Administrator Research
& Innovative Technology Administration - Dr. Ashok G. Kaveeshwar
Thank you, Dr. Walton, for your very kind introduction.
On behalf of President George W. Bush, U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Norman Mineta, and all of us at the Research and Innovative Technology
Administration…,
congratulations to ITS America, ITS Japan and ERTICO on a highly successful
12 th World Congress on ITS.
This year was my first opportunity to participate in the World Congress
as a representative of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
It has been a pleasure to be here in this wonderful city of San Francisco
and to meet many of you. It has been an eye-opening experience as well.
The exciting technologies on display this week are vital for improving
safety, reducing congestion, and increasing the ability of travelers
to communicate and access critical information in real time.
While many new technologies are already being applied to our transportation
systems, it is clear that the benefits of ITS are limited only by our
imagination.
From the moment I arrived until now, I have been impressed by the exhibits,
the demonstrations, and the remarkable people who are making tomorrow’s
ITS promises a reality today.
If there was any question whether the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and
well, the Innovative Mobility Showcase should erase any such doubts.
Experiencing firsthand the latest ITS applications, and catching a glimpse
of where these technologies are taking us in the future, was truly
inspiring.
Thank-you World Congress organizers for showcasing the latest technologies
and creating a forum where those of us who are committed to improving
transportation through technology can come together and look at the future.
Secretary Mineta, who represented Silicon Valley in Congress for many years,
knows first hand the powerful impact new technologies can have in our
daily lives and in sustaining our economic well being.
Last year, he worked to create a new agency within DOT dedicated to advancing
innovative technologies across all modes of transportation, and guiding
these technologies from the laboratory to the field.
This new agency, for which I am privileged to serve as the first Administrator,
is called the Research and Innovative Technology Administration, or
RITA.
As we have seen this week, the ITS industry is nothing if not innovative.
And ITS technologies hold the promise for improving transportation
across the board, from reducing traffic congestion and alleviating freight
backlogs to saving lives by providing real time communication between drivers,
vehicles, and emergency responders.
The Bush Administration, and we at the Department of Transportation, ar
e committed to ITS. We are eager to work smartly with industry, state
and local governments, and our international partners as we apply these exciting
technologies to our transportation enterprise.
Earlier this week you heard from Acting Federal Highway Administrator Rick
Capka, who talked about how ITS technologies are already making a difference
in areas such as advanced signal control, electronic toll collection, and
traveler information systems. Rick also described to you how our program
has been restructured to focus on major efforts that offer the most promise
to improve safety, mobility and productivity.
With the passage and signing of a multi-year surface transportation bill
this past August, President Bush and Congress have renewed America’s
commitment to Intelligent Transportation Systems.
In addition to providing a significant level of funding for ITS research
and development, the legislation lays out bold new goals and policies
to ensure that the federal government is focused on producing results in
areas like safety, mobility and productivity.
One of these goals is to ensure that a national 511 traveler information
network is fully implemented throughout the United States by the year
2010.
Because of the focused efforts of the 511 Coalition, which is comprised
of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
the American Public Transit Association, ITS America and U.S. DOT…,
we expect that half of our nation’s population will have access
to 511 services by the end of next year.
The legislation also focuses on improving transportation safety through
crash avoidance technologies, and enhancing the ability of emergency
personnel to respond more quickly and communicate more effectively
during crisis situations.
Transportation safety is an issue that is near and dear to all of
us at the Department of Transportation, especially to Secretary Mineta
and Acting National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator Jackie Glassman,
who also spoke earlier this week.
As Jackie discussed on Tuesday, one of the keys for improving safety
and relieving congestion is the deployment of Vehicle Infrastructure
Integration, or VII.
The implementation of this wireless communications technology, which
will connect vehicles with each other and to the roadway, holds the
promise of significantly reducing highway fatalities and dramatically
improving mobility.
VII is but one of many exciting new applications of ITS technology
that can greatly benefit our transportation system.
Part of the new policy direction for the federal ITS program is the
adoption of new financing rules that will allow more public-private
partnerships.
As we look ahead, it is vital that we in federal, state and local
governments work closely with industry as a partner…, because
it is your innovation, entrepreneurial spirit, and resources that will
pave the way for ITS in the future.
The future of ITS also lies in its global reach… and the global
economy requires global solutions. By working co-operatively we can
leverage our individual investments. The ITS World Congress is clearly
an ideal forum for us to explore solutions together.
So once again I would like to congratulate ITS America, ITS Japan
and ERTICO for this very successful event in San Francisco.
I have been fortunate to meet a number of key individuals within
the ITS community these past few days. I look forward to having the
opportunity to not only meet more of you, but engage in meaningful
conversations in the coming months to learn how we can work together… to
advance the reality of ITS.
As we formulate the next phase of USDOT’s ITS program, following
the recently enacted legislation, we have an opportunity – indeed
an obligation to re-evaluate the direction of the program.
So as I close, I would like to ask a few questions of you…
Where do you see ITS going in the future? (pause)
What are the next important steps for ITS? (pause)
What elements of our transportation system could
be best served by new ITS applications? (pause)
Which areas have we not yet considered? (pause)
The answers to these questions lie with you. You are the creative
power behind ITS. This week’s World Congress was a great step
forward in this discussion.
It has been a privilege to join you this week, and to address you
this afternoon. It cannot be said enough, that this year’s World
Congress was a success because of you, who attended and participated.
I am already looking forward to next year in London.
I started my remarks by saying that the benefits of ITS are limited
only by our imagination.
I hope that my agency, RITA, and the entire Department, will be a
place where your imaginations and dreams about the future of ITS can
be freely expressed, partner to partner.
Only by working together will the true potential of ITS be realized.
Thank you… See you in London!
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