TransNow News and Announcements

U.S. Transportation Committee leaders unveiled the new six year transportation reauthorization proposal.  The proposal includes a budget of $230 billion dollars from the Highway Trust Fund and would delegate greater authority to states for funding and managing transportation projects. 

What will America's transportation system be like in 2050? What will that system look like in the Pacific Northwest?  Could it include high speed rail?

To answer these questions, Professors Daniel Carlson (UW),  Ethan Seltzer (PSU) and a team of graduate students collaborated to discuss possibilities and implementation scenarios, uniting policy and transportation research.  The report measures how high speed rail might shape the larger "Cascadia" region - the Pacific Northwest region comprised of Vancouver B.C., Seattle and Portland.   The full report is available at: http://www.america2050.org/2011/05/ecolopolis-50-high-speed-rail-in-cascadia.html.
 
Have some ideas of your own?  Check out the High Speed Rail design and idea competition: http://www.america2050.org/2011/05/life-at-the-speed-of-rail-a-call-for-design-ideas-deadline-may-21-1.html

Richard Jefferson, the Director of Planning and Public Works for the Lummi Nation will come to the UW campus to speak about the Haxton Way Trail Lighting Project. This Off-Grid Solar LED Smart Lighting System is saving lives on the Lummi Reservation.  Richard Jefferson is also an alumnus of the UW College of Engineering.

When: Tuesday, May 24 11:30am-12:30 pm

Where: UW Seattle Campus, More Hall 101 (STAR Lab)

Trip:  Following the presentation, on May 25th students from the University of Washington will be taken to the Lummi Reservation to see the technology first hand. If you are interested in participating in the field trip, please RSVP – asap – to transnow@u.washington.edu or dharper@u.washington.edu.

The presentation is being hosted by TransNow.

Did You Know? From 1975 – 2002 the number of fatal motor vehicle crashes that occurred on roads within Indian Reservations increased by 52.5% compared with a 2.2% decrease in auto fatalities in the rest of the nation.

“Fatal Motor Vehicle Crashes on Indian Reservations: 1975-2002” National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Technical Information Service, April 2004.

The Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA) seeks a Research Assistant to join our team. 

RITA coordinates the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) research programs and is charged with advancing rigorous analysis and the deployment of cross-cutting technologies to improve our Nation's transportation system.

The Research Assistant serves within the Office of Transportation and Analysis (OTA), Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), a component of the Research and Innovative Technology Administration (RITA).  OTA develops and provides relevant, timely, and authoritative transportation data and information for the transportation community and decision makers.

The Research Assistant’s  major responsibility will be to provide technical support to OTA to perform research, analytical, and evaluative work associated with data and research program activities.  The successful candidate would assist in the office with the planning, development, and implementation of key products and services to support and enhance the OTA data analysis and research program.

RITA is looking for a motivated and self-reliant candidate willing to learn and adapt to change in working with skilled professionals that ensure the safety and efficiency of the transportation system.  This position is located in the New DOT building, which sits directly across the street from the metro and blocks away from the new Nationals baseball stadium. OST has flexible work schedules (to include Telework).   

If you know someone interested in this Washington, D.C. based position with relevant experience and proven results please encourage them to apply under the attached vacancy announcement.  We are looking for a diverse pool of qualified candidates.

The vacancy announcements can be found on:

http://jobview.usajobs.gov/GetJob.aspx?JobID=97488780

Please direct any questions to Linda Riggins, Human Resources, at (202) 366-0277 or Linda.Riggins@dot.gov.

The Northwest Tribal Technical Assistance Program (TTAP) is hosting the 18th annual tribal transportation symposium.  The program is managed by the Federal Highways Administration (FHWA) with the goal of assisting tribes in developing transportation resources, infrastructure, and development opportunities.

For details, including online registration: Tribal Symposium