2023 Annual Meeting

The program for the 2023 National Rural ITS Conference will be integrated into the ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition held August 13 – 16, 2023 at the Oregon Convention Center and adjacent Hyatt Regency hotel in Portland Oregon.  This year’s conference theme is Connecting People and Communities. Transportation is a focal point for connectivity whether it is across the street, across town, or around the neighborhood for work, play, or for other reasons; people walk, drive, bike, take transit, or other modes of transportation to get from one place to another.  Transportation technologies play a significant role in making it all work well.

The conference will cover emerging and trends from across the transportation industry including a focus on transportation equity considerations and underserved communities as well as exploration of the potential of broadband, electrification, and data analytics.  In addition to traditional ITS topics of interest to transportation professionals, this event will bring together both traditional and non-traditional users to address such issues affecting rural and small communities. This conference is returning to an in-person delivery format to encourage networking amongst your peers. Specific NRITS Sessions during the ITE 2023 Annual Meeting program are highlighted below within the over all program:

Sunday, August 13

1:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. Workshops

  • Women in ITE Committee Workshop
    Deschutes Ballroom A (Hyatt Regency)  FREE
  •  STEM Outreach 101 Workshop
    Columbia 1 (Hyatt Regency)  FREE
  • At the Movies: Social Marketing Campaigns for Safe Systems
    Starts at 2:00 p.m.
    B110-112  (Fee – $25)
  • Safe System Solutions in Highway Safety Improvement Projects
    B113-114  (Fee – $25)
  • An Introduction to the Transportation System Simulation Manual: First Edition
    B115-116  (Fee – $25)
  • Electric Vehicles and Transportation Electrification: Opportunities and Challenges for Small Communities and Rural America (NRITS)
    B117-119  (Fee – $25)

This workshop is a facilitated discussion interspersed with presentations on key topics of interest. The conversation will include among other subjects as applied to electrification EVs, and the impacts on rural areas and small communities:

      • Leveraging big data for EV planning
      • Overcoming the challenges to EV infrastructure deployment
      • Accessibility to charging stations in the context of ADA, equity, and underserved communities as well as other areas such as parks and tribal lands.
      • Best practices in rest areas for EV facilities
      • Understanding of the total costs for installation, energy and spaces
      • Truck charging needs and issues
      • Charging integrated into residential construction
      • Mapping and universal information sharing

There be ample time to discuss and identify next actions steps for different interest groups.

Facilitators: Rachel McGuire, PTP, Senior Transportation Planner/Project Manager, Jacobs, Philadelphia, PA, and Steven Latoski, P.E., PTOE, Director, Mohave County Public Works, Kingman, AZ, (Chair, National Rural ITS Steering Committee)

Speakers:

Meeting Our Charge and Overcoming The Challenges to EV Infrastructure Deployment
Jeff Kupko P.E., PTOE, National Advanced Mobility and Vehicle Electrification Director, Michael Baker International, Inc., OH

EV Charger Installation and Challenges with Multifamily Dwellings and Impacts on Equity
Sarah Sweet, Deputy Project Manager, DKS Associates, Tacoma, WA

Rural Electrification and Micromobility
Todd Litman, Director, Victoria Transport Policy Institute, Victoria, BC

Discussion Breakout

Perspective from State DOT
Kandee Bahr Worley, Chief of Sustainability and Emerging Transportation, Nevada Department of Transportation, Carson City, NV

Leveraging Big Data for Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Planning
David Tokarski, Senior Transportation Planner, DKS Associates, Sacramento, CA

Electrification Futures Study
Stan Young, P.E., Ph.D., Advanced Transportation and Urban Scientist National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO

Discussion Breakout

  • Inclusion at ITE Events
    C120-122  FREE
  • Prioritizing Vulnerable Users in and Around Work Zones: PBOT’s Guide to Implementing TPARs
    C123-124  (Fee – $25)

Monday, August 14

8:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Opening Business and Plenary Session

11:15 a.m. – 12:45 Technical Sessions

  • Speed Management for Safe Roads
    A105-106
  • Optimizing Main Street Sandbox Competition Judging
    B110-112
  • Improving the After Dark Pedestrian Environment for Safety and Walkability
    B113-114
  • Using Data and Technology to Support Multimodal Goals
    B115-116
  • Technologies to Support ITS in Rural and Small Communities – Part 1 (NRITS)
    B117-119

This session will examine different examples of rural and small community agencies’ creative use of different approaches to overcoming obstacles in TSMO and ITS implementation. This includes the use of transportation technology, data collection methods, and the connections between planning, operations, and enforcement.

