From January 7th to 11th, 2024, Miovision had the privilege of attending the 103rd Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting in Washington, DC at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
This meeting is the largest global gathering of transportation professionals and researchers focused on finding innovative solutions for all transportation modes. Our voices were heard and our work was recognized—it was truly an honor.
Keep reading to learn more about the event and our time there!
About the Transportation Research Board (TRB)
The TRB is a valued part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. They mobilize experienced and knowledgeable transportation professionals to solve the world’s most complex transportation challenges.
Their current focus is on advancing resilient infrastructure, further exploring transformational technology, and bettering public health and safety. They do so through three pillar-based directives: to research, to convene, and to advise.
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With these pillars in mind, the TRB hosts their Annual Meeting to bring together like-minded traffic professionals who share their goals. Now in its 103rd year, the gathering has been an ongoing source of ideas, community, and future-oriented thinking.
Key Moments From the 103rd Annual TRB Meeting
On Sunday, January 7th, the event kicked off with the Careers in Motion Networking Fair for employers and prospective employees.
On Monday, January 8th, Susan Handy delivered the 2024 Thomas B. Deen Distinguished Lectureship. Then, on January 10th, several awards were issued as part of the Chair’s Plenary Session. This ceremony also featured:
- A “fireside chat” with:
- Sharareh (Sherri) Kermanshachi of Penn State Harrisburg
- Travis McCarthy of Sundt Construction, Inc.
- Peter Tateishi of the Associated General Contractors of California
- Moderators Diane Gutierrez-Scaccetti of the New Jersey Department of Transportation and Carol Lewis of Texas Southern University
- Closing remarks from U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg.
- A workshop titled “New Materials for Infrastructure: Reinventing the Roadway, Runway, and Railway” in which Pete Buttigieg also participated.
Between all of these headlining events, the Miovision team was making connections with those in attendance—and, as we’ll discuss soon, receiving a few awards of their own for the work they’ve conducted over the last year!
Miovision’s TRB Annual Meeting Highlights
Miovision is a continued supporter of the TRB; we are aligned with their vision to solve pressing transportation-related issues worldwide.
During our time at the 103rd Annual Meeting, our team had meaningful conversations with a variety of stakeholders, including policymakers, administrators, practitioners, researchers, government representatives, and academic institutions.
Our team had the opportunity to present several papers and posters, illustrating the work we have been doing recently. We also met with thousands of transportation professionals for technical discussion to address topics such as:
- Bicycle Transportation
- Traffic Signal Systems
- Safety Performance and Analysis
- Traffic Control Devices
As always, we relished the opportunity to talk about transportation challenges and solutions with like-minded professionals who are equally as passionate as us!
Receiving the Exceptional Paper Award
At every TRB Annual Meeting, the Traffic Signal Systems Committee bestows the Exceptional Paper Award on one study—we were honored to receive it this year!
The winning paper, for which we have leading authorship, is titled Addressing GTFS Realtime Data Latency to Improve Transit Signal Priority. This paper could have not been created without the collaboration of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) or without the help of traffic signal expert Peter Koonce.
This research paper supports our ongoing efforts to produce cutting-edge Transit Signal Priority (TSP) technology. We believe that by making public transportation more efficient and appealing for travelers, we can reduce the number of individual cars on the road and thereby lower the environmental impact of road networks.
Winning the U.S. DOT Intersection Challenge
The good news and positive accolades also extended to the U.S. DOT Intersection Safety Challenge; our submission titled “White Alert: A Digital Multi-Channel Vision for Scalable Intersection Safety” won a $100,000 prize.
This challenge exists in light of the continued need for improved safety at intersections, where roughly half of all traffic injuries in the United States occur. Vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists are increasingly at risk—fatality rates for both have been trending in the wrong direction since 2020.
We are grateful for the recognition and remain committed to creating safer and smarter intersections. Through a variety of modalities, we will continue to enact meaningful change to improve intersections worldwide for all who use them.
What’s Next For Miovision?
We consider our time at the 103rd Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting a huge success. We appreciated all the people we met, the connections we made, the ideas we shared, and, of course, the recognition our team received for their work.
However, this is just the beginning. 2024 is set to be Miovision’s biggest year yet as we continue to grow our platform and expand our offerings. After a transformative 2023, we’re primed to bring even more impactful solutions to the table this year—stay tuned to see how we plan to continue revolutionizing road networks.
Connect with our team if you’d like to learn more!