CVI-UTC researchers joined more than 2,000 industry business leaders, manufacturers, investors, researchers, elected officials, policymakers, engineers, and public sector participants at the Intelligent Transportation Systems of America 25th Annual Meeting and Expo in Pittsburgh, PA. from May 31 – June 3, 2015. The 2015 Annual Meeting featured keynote speeches and panel discussions with the industry’s premier thought leaders and rising stars, and provided attendees the opportunity to experience the latest transportation innovations through interactive demonstrations, a bustling exhibit hall, technical tours, and networking events. This year’s theme, “Bridges to Innovation,” provided an excellent forum for CVI-UTC researchers from Virginia Tech Transportation Institute and partners to unveil the Virginia Automated Corridors initiative. “Our goal with the Virginia Automated Corridors is to ensure automated-vehicle developers and suppliers have access to both a robust roadway environment and significant research support to create, test, and deploy systems that are beneficial to users” said Tom Dingus, director of the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute.

For more information about the Virginia Automated Corridors, visit www.vtti.vt.edu.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT), Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the World Road Association (PIARC) organized the 9th International Conference on Managing Pavement Assets (ICMPA9) which was held on May 18 through 21 in Arlington, Virginia. CVI-UTC research was featured at this conference which brought together pavement design and management engineers, companies specialized in providing pavement management services and data collection, researchers and specialists on asset/pavement management, general pavement/ road engineers, planners dealing with the development of public works programs, and academics specializing in pavement design, analysis and management.

Gerardo Flintsch, Conference Chair, CVI-UTC researcher, and Director of Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Center for Sustainable Transportation Infrastructure

The conference theme – “Moving Pavement Management beyond the Short-Term: Embracing Innovation and Addressing Sustainability, Accountability, and Improved Performance” – allowed pavement design and management engineers, consultants, and companies to look into the short, medium, and long-term challenges and opportunities that lay ahead in the field, and define ‘next-generation’ methods in road construction as well as road maintenance and upkeep. Topics of discussion included next generation pavement management systems, sustainable design, performance measurement, contractual requirements, innovative pavement management practices, and much more.

Learn more about ICMPA9 at www.icmpa9.org and #ICMPA9 on Twitter.

Learn more about conference chair Gerardo Flintsch’s CVI-UTC research here.

Over 150 students attended the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) and Virginia Department of Transportation annual School Day on April 2, 2015. Students toured VTTI’s facilities including Virginia’s Smart Road, Control Room and other research vehicles. Students learned about transportation safety, as well as the research conducted at VTTI and by CVI-UTC researchers.