The 2024 Safety21 Deployment Partner Consortium Symposium kicked off with a welcome from Dean Bill Sanders, Carnegie Mellon University College of Engineering and Raj Rajkumar, Director of Safety21 University Transportation Center. It was followed by a keynote from Secretary Michael Carroll of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and an update by Raj Rajkumar on the goals and activities of the Safety21 National University Transportation Center.
Putting our research, development and deployment approach into action – the annual deployment partner symposium provides an opportunity for interaction and discussion among researchers, students and deployment partners. Over 125 people attended the symposium and engaged in the day’s events.
The first panel, “Enabling Safe, Connected Autonomous Transportation” explored the integration of safety technologies in connected and autonomous transportation systems, focusing on innovations that enhance road safety and solve real-world challenges and featured:
- C. Y. David Yang, President and Executive Director, AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety (moderator)
- Amanda Ballantyne, Director, AFL-CIO Technology Institute and Working for America Institute
- Preeti Choudhary, Executive Director, DriveOhio
- Ken McLeod, Policy Director, The League of American Bicyclists
- Paul Sniegocki, Executive Vice President, Engineering & Chief Technology Officer, Clarience Technologies
- Ellie Ezzell Zytka, Project Manager of Strategy, Regional Industrial Development Corporation
The symposium then went into a lunch and networking event, followed by a Keynote by Robert Taylor, Chief Technology Officer of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission and a Fireside Chat which featured:
- Corey Harper, Assistant Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Heinz College at Carnegie Mellon University
- Sarah Olexsak, Senior Manager, Transportation Electrification, Corporate Strategy at Duquesne Light Company
The second panel, “Enabling Safe, Efficient and Equitable Connected Infrastructure” focused on how connected infrastructure can significantly enhance safety, efficiency, and equity in transportation systems and featured:
- Costa Samaras, Director, Wilton E. Scott Institute for Energy Innovation at Carnegie Mellon University (moderator)
- Thomas Bauer, General Manager TTS, Miovision
- Rich Fitzgerald, Executive Director, Southwestern Pennsylvania Commission
- Kim Lucas, Director, Department of Mobility and Infrastructure
- Amber Reimnitz, ITS Multimodal Digital Infrastructure Program Manager, Federal Highway Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation
- Paul Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association
The event wrapped up with the UTC Research/Education Showcase and Networking Reception, which featured 29 displays that can be found here.