As the US Congress continues to consider long-term transportation challenges, a leading ITS America member has emphasized the organization’s priorities for reauthorization of the FAST Act and called for increased federal funding for congestion relief programs.
At a House Hearing, the San Francisco County Transportation Authority’s (SFCTA) top official has outlined the agency’s strategies to reduce congestion in San Francisco and broader recommendations on technology deployment. The SFCTA’s executive director and member of ITS America, Tilly Chang, told the House Subcommittee on Highways and Transit about San Francisco’s multi-tiered approach to tackling congestion at its hearing on ‘Pricing and Technology Strategies to Address Congestion on and Financing of America’s Roads.’ Chang advocated for increasing federal funding for congestion relief programs and maintaining federal pricing programs, and also reiterated ITS America’s priorities that are outlined in the organization’s FAST Act Reauthorization Platform:’Moving People, Data and Freight’.
“In addition to continuing to make infrastructure investments, San Francisco is joining cities around the United States and the world that are looking to transportation demand management, pricing and incentives to help reach our safety, access and equity goals,” Chang said. “SFCTA and ITS America are hopeful that the FAST Act reauthorization will grow funding support for cities, regions, and states seeking to pilot congestion pricing and deploy new technologies, in order to reduce congestion and expand transportation options for all.”
ITS America has also highlighted that some of the leading names in transportation technology, innovation, mobility and infrastructure have joined the organization over the past six months. New members include: the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Uber (ridesharing and ride hailing), Via (ridesharing and transportation network operator), Michelin (tire manufacturer), curbFlow (infrastructure management), CVO Holdings (truck bypass systems), HAAS Alert (emergency response applications), Park City Municipal, Techna-Pro Electric contractor), Teleste (communications networks), and the Virginia Department of Transportation. The new members are part of the growing number of private companies, public agencies, and research organizations working with ITS America to advance the research and deployment of intelligent transportation technologies.
“Technology continues to transform transportation,” said ITS America’s president and CEO, Shailen Bhatt. “We are excited to have such forward-thinking players from the public and private sectors join forces to improve safety and mobility, reduce congestion, and provide more access to transportation options in communities across the country.”
