A broad range of deep technology solutions is increasingly being brought to bear on transportation challenges across the world. In particular, the merits of digital infrastructure (DI) innovations are seen as pivotal to the future of national transportation systems. CC has a strong capability in this exciting area of innovation, and we were delighted to co-author a recent landmark report on the subject with The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America).
Founded by the United States Congress to advise the federal government on the digital transformation of transportation, ITS America is a leading and influential advocate of change. Our view is that CC’s track record in creating, developing and deploying original technology innovation perfectly complements ITS America’s bold, modernising vision. Both parties hope that the ‘Digital Infrastructure Strategy Report – Shaping the Future of Transportation in the United States’ will signal the way to safer, greener, and smarter environments.
ITS America represents all sectors of the industry, including public, private, academic and non-profit, to advocate for and advance transportation technology. Its membership is broad, and includes state and city departments of transportation, transit agencies, metropolitan planning organisations, automotive manufacturers, technology companies, engineering firms, automotive suppliers, insurance companies, and research and academic universities.
A team of expert colleagues from CC collaborated with ITS America’s Digital Infrastructure Working Group to create the report, which you can download below. A driving theme was a vision of technology deployment that saves lives, promotes sustainability, and advances more equitable transportation systems. Digital infrastructure is vital to that vision. Connectivity, automation, sensorization, data and software will allow the industry to manage the country’s physical assets more effectively while allowing safer transportation of people and goods.
Digital innovation strategy
The report includes a comprehensive overview of the background, challenges and opportunities currently being faced by authorities in the United States. Crucially, the US Department of Transportation (USDOT), is set on devising a comprehensive digital innovation strategy to support the deployment of transformative technologies. The intention is for the strategy to leverage digital infrastructure’s ability to support broader USDOT objectives, which include enhancing safety, boosting economic value and addressing climate change.
Digital infrastructure strategy report
The landscape is of course complex and challenging. Success depends on coordinating with different stakeholders, from transportation departments to technology providers and the public, each with distinct interests and capabilities. Additionally, the rapidly evolving technological scene, marked by progress in areas such as AI, IoT, 5G and blockchain, requires a detailed grasp of their applications and implications.
What’s clear from the report is that USDOT is at a pivotal juncture. Action taken today will significantly influence the trajectory of the US transportation sector for decades. It’s vital, then, that the innovation strategy be grounded in a realistic and achievable vision, underpinned by measurable milestones.
It’s predicted that establishing a defined reference architecture will provide crucial guidance on standard protocols, system design and best practices. This will serve a blueprint for scale-up and future initiatives. The report envisions an ecosystem built on cooperation, interoperability and data-sharing that will accelerate the deployment of intelligent transportation systems on a national scale.
Digitally enhanced transportation
For us one of the most interesting themes is the way that a digitally enhanced transportation landscape will drive significant economic opportunities, while supporting job creation, industry growth and infrastructure modernisation. This is true across multiple geographies and sectors. There are opportunities to turn challenges into progress across the world.
The report acts as a clarion call for firm action and courageous leadership. ITS America is ready to support USDOT and plans to continue to convene digital infrastructure stakeholders to identify best practices, additional use cases and appropriate milestones for digital infrastructure deployment, among other issue areas. We hope you find the report of interest – and do please contact us, Kieran Reynolds and Sinan Yordem, by email if there are any aspects of the topic you’d like to discuss in more detail.
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