|
2022 Emergency Response Day
|
|
|
|
CTSO Annual Meeting Recap
|
|
|
The Committee on Transportation System Operations or CTSO of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently highlighted several major challenges facing the transportation sector in the near future at its annual meeting.
Held in Scottsdale, AZ, September 6-9 in person for the first time in three years, the CTSO annual meeting focused on the workforce challenges facing state departments of transportation across the country – especially when it comes to technology-centered areas.
AASHTO’s CTSO focuses on transportation system operations and associated intelligent transportation systems or ITS technologies with the goal of improving safety, system reliability, and highway system performance. CTSO also strives to develop a transportation systems management and operations or TSMO “culture,” which includes the need to grow TSMO skill set within the state DOT workforce.
While moderating a CEO Roundtable at the CTSO annual meeting, Scott Marler – director of the Iowa Department of Transportation and CTSO chair – asked three fellow state DOT executives to describe the greatest challenge they face. Each emphatically answered in one word: workforce.
Roger Millar, secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation, reminded attendees building a transportation workforce with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required to improve the transportation is a challenge. “However, we need to recognize the things we are doing are what going to attract young people to our profession,” he explained, reminding the audience that though state DOTs can’t pay the same as the private sector “we can give them an opportunity to make an immediate impact on people’s lives.”
John Halikowski, director of the Arizona Department of Transportation, urged attendees to “remain optimistic and try new solutions” as state DOTs turn to operations strategies to address the challenges of safety and congestion.
Carlos Braceras, director of the Utah Department of Transportation, shared one key to his agency’s success in mainstreaming transportation operations within their agency. “You must start with the why,” Braceras emphasized. “When people understand the why, they buy into new approaches like operations readiness.”
CTSO’s CEO Roundtable discussion also addressed the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the workforce and the importance of building a workforce that is emblematic of the public they serve. In November 2020, the AASHTO Board of Directors unanimously adopted a resolution committing the organization and state DOTs to six action items, including strengthening its commitment to the values proclaimed in the Civil Rights Act of 1964, enhancing decision-making processes focused on advancing racial justice, and fostering inclusive workplaces where discrimination and bias are not tolerated.
Read more. . .
|
|
|
|
Talking TIM: August 2022
|
|
|
|
Crowdsourced Data for Arterial Operations
|
|
|
|
|
|
About the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE)
NOCoE provides services to the transportation systems management and operations (TSMO) community to saves lives, improve travel times, and enhance economic vitality. With an emphasis on workforce development, NOCoE aims to assist in the deployment of technologies and the mainstreaming of TSMO solutions by fostering education, networking, communication, and knowledge transfer.
For more information, please visit www.transportationops.org.
|
|
|
|
|
|
