efforts on development and operation of managed lanes, corridors and networks that are designed to optimize traffic flow with tolls, high-occupancy vehicle rules, dynamic pricing and other strategies.

Gaël Le Bris, CM, ENV SP, PE, vice president for aviation planning and technical fellow, was reappointed chair of the AV090 Standing Committee on Aviation Safety, Security and Emergency Management for a new term. The committee addresses issues in commercial and general aviation safety, airport security and emergency management involving planned and actual responses to safety incidents and accidents; criminal and terrorist activity; and human-caused and natural disasters.

In their own words, here are impressions from some of our participants:

Gaël Le Bris – “Artificial Intelligence in Aviation: Opportunities and Challenges for Safety and Security”

Aviation is going through the most dynamic and exciting period of its history. We are a part of this journey with meaningful research on issues such as operational resilience, advanced air mobility, electric aviation, hydrogen technologies, automation at airports and airport access that we then turn into actionable knowledge for our projects.

The emergence of AI is one of these consequential breakthroughs that has the potential to change aviation. It will provide advanced security measures, predictive analytics for safety, real-time monitoring, improved decision making, resilience to new and emerging threats and AI-driven risk management.

AI technology is already impacting some segments of the aviation industry, such as generative AI in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul. It supports supply chain risk analyses, knowledge management and predictive maintenance programs. It is also being introduced in other domains, such as ground operations management.

“Safety first” is a fundamental principle in aviation. Air transportation is the safest way to move people and goods from A to B thanks to mature standards, practices and operational concepts, and because breakthrough innovations have been introduced carefully and responsibly.

AI holds many promises in terms of new capabilities including for real-time operations. However, it is important to develop contingencies to preserve safety and ensure business continuity if these systems are compromised.

Sanskrit Singh, ENV SP, senior consultant – Spotlight Panel on “Shaping the Future of Transportation: Career Insights and Strategies from Emerging Leaders”

Workforce development and the integration of autonomous technologies into mainstream transportation networks are expected to be pivotal areas of focus in the coming years. As the role of data-driven decision-making, powered by AI and IoT, continues to expand, it will enable transportation systems to become more efficient, adaptable and responsive.

Future leaders will need to navigate these innovations in ways that maximize their societal benefits, while addressing critical concerns around equity, privacy and environmental impact. Successfully managing these challenges will be essential for shaping the transportation systems of tomorrow.

We have a direct hand in developing and delivering transportation solutions and will continue to leverage its expertise in design, planning and infrastructure to help cities and regions adopt sustainable, resilient and efficient transportation networks.

Both TRB and WSP focus on fostering cross-disciplinary partnerships, advocating for smart policies and providing insights that help shape infrastructure investments and regulatory frameworks for the future.

Together, we can drive innovation by facilitating collaboration, supporting research and development, and ensuring that necessary infrastructure and policy changes are in place to enable the adoption of future transportation technologies as they tackle critical issues such as road safety, public health and building a competitive economy.

Claudia Bilotto, AICP, Southeast region executive – “Emerging Practices for Transportation Planning Models and Processes”

When it comes to transportation planning, few things stand to bring about more transformative change to the status quo than the emergence and development of autonomous vehicle technology.

With significant change comes a level of concern and uncertainty. Planners need tools that can easily accommodate a range of assumptions and process that inform quickly so that the impact of future state scenarios — such as increases in autonomous vehicle use, reduction in carbon emissions or, say, a global pandemic — can be evaluated.

This is why simulation models that adapt to uncertainty are being developed.

Planners and stakeholders need tools that can evaluate potential transportation solutions and their effectiveness in a variety of future contexts in order to make the best solutions for their communities. I am excited to see the evolution of these models as they develop in sophistication and the data that supports their accuracy continues to improve.

Over the next decade, TRB and WSP will influence policies and the development and application of analysis tools that account for the travel pattern variability and performance behaviors associated with future state scenarios — including game changers like self-driving cars — as they develop into a viable, safer and more sustainable transportation option.

Andrew Ceifetz, PE, RSP2I, vice president and Advisory and Planning lead for highway safety policy - “Technological Advancements in Low-Volume Roads: Stabilization, Recycled Materials, and Data Analysis”

I don’t know any transportation agency that isn’t interested in stretching their dollars or learning about how new technology can help them do their job better.

The primary responsibility of a transportation agency is to maintain a safe network. But with increases in material costs and flat or declining budgets, making data-driven decisions about what to invest in, when to make the investment, and how do so efficiently, will be key.

Highlighted practices that can help achieve these goals include:

• use of residual material from steel production, which would otherwise be discarded;
• adding chemical stabilization for use on low-volume unpaved roadways; and
• incorporating LiDAR and machine learning, which is already being used to detect safety concerns on roads.

Incorporating lower-cost materials and techniques make projects less expensive and safer. In particular, lower-volume roadways – which often do not get the same level of attention as their busier counterparts – can be more easily maintained than using previous methods.

We are helping clients make important decisions, including robust asset management planning, data-driven safety decisions, cutting edge designs and informed construction oversight.

Partnering with clients to develop organizational change is helping transportation agencies adapt to these emerging practices, as well as securing grants and funding to implement these programs.

Carlos Campo, Managed Lanes Committee

Ever since I started attending TRB in 2009 I haven’t seen as much dynamism as in the past couple of years. Part of it is our favorite buzzword – AI – but it is much more than that: a convergence of rapidly advancing technologies with some of the most pressing infrastructure needs in a generation.

I see managed lanes as an ideal test bed for intermodal surface transportation technologies, advanced design concepts and innovative policies. Today there are real opportunities to implement solutions we thought unrealistic a few years ago. Hence, I made it a priority to actively participate in discussions with other committees, such as those deeply involved in practical applications of AI.

I find TRB’s “back to basics” focus on research as positive, as both academics and practitioners need to streamline activities to ensure we are advancing knowledge at the pace that our society demands.

Our experts share their highlights and impressions from the TRB conference in this video: