ITF at TRB 2019
From new mobility disruptors and algorithms that govern transport services, to a radical transformation of our urban spaces...ITF's cutting-edge research explores innovations in transport that can improve lives worldwide. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting is the largest global stage to debate the big ideas, burning issues, challenging questions and regional divergences of today's transport policy landscape.
From 13 to 18 January 2019, Secretary-General Young Tae Kim led a strong ITF presence at TRB. In Washington, D.C., USA, ITF experts shared insights over a wide spectrum of transport issues, from ground-breaking innovations in infrastructure resilience to transport's role in making societies more inclusive.
Young Tae Kim held several high-level meetings while at TRB. Mr Kim met with Derek Kan (US Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy), Makthar Diop (World Bank's Vice President of Infrastructure) and Neil Pedersen (TRB Executive Director). Secretary-General Kim also moderated sessions at the World Bank's Sustainable Mobility for All (SuM4All) consortium meeting.
ITF's contribution to TRB fell into the following thematic areas:
New Mobility: ITF experts highlighted how Mobility as a Service (MaaS) can either disrupt or unite. Our work on how city authorities need to rethink the curb - from a parking zone to a drop-on/drop-off area - showcases the game-changing nature of MaaS for our urban spaces. Implementing open standards and a common syntax for data used in MaaS also featured in our programme.
Connectivity: the right connectivity strategy can overcome the drawbacks of geographical isolation. We presented the results of our recent work in Kazakhstan and neighbouring countries which provide a pertinent case in point.
ITF showcased work on resilience, featuring a new understanding of supply chain network resilience and methods in resilience quantification.
Road Safety events brought analysis of global road safety results based on the latest data.
Infrastructure sessions highlighted new findings on high-capacity trucks, focusing on road freight safety and infrastructure efficiency. We also explored policy development aimed at extending the life of road assets.
Accessibility and Inclusiveness exploreed transport's role in providing access for older and disabled people.