Skip to main content

Shailen Bhatt appointed ITS America President & CEO

The Board of directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America has chosen Shailen Bhatt as president & chief executive officer. Bhatt joins ITS America with an extensive background in promoting and advocating for intelligent transportation and was most recently executive director of Colorado Department of Transportation. Bhatt also focused on deploying transportation technology, creating the RoadX program and making Colorado a national innovation leader.
October 27, 2017 Read time: 2 mins

The Board of directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America has chosen Shailen Bhatt as president & chief executive officer. Bhatt joins 560 ITS America with an extensive background in promoting and advocating for intelligent transportation and was most recently executive director of 5701 Colorado Department of Transportation.

Bhatt also focused on deploying transportation technology, creating the RoadX program and making Colorado a national innovation leader. By teaming with the private sector to help shape the future of transportation, he has been selected one of 10 global finalists and moving forward with a first-of-its-kind feasibility study to build 8535 Hyperloop. In addition, he has partnered with OTTO/Uber Trucking to complete the world’s first commercial delivery by a self-driving truck; also deployed the world's first autonomous impact protection vehicle to protect work zones from distracted drivers. Bhatt has partnered with 598 Panasonic to build the world's first commercial grade, licensable, Connected Vehicle Ecosystem and also with HERE to enable vehicle to everything communications.

Bringing a portfolio of management and public policy expertise to 560 ITS America, Bhatt has been cabinet secretary of 7423 Delaware Department of Transportation and associate administrator of the 831 Federal Highway Administration. He has also played a leadership role on the national stage for transportation policy through his board service on the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials, and chair of the National Operations Center of Excellence and Vehicle to Infrastructure Deployment Coalition.

Bhatt succeeds David St. Amant, who served as interim president and CEO since 1 August 2017.

Chris Murray, ITS America board chairman, CEO of 4984 Kapsch TrafficCom North America, said: "Shailen Bhatt is uniquely positioned to drive the mission of ITS America forward as intelligent transportation and connected and autonomous vehicles are poised to dramatically alter the transportation landscape by increasing safety, equity, sustainability and economic opportunity in the states and cities across the nation".

Related Content

  • Meeting overview and highlights
    April 15, 2013
    This year's Annual Meeting and Exposition in Nashville, Tenn., features more public sector participation than ever before. The event will kick off on Sunday, April 21 with a State DOT Roundtable featuring 20 State DOT CEOs from across the country, as well as feature senior US Department of Transportation (DOT) officials including Under Secretary for Policy Polly Trottenberg, Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland, Federal Motor Carrier Saf
  • Five names added to the ITS America’s Hall of Fame
    June 3, 2015
    At the 25th Annual Meeting & Expo, five new names have been added to ITS America’s Hall of Fame: Lawrence Burns, Abbas Mohaddes, Jeffery Paniati, William Powers and Joseph Sussman. Burns is a professor of Engineering Practice at the University of Michigan and for 10 years was vice president of research, development and planning for General Motors. He holds a PH.D in civil engineering, an M.S. in engineering/ public policy and a B.S. in mechanical engineering.
  • Kapsch piloting in New York
    May 21, 2012
    New York roadways are safer and more secure thanks to a recent deployment of a series of 5.9 GHz vehicle transponders in commercial trucks that travel the state’s highways. Vehicles equipped with the Kapsch Dedicated Short Range Communication (DSRC) Real-Time Clearance system will be able to electronically report the driver’s identity, the fleet company’s safety record and the vehicle’s health and condition.
  • USDoT’s NETT is welcome – but Toyota unhappy at V2X development
    August 15, 2019
    The US Department of Transportation has announced a new council to champion emerging mobility tech – but one car manufacturer is currently not feeling that such support is everything it might be The announcement of a brand new body to champion autonomous vehicles (AVs) - among other innovations – is a potentially welcome development for mobility and transit providers. Elaine L. Chao, US secretary of transportation, says that the newly-created Non-Traditional and Emerging Transportation Technology (NETT)