The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced the establishment of an advisory committee to facilitate road innovation. The Transforming Transportation Advisory Committee (TTAC) will comprise experts and advocates from various sectors including municipalities, industry, labor unions, and academia.
According to a DOT news release, 27 TTAC members were selected with the aim of providing the department with unique ideas across different sectors, geographies, and knowledge domains. Among the topics slated for discussion during the committee’s inaugural meeting on Jan. 18 are safety, accessibility, law, government, entrepreneurship, privacy, equity, automation and cybersecurity.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg stated: "We are living in a time filled with unprecedented opportunity and unprecedented challenges in transportation. The deep expertise and diverse perspectives of this impressive group will provide advice to ensure the future of transportation is safe, efficient, sustainable, equitable, and transformative."
Members of the committee can be reappointed after serving a two-year term without remuneration as per the media release. Buttigieg further emphasized that the DOT made a concerted effort to select individuals who not only offered distinct expertise in their field but also brought diverse and wide-ranging points of view.
The news release revealed that TTAC members include Aurora Vice President of Safety Nat Beuse; Alliance for Automotive Innovation CEO John Bozzella; James Burg Trucking Company CEO Jim Burg; ITS America CEO Laura Chace; National Safety Council Executive Vice President of Roadway Practice Mark Chung; AFL-CIO Chief of Staff of the Transportation Trades Department Matthew Colvin; Southwest Research Institute Vice President of Intelligent Systems Steve Dellenback; Chandler Fire Department Chief Fire Officer Thomas Dwiggins; University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute Director of the Center for the Management of Information for Safe and Sustainable Transportation Carol Flannagan; EV Noire Co-founder Shelley Francis; Consumer Reports Manager of Vehicle Technology Kelly Funkhouser and City of Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego.
