TECHNICAL COMMITTEE NEWS

Transportation, a moving experience

Carol S. Estes, P.E.
Technical Services Program Manager
APWA Kansas City Office

What is transportation? Often defined as the movement of people and goods, it is hard to imagine a single more important physical component of our daily lives. If you were asked, "What is man's greatest invention," wouldn't you reply "the wheel"? It is easy to see why the largest percentage of APWA members cites "transportation" as their major area of interest.

The Transportation Committee provides APWA members with resources for exchanging and developing ideas, information, skills, knowledge and technologies, and develops and advocates environmentally sound, sustainable, cost-effective and safe systems that enhance the livability and quality of life in our communities. The committee accomplishes its goals though partnerships and programs and the use of technical subcommittees.

Partnering with the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Transportation Committee distributes information to members about "Market Ready Technologies" produced by the FHWA Research and Technology Team. Working with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) on transportation issues and projects, including the National Transportation Operations Coalition (NTOC), the committee participates in short-term projects such as the signal assessment survey.

The Transportation Committee actively monitors federal transportation legislation and often provides congressional briefings, testimony and advocacy support. Although reauthorization was just recently passed, the committee is already looking at future transportation authorization. Other vehicles used for the distribution of information to association members include:

  • Posting transportation issues and questions on the APWA website
  • Providing transportation-related educational sessions at Congress
  • Publishing transportation-related articles in the APWA Reporter
  • Creating subcommittees to provide information and guidance on current issues

Subcommittees are a great way for APWA members to become involved with Technical Committees. Any interested member, or potential member, may apply directly to a subcommittee. Membership is open and there is no deadline for application. There are three subcommittees under Transportation: Roadway Safety, Sustainable Communities, and Winter Maintenance, all of which are looking for additional members.

Subcommittees focus on a single interest area and provide ideas, research and information to the sponsoring Technical Committee. For example, Winter Maintenance, a longstanding subcommittee of Transportation, takes on many of the responsibilities of APWA's annual Snow Conference which was held in St. Paul, Minnesota this past April. The subcommittee is also providing a Congress session this September entitled, "Reactive to Proactive - The Metamorphosis of an Agency." If you are interested in serving on a subcommittee, contact staff liaison Carol Estes, P.E., at cestes@apwa.net for further information.

The current members of the Transportation Committee are:

  • William Reichmuth, P.E. (Committee Chair), Director of Planning, Engineering and Environmental Compliance, City of Monterey, California
  • John Okamoto, Board Liaison, Chief Administrative Officer, Port of Seattle, Seattle, Washington
  • John T. Davis, P.E., Chief Engineer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, Florida 
  • Tim Haynes, President, International Transportation Assessment Solutions (ITAS), Regina, Saskatchewan
  • Andy Lemer, Ph.D., Senior Program Officer, Transportation Research Board, Washington, D.C.
  • Craig Olson, P.E., Capital Budget Assistant, Washington State Office of Financial Management, Olympia, Washington
  • Jeff Ramsey, P.E., Public Works Director, City of Auburn, Georgia
  • Carol Estes, P.E. (Staff Liaison), APWA Technical Services Program Manager, Kansas City, Missouri

 



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