ITS America Hosts Successful Technology Fair on Capitol Hill
IVsource.net
25 September 2001

The spotlight shone on ITS Technology on September 6 at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington, DC's Capitol Hill.  About twenty vendors of IV systems and various key congressional members and staff mixed it up, in advance of hearings to consider the near future for federal ITS funding. 

The spotlight shone on ITS Technology on September 6 at the Rayburn House Office Building on Washington, DC's Capitol Hill.  The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITSA) hosted a technology fair intended to give Members of Congress and their staffs a chance to see ITS technology up close and talk to ITS professionals.  The mini-exposition attracted about 20 exhibitors.

The last time such an event was held was in 1996.  Although hopefully future events will not be at such long intervals, this latest event was timed to place ITS on the minds of those who are starting to discuss reauthorizing legislation for ITS.  A new bill will be passed in 2003 to provide multi-year program and policy direction to the US Department of Transportation, beginning in 2004.  Discussions on reauthorization have already begun within USDOT and the ITS community, spurred on by the development of the ITS Ten Year Plan by ITS America, which is intended to be a key input to the process.

At the exhibit at the Rayburn Foyer, the back wall provided a trio of intelligent vehicle offerings.  Volvo Trucks North America and their fleet partner US Xpress showed a video and provided information on their current Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI)-sponsored Field Operational Test (FOT).  Next door, Mack Trucks and Vehicle Enhancement Services demonstrated a complete electronic mockup of Lane Departure Warning, Trucker Safety Advisories, and Automatic Collision Notification.  Nearby, Navistar International hosted a booth that provided video of the driver interface for Minnesota snowplow drivers.  Those in favor (!) also got a model International snowplow truck to take home. 

Larry Yermack, Chairman of the Board at ITS America, provided opening remarks, followed by three Members of Congress.  These were James Oberstar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Thomas Petri (R-WI), Chairman of the House Committee on Highways and Transit, Representative Ellen Tauscher (D-CA), and Representative Mike Rogers (R-MI).  The speaking roster was rounded out by Dr. Christine Johnson, Director of the ITS Joint Program Office at USDOT.

Traffic past the booths included staff from the House Transportation and Infrastructure ("T&I") Committee and Congressional staff from New York, Ohio, and Colorado.  Petri managed to spend a few moments at the International exhibit before being whisked away.  Several felt that the conversations at the booths gave these key players a sense for where vehicle technology is going, particularly the message that truck safety can be substantially increased through IV systems.  The event also provided a foundation for future interactions with Congress as the reauthorization process moves forward.

[Top]

Copyright 2001: IVsource.net and Richard Bishop Consulting (RBC).
All Rights Reserved.