Thinking Transportation: Engaging Conversations about Transportation Innovations

Latest Episodes:

Ante Up. Are all road users paying their fair share? Apr 27, 2021

Show notes

Not all classes of vehicles are created equal, because they aren’t charged uniformly for how they use our transportation network. Associate Research Scientist Brianne Glover looks at how the changing mix of cars and trucks — and questions of equity and balance — might alter how we fund our roads and bridges in the future.

May the Odds Be Ever in Your Favor. Celebrating 20 years of improved young driver safety. Apr 13, 2021

Show notes

Car crashes have long been the leading cause of serious injury for people under age 25 in America, and in most years the top cause of death for teenagers. Russell Henk, an expert in young driver safety, outlines how a reward-based incentive program can provide a strong complement to traditional law enforcement efforts in helping novice drivers embrace positive driving behaviors changes for the rest of their lives.

Good News, Bad News. A better grade for America’s infrastructure, but still no bragging rights. Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

American roads and bridges get us to where we live, learn, work, shop, and play. And that network has needed repair for a while, now. TTI experts Edith Arámbula Mercado and Charles Gurganus explain how maintaining the nation’s infrastructure is a lot like taking care of our own homes. The longer we postpone necessary upkeep, the higher the cost will be.

Policy, Priorities, and Possibilities. What might we see from new leadership at USDOT? Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

Presidential administrations and their appointees come and go, but USDOT’s mobility mission remains constant. Challenges span a wide spectrum from yesterday’s aging infrastructure to tomorrow’s emerging technologies. Transportation is the circulatory system of the American way of life, Greg Winfree reminds us, and potholes don’t come with “R” or “D” labels.

Promises, Promises. Turns out, building a self-driving car is a lot harder than we thought. Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

Autonomous vehicles were supposed to be more widely available by now, but they’re not. So, what happened? Those cars have to learn how to do more than just drive, TTI Senior Research Scientist Bob Brydia tells us. They have to learn how to think, too.

Does the Road Go On Forever? We can’t just pave our way out of traffic congestion. Feb 23, 2021

Show notes

Our 2020 experience taught us we can reduce roadway gridlock drastically in the face of a public health crisis, by reducing the demand for road space. According to TTI Senior Research Scientist David Schrank, the bigger test will come in whether we can do so once the crisis is over.

Whoa, That Was Close! Can we prevent crashes from happening by studying the ones that almost happened? Feb 12, 2021

Show notes

Nearly all new vehicles have some degree of self-driving capability and internet connectivity. Every time one of those cars corrects a lane-departing drift, brakes hard, or senses a sharp speed boost, it sends a message. And if we listen to those signals, we could save a lot of lives. Host Bernie Fette talks with TTI’s Research Scientist Eva Shipp and Senior Research Engineer Shawn Turner about a revolutionary approach to preventing crashes.