Economy, Transport Funding Are Key Themes at TRB’s 90th Annual Meeting in Washington

This story appears in the Jan. 10 print edition of Transport Topics.

The global economy and transportation funding challenges will be among the main focus areas during the Transportation Research Board’s 90th annual meeting, scheduled for Jan. 23-27 in Washington, D.C.

TRB, a division of the National Research Council, said its mission is to promote innovation and progress in transportation through research. The annual meeting covers all transportation modes, with more than 4,000 presentations in about 650 sessions and workshops addressing dozens of individual topics.

TRB said 85 of the sessions will spotlight the 2011 theme: “Transportation, Livability, and Economic Development in a Changing World.”

Several trucking executives and officials are scheduled to participate in the meeting this year, TRB said.

On Jan. 23, David Congdon, CEO of less-than-truckload carrier Old Dominion Freight Line, is scheduled to discuss the use of longer-combination vehicles as part of a session on “Green Trucking in a Changing World.”

Officials from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute are among the other featured speakers.

The next day, Randy Mullet, vice president of government relations for Con-way Inc., is set to participate in the second half of a two-part session looking at freight movement in urban areas.

In addition, Darrin Roth, director of highway operations with American Trucking Associations, will present a case for increasing the federal fuel tax during a surface transportation funding panel discussion on Jan. 26.

TRB said leaders of the U.S. Department of Transportation will discuss the future direction of national surface transportation programs and policies on Jan. 25.

Among the scheduled DOT speakers is Anne Ferro, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Also scheduled are representatives of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration and Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

Similarly, the deputy administrators of DOT agencies, including FMCSA’s Bill Bronrott and Greg Nadeau of the Federal Highway Administration, are set to talk about their priorities during a joint session on Jan. 26.

Deborah Hersman, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, is scheduled to speak at the Chairman’s Luncheon on Jan. 26. TRB said Hersman will offer her perspective on transportation safety for all modes.

During the luncheon, Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) the outgoing chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will receive the George S. Bartlett Award.

Oberstar will be honored for his “tireless work to improve safety and efficiency for the traveling public, and for his championship of increased investment in the nation’s highway and transportation infrastructure throughout his long career,” TRB said.

The award has been presented every year since 1931.

Also at the luncheon, Jane Garvey, chairman of Meridiam North America, will receive the Frank Turner Medal for Lifetime Achievement in Transportation.

Meridiam is a development-investment fund that focuses on transportation infrastructure. TRB said Garvey is being honored for her lengthy career in transportation that has included leadership in public service at both the state and federal levels, as well as contributions in highways, aviation, and transportation finance.