Transportation industry challenged by urban congestion, says IBTTA president

Road congestion and lack of infrastructure funding are among the main issues facing the transportation industry, according to the new president of the IBTTA. Chris Tomlinson, who is also interim executive director of the newly created Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, suggested an absence of technological standards, particularly in the US, is also a potential problem. But along with “continued increases in congestion in our urban areas”, he points to opportunities. “We can see a convergence of t
January 8, 2019 Read time: 2 mins

Road congestion and lack of infrastructure funding are among the main issues facing the transportation industry, according to the new president of the 63 IBTTA.

Chris Tomlinson, who is also interim executive director of the newly created Atlanta-region Transit Link Authority, suggested an absence of technological standards, particularly in the US, is also a potential problem.

But along with “continued increases in congestion in our urban areas”, he points to opportunities. “We can see a convergence of technological advancements in the areas of connected and autonomous vehicles; exponential growth in the areas of vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications; [and] a resurgence and renewed focus on the role transit will play in meeting our urban mobility needs.”

In the US, he believes the upcoming federal transportation reauthorisation bill will also provide opportunities for the sector. Using the theme of ‘driving the future of mobility’, Tomlinson wants IBTTA to play a more active role “as opposed to the more passive role of ‘passenger’ that merely observes and reacts to these trends”.

Tomlinson is also executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority and the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority.

Charging, Tolling & RUC

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • The real case for driverless mobility
    May 13, 2024
    What will automated driving really be good for? Bern Grush of Urban Robotics Foundation offers his thoughts on the big issues around its implementation - and suggests a newly-published book might point the way forward
    Read More
  • Managed lane operators: meet the CAV pioneers
    June 26, 2018
    There is some controversy over the testing of connected and autonomous vehicles – but Robert Deans of Transurban North America explains how managed lanes could be vital in the development of CAVs, benefiting everyone. Managed lane operators have the opportunity to establish themselves as leaders in the testing and roll-out of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs), assisting and accelerating the transition of CAVs onto road networks to deliver economic and safety benefits. Managed lane facilities
    Read More
  • Transit must be accessible to all, says SkedGo
    April 24, 2020
    When it comes to accessibility we need to embrace a more open and collaborative approach to ensure MaaS realises its true potential, says SkedGo’s Sandra Witzel – after all, a billion people on the planet have a disability
    Read More
  • ITS sector must use less confusing industry terms says Q-Free
    December 23, 2015
    For ITS to gain the recognition it deserves, Q-Free’s Knut Evensen argues that the sector must have a coherent message and avoid confusing the wider community with a bewildering array of terms and acronyms. Any industry or group of people will develop its own lexicon over time. The process is near-inevitable, as individuals’ knowledge bases increase and evolve, and terms for common wisdom are created and become truncated, or even slang. A danger, though, as a relatively small group looks to admit large numb
    Read More

Highlighted Content