Moderator: Rebecca Brown, P.E., Project Manager, Greenman-Pedersen, Inc., Bedford, NH

Speakers:

Tired of Hitting Every Red Light?  Adaptive Traffic Signals in Casa Grande, AZ.
Duane Eitel PE  PTOE, Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer, City of Casa Grande, Public Works, Arizona and Scott Clark , President, Clark Transportations Solutions,  Phoenix, Arizona

A Low-Cost Option to Integrate Technology on Rural Roads: The FHWA’s CAV-In-A-Box Tool
William Martin, CAV R&D Engineer, Leidos,  McLean, VA and Safak Ercisli P.E., P.M.P., Deputy Director for Surface Transportation Solutions, Leidos, McLean, Virginia and Animesh Balse, Electrical Engineer, Leidos, Alexandria, VA

Technology Implementations for Rural Road Safety Data Collection, Analysis & Visualization
Wei Sun Ph.D., Chief Executive Officer, AIWaysion, , Washington and HollyAnna LittleBull , Traffic Safety Coordinator, Yakama Nation Department of Natural Resources Engineering, Toppenish, WA

Linking Planning, Operations, and Enforcement across the North/West Passage
Dave Huft, Research Program Manager, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre, SD

  • Effect of Safe Systems and Vizion Zero Programs on Risk Management
    C120-122
  • Health in All Departments: A Look at Integrating Health Equity Into Transportation Projects, Plans and Processes
    C123-124
  • Student Poster Session
    Exhibit Hall

12:45 p.m.-1:45 p.m. – Lunch

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. Technical Sessions

  • Setting Safe Speeds
    A105-106
  • National Operations Center of Excellence Transportation Technology Tournament Judging
    B110-112
  • Prioritizing Transit and Pedestrian Safety in Quick Build Complete Street Projects
    B113-114
  • Digital Transformation Efforts Supported by the National Institute of Standards and Technology
    B115-116
  • Technologies to Support ITS in Rural and Small Communities – Part 2 (NRITS)
    B117-119

Presenters in this session will cover a cross-section of different topics with application to rural and small communities including transit, situational data exchanges supporting connected vehicle deployments and integrated analysis supporting emergency evacuations.

Moderator: Gerard Baxter, P.E., PTOE, Senior Vice President, JMT, Baldwin, MD

Speakers:

Planning for Rural Transit
John Hansen, Subject Matter Expert – Transportation, Olsson, Peyton, CO and Blake Hansen P.E., Vice President, Olsson, Kansas City, MO

Implementing ITS and TSMO in Rural Areas
Dennis Mitchell P.E., Regional Director of Transportation Technology, DKS Associates, Portland, OR

Situation Data Exchange to Support Connected Vehicle Deployment in Rural and Small Communities
Zorica Cvijovic Ph.D, Connected Vehicle Strategist, Trihydro Corporation, Laramie, WY

Advanced Evacuation Analysis for Wildfire and Other Extreme Events
Bob Grandy, Evacuation Practice Leader, Fehr & Peers, San Francisco, CA

  • Successfully Growing Your Career
    C120-122
  • Reconnecting Our Communities Through Livable Streets and Affordable, Accessible, Safe Community Connections
    C123-124
  •  Poster Session 1
    Exhibit Hall

Tuesday, August 2

8:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m. Plenary Panel

10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Technical Sessions

  • Overview of Local Road Safety Plans and Innovative Risk Factors
    A105-106
  • Innovative Uses of Technology Driving Next Generation Transportation Analytics
    B110-112
  • Progressive Curbside Management
    B113-114
  • Innovative Intersection Design
    B115-116
  • Creating a Digitized and Connected Infrastructure for Your Agency (NRITS)
    B117-119

This session will help attendees understand implementation of digitized and connected infrastructure through a series of presentations from both the public and private sector perspectives. The future is digitized and connected, and pieces of the connected future already exist in the transportation eco-system, and sometimes it’s about connecting the dots: connected vehicles already operate on our roadways, drivers have smart phones that can be detected and measured, and data are being generated at unprecedented rates. In this highly interactive panel discussion, participants will lay out how agencies and vendors can take all the pieces of the transportation network puzzle, digitize them, and for the first time in decades, collaborate seamlessly and efficiently for the benefit of the driving public.

