February 23-25, 2011
Co-hosted by the Washington Department of Transportation, the event provided information on smart transportation strategies. SSTI will reimburse travel expenses for the executive and one staff member from each member state.
Event materials appear below:
February 24, 2011
PennDOT Peer Review (audio) – Doug Foy describes SSTI’s recent PennDOT Review.
King Street Multimodal Transportation Hub Study – The King Street Station is one of three hubs of Seattle’s Center City transportation system that function as both destinations and transfer points for a variety of transportation users. audio
Amtrak Cascades – The Amtrak Cascades provides regular service from Seattle to Portland and Vancouver. The line, which stops at King Street Station in Seattle, has been growing steadily in popularity since service began in 1993. audio
Sound Transit (audio) Ric Ilgenfritz provides an overview of Sound Transit, highlighting funding issues, public engagement, intermodal connectivity, and transit oriented development (TOD).
Stadium Place Development Project – The Stadium Place project, located near the King Street Multimodal Station in Seattle’s Pioneer Square neighborhood, will be the largest transit oriented development on the West Coast with access to more transit options than any other location in the region. audio
The Washington Experience – Part I
The Washington Experience – Part II – The genesis and genius of WSDOT’s Gray Notebook was revealed by WSDOT employees who are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the compendium of performance measures. Tangible benefits include support for revenue measures and the ability to respond very quickly to questions that arise about the components of the system, such as bridges.
audio (pt 1) audio (pt 2)
SSTI Performance Metrics (audio) – Discussion of a potential SSTI-supported project focused on performance measures.
California Green Trade Corridor – This project will increase the share of freight moving on inland waterways between the Port of Oakland and California’s Central Valley. With cargo volumes expected to grow by 65 percent over the coming decade and severe congestion on area highways, the Green Trade Corridor project will help relieve freight-related congestion in the region. The U.S. Maritime Administration estimates that the project will eliminate 180,000 truck trips per year on I-80, I-205, and I-580, saving about 7 million gallons of fuel. audio
IBM’s Smarter Cities – “Exploding populations, in addition to urbanization, globalization and technology, are driving change.” Pointing out that 2007 was the first year in which more than half the world was living in cities, the IBM speaker also noted that the urban population is projected to nearly double from 3.3B in 2007 to 6.4B in 2050. What this means for transportation is that congestion will result unless roadways are used to their full capacity. IBM offers data analysis tools to support traffic optimization and traffic management. As an example of improved utilization, the London congestion charging program has reduced inner city traffic, improved transit reliability, lowered traffic emissions and accident numbers. Cycling is up 43%. audio
Urban Truck Ports – Freight vehicles can be more efficient if they are designed and used in the environment for which they are best suited, according to Steve Viscelli, a post-doctoral fellow at the University of Wisconsin. Vehicles suited for long-distance hauling over highways are long and sleek and highly aerodynamic. Vehicles suited for getting freight into commercial parts of the city do not share those characteristics. An optimization proposal, which Viscelli detailed in an earlier paper, is to set up urban truck ports outside of cities where freight could be transferred from highway vehicles to city vehicles. The truck ports would do more than make better use of vehicles. They would offer more stability and regularized hours to the drivers in an industry with employee turnover of about a third each year, with resulting safety and training implications.
February 25, 2011
Overview of the President’s budget proposal – Summary of President Obama’s proposed FY 2012 budget, highlighting key transportation provisions. The consolidation of the more than 55 existing highway programs into 5 new core programs is detailed here.
Communicating Smart Transportation – Survey results show that “Safety first” is the top reason for why rebuilding roads and bridges is seen as a good value. Transportation investments make the economy stronger and provide more choices to Americans. Economic rationales provide the strongest support for transportation projects.
Effective Outreach Strategies – Tips and strategies for communicating smart transportation concepts to a variety of audiences. audio
GHG Reduction – Because transportation accounts for 47% of greenhouse gases in Washington, WSDOT manages its system to:
• Operate Roadways Efficiently
• Manage Demand
• Add Capacity Strategically
This strategic focus sets the stage for WSDOT to respond to legislative initiatives.