On June 9, in Washington, D.C., ACT Board Director, Katie Sihler of RideScout spoke on a panel of experts addressing the State of Multimodal Payments Convergence. The panel, led by Michael Dinning, Volpe Center, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), brought together public and private sector officials to discuss their vision of an electronic, mobile payments system that can be used for all modes of transportations (tolling, buses, trains, parking, etc.).

As stated by Carol Kuester of MTC in San Francisco, also a panelist, while agreeing with Ms. Sihler comments, "The private sector should lead the development of an integrated payment system and we want to work with them to do it."

The issue is that industry lacks common technology standards, user requirements, and agency policies for these payment systems. ACT leadership will meet with USDOT and the SCA Transportation Council to see how we can assist in offering expertise and guidance to develop a capability for an interoperable payment system that commuters can use in any city.

Thank you, Katie Sihler, for opening the door for this opportunity. 

It is once again time to begin the annual national election process for the board of directors of the association. The board of directors includes the officers, directors at large, and directors elected by chapter area.

The elections process provides every member with two excellent opportunities to become involved in the Association. One is by running for a position; the other is by voting in the election. As a volunteer organization, ACT members' active leadership and participation is critical to our ongoing success.

For more information contact Bill Anderson, executive director, at anderson@actweb.org. 

You can save $50 off the on-site rate for the 2015 ACT International Conference if you register by July 11 (note the new date).

The ACT 2015 International Conference, to be held in Baltimore, July 26-29, is the one place you will find dozens of targeted educational sessions, hundreds of subject matter experts, and first-rate industry partners who are committed to assisting you in meeting your organization's goals.

Check out the full educational program here. And register today!

Discussion Piece in the Wall Street Journal

Recently the discussion of how our transportation infrastructure should be funded (c

ooperative funding vs. devolution) provides another opportunity to remind the tax payers and the appropriators the negative impacts of our aging and decaying transportation networks. Not only are we weakening our national security, there is a economic impact on jobs and manufacturing. Read more here.

With the continued fluctuation of gas prices, everyone is looking for a way to save money. National Dump the Pump Day encourages people to ride public transportation (instead of driving) and save money. The latest APTA Transit Savings Report shows that a two-person household that downsizes to one car can save more than $9,569 a year on average. For more information on how you and your organization can participate in your area, visit the APTA website. 

Chesapeake Chapter Offering Conference Scholarships 

Hoping to attend the ACT 2015 International Conference but need some help covering expenses? The Chesapeake Chapter is offering scholarship assistance to members. Apply today and be part of the premier learning event for TDM professionals. Download the PDF application here .

MidAtlantic Chapter Newsletter

ACT's MidAtlantic Chapter second quarter newsletter is now available! Read it for good advice on school transportation safety and biking to work.

Integrating Multi-model Management and Operations: Integrated Corridor Management 

Note: If this is a subject of interest, send me a note at anderson@actweb.org. We are considering offering an educational webinar on this subject. 

Transportation corridors often contain underutilized capacity in the form of parallel roadways, single-occupant vehicles, and transit services that could be better leveraged to improve person throughput and reduce congestion. Facilities and services on a corridor are often independently operated, and efforts to date to reduce congestion have focused on the optimization of the performance of individual assets. 

The vision of Integrated Corridor Management (ICM) is that transportation networks will realize significant improvements in the efficient movement of people and goods through institutional collaboration and aggressive, proactive integration of existing infrastructure along major corridors. Through an ICM approach, transportation professionals manage the corridor as a multimodal system and make operational decisions for the benefit of the corridor as a whole. 

Through the ICM initiative, the U.S. Department of Transportation is providing guidance to assist agencies in implementing ICM and creating supporting analysis tools, approaches, and technical standards. In addition, the U.S. DOT selected two corridors-US 75 in Dallas and I-15 in San Diego-to demonstrate the nation's first ICM systems. To learn more about ICM and view materials developed as part of the ICM Initiative, visit the ICM Knowledgebase. See more here.