Moderator:

…Pending…

Speakers:

Doug Spencer P.E., ITS Standards Engineer, Oregon DOT, Salem OR

Carlos Ortiz P.E., TE, PTOE, Chief Executive Officer, Advantec Consulting, Irvine, CA

Vivian, Augele, Solutions Architect, Yunex Traffic, Austin, TX

Patrick Marnell, Director of Product Management, Q-Free, Hubbard, OR

  • ITS for Underserved Communities: The USDOT’s ITS4US Deployment Program
    C120-122

This session will feature presentations from the development sites of the US DOT Complete Trip – ITS4US Deployment Program which identifies ways to provide more efficient, affordable, and accessible transportation options for underserved communities. The multimodal initiative seeks to expand access to transportation for all travelers with a specific focus on underserved communities, including people with disabilities, older adults, and individuals of low income, and people in rural communities, veterans and those with limited English proficiency.

Moderator: Elina Zlotchenko, PMP/FAC/PPM III, ITS4US Program Manager, US DOT ITS Joint Program Office, Washington, DC

 Speakers:

 Safe Trips in a Connected Transportation Network
Bennett Foster, Program/Project Administrator, Atlanta Regional Commission, Atlanta, GA

Health Connector
Heidi Guenin, Senior Manager – Mobility, Arcadis IBI Group, Portland, OR

NFTA – ITS4US Buffalo All Access
Navel Urena Surelle, Principal Engineer, ICF, Washington, DC

University of Washington Transportation Data Equity Initiative
Kristin Tufte, Ph.D, Senior Research Scientist, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

  • Flipping the Script: Starting With Equity to Arrive at Outcomes that Serve Everyone
    C123-124
  • Poster Session 2
    Exhibit Hall

12:00 p.m.-1:45 p.m. – Awards Luncheon

2:00-3:30 p.m. – Technical Session

  • Advanced Bike Treatments for Improved Safety
    A105-106
  • Connected Vehicle Data Applications Showcase
    B110-112
  • Traffic Signal Performance Measures Implementation
    B113-114
  • Traffic Calming on Arterial Roadways: How to Tame the Most Dangerously Designed Streets
    B115-116
  • Rural ITS Town Hall (NRITS)
    B117-119

This session will provide attendees with an overview of strategic issues facing the development and implementation of ITS rural and small communities complemented by a discussion of issues of current importance and potential transferable lessons.

Facilitator: Steven Latoski, P.E., PTOE, Director, Mohave County Public Works, Kingman, AZ, Chair, National Rural ITS Steering Committee

  • VMT Policy and Implementation
    C120-122
  • Planning for Pedestrian Safety on Arterials and in Rural and Disadvantaged Communities
    C123-124
  • Poster Session 3
    Exhibit Hall

4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Technical Session

  • Overcoming Equity Challenges Through Multimodal Initiatives
    A105-106
  • Next Generation ITS Deployment Applications
    B110-112
  • Getting to Zero Using the Safe Systems Approach: Vision Zero in Three U.S. Cities and Australia
    B113-114
  • Transit Considerations to Connect People and Communities
    B115-116
  • Innovative Approaches to Planned and Unplanned Events (NRITS)
    B117-119

Technology to support advance planning and dynamically manage events in real-time events can improve safety and operation. This session presents information on the combined use of number of data sources, ITS, computer-aided dispatch, and predictive simulation to support event and incident management.

Moderator: Ben Waldman, P.E., PTOE, Senior Transportation Manager, CONSOR Engineering, Denver, CO

Speakers:

Leveraging Innovative Technologies to Enhance Roadway Safety for Planned and Unplanned Events
Tom Stiles PE, PTOE, Vice President, Econolite, Seattle, WA

Dynamic Evaluation of Traffic Management Actions with Real-Time and Predictive Based Simulations: Case for Orlando, Florida
Peejeh Sahagun, Transportation Modeller, Aimsun, New York, NY

Improving Transportation System Operations and Services via Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) Interconnect with Partnering Agencies
Adam Bradford, ITS Operations Coordinator, Oregon DOT, Salem, OR

 A New Approach to Event Operations to Improve Safety and Mobility
Lance Ballard P.E., Transportation Engineer, Kimley-Horn and Associates, Austin, TX

  • Improving Safety and Operations at Railroad Grade Crossings
    C120-122
  • Implementing the Safe System Approach Through Proactive Data-Driven Safety Analysis
    C123-124

Wednesday, August 3

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Technical Sessions

  • Successful Planning, Engineering, and Construction Projects for All Users
    A105-106
  • Leading Edge Technology Applications for Effective TSMO
    B110-112
  • Trends in Transportation Impact Assessment
    B113-114
  • Real Talk About Safe System Implementation
    B115-116
  • Traffic Signal Operations: Balancing Safety and Mobility
    B117-119
  • Safer Work Zones Through Innovative Use of Technology
    C120-122
  • Transportation’s Role in Addressing Climate Change, Health, and Emission Reduction
    C123-124

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Closing Plenary