Throughout its history, ITE has been known for the technical knowledge we bring to the profession. This knowledge sharing takes many different forms—from conferences and meetings to technical reports and publications. Recognizing that different people consume knowledge in different ways, we have diversified our offerings so something is available for everyone.
In addition to our traditional Annual Meeting, we have added a virtual spring Technical Conference. Moving beyond our robust webinar program we have added blended-learning certificate programs and unstructured drop-in sessions. In addition to the monthly ITE Journal we have our biweekly Spotlite and our Transportation Talks podcast series. Under the leadership of our Chief Technical Officer Jeff Lindley and Coordinating Council Chair Eric Rensel, 2021 is primed to be a banner year of technical products and publications.
ITE Journal articles and Quickbites provide access to knowledge on new and emerging issues. The “Looking Beyond COVID-19: Implications for the Workplace” article on page 20 provides insights into how individuals and organizations have adapted to working from home, and provides lessons learned as workplaces reopen. Recent Quickbites cover vulnerable road user safety at signalized intersections, shared mobility, and autonomous vehicle shuttles.
Earlier this year, two new Informational