AASHTO Journal - MassDOT Hosting Transportation Innovation Conference

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation plans to host the 2023 Transportation Innovation Conference May 2-3; an annual event that highlights the latest transportation systems, management ideas, and initiatives being deployed across the country.

[Above photo by MassDOT]

The agency said it established this conference in 2012 to assist a network of MassDOT professionals seek out a range of multimodal innovations. In 2015, the conference broadened its footprint up to include a wide range of transportation professionals, hosting local, state, and federal officials, private industry and non-profit groups, as well and Metropolitan Planning Organizations or MPOs, transit agencies, and academics

Topics and tracks for the 2023 conference include but are not limited to “beyond mobility” endeavors; Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed or “ALICE” mobility projects; “streets and safety” tactics; bicycle and pedestrian safety; and “big bridges” construction and maintenance solutions.

[Editor’s note: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials featured a knowledge session at its 2023 Washington Briefing that touched on ALICE-focused projects.]

“The Transportation Innovation Conference is an opportunity for MassDOT to provide information on the latest transportation technologies, and to hear directly from transportation practitioners, stakeholders, and members of the public and private sectors about how these new innovative methods may be impacting their specific area of expertise,” said MassDOT Secretary and CEO Gina Fiandaca in a statement.

“We encourage individuals to attend the conference and be part of these important discussions on key topics in transportation, and to collaborate, network, share their knowledge, experiences and best practices,” she added.

State departments of transportation across the country hold similar symposiums to address a broad range of mobility issues, from roadway safety to aviation, technological advances, and others.

For example, for the last four years, the North Carolina Department of Transportation – in partnership with NC GO! – has hosted an annual N.C. Transportation Summit that examines everything from economic development to safety, ways to make supply chain improvements, and broadband construction needs.

Meanwhile, the Colorado Department of Transportation plans to hold a three-day Traffic Safety Summit this August. It brings together law enforcement and emergency response agencies, transportation engineers, community planners, educators, and healthcare professionals to share information and best practices aimed at addressing critical safety issues affecting Colorado roadways.