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The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently provided details on the keynote speaker for its 2023 Spring Meeting – to be held May 15-18 at the Hyatt Regency Seattle – as well as the conference’s various knowledge sessions. A draft of the AASHTO 2023 Spring Meeting agenda that outlines the complete schedule of events is available by clicking here.
Joe Minicozzi, principal of Urban3, will be the keynote speaker for the AASHTO 2023 Spring Meeting. He will outline how state departments of transportation can become a “key voice” in land use planning and collaborate on transportation efficient decisions to spark change for generations to come – especially when it comes to developing “smart” mobility systems.
To elaborate on the future potential for cooperation between state DOTs, cities, counties, developers, investors, and advocates, Minicozzi will examine how transportation investment decisions can benefit from an illustrative evaluation of the most and least fiscally-productive forms of land use and development styles. Those decisions play a large role on the economic stability of cities, regions, and states.
AASHTO noted that its Spring Meeting provides transportation leaders with the opportunity to collaborate on some of the biggest issues facing the transportation sector both today and tomorrow. To that end, the organization is offering several “knowledge sessions” that address key industry trends:
How to Attract and Nurture an Engaged Workforce and Innovate for the Future | Presented by Bentley. State DOTs are facing an unprecedented workforce shortage while also navigating the challenges of stewarding an increasingly multimodal system, competition for specialized skills, and rapid technology advancements. This session highlights innovative approaches to developing talent pipelines of skilled labor, attracting, strengthening, and diversifying your workforce, as well as anticipating and strategically planning for the workforce needs of the future.
Getting the Most out of IIJA’s Discretionary Grant Programs | Presented by Jacobs. The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) includes a significant increase in the number of, and fiscal support for, discretionary grant programs, which will play a crucial role in successful implementation of this five-year funding measure. This session focuses on a real-life case study to show how state DOTs can best help to deliver discretionary grant projects through a robust federal-state-local partnership.
Connecting Rural America: Understanding Mobility and Accessibility Needs | Presented by Transystems. Rural transportation networks are vital to state and local economies as well as the quality of life for all Americans. This session explores the unique challenges to mobility and accessibility faced by rural communities. Panelists will discuss how their agencies engage with rural communities to better enable the movement of people and goods and identify multimodal transportation solutions.
Safer Together: The Collaborative Role of State DOTs in Getting to Zero Fatalities | Presented by HDR. AASHTO President Roger Millar’s emphasis areas call for a resilient transportation system that is “safe, sound and smart.” This session explores the “safe” part of the transportation equation, detailing the collaborative nature required for eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries – focusing on opportunities to improve safety from the infrastructure perspective. Information courtesy of AASHTO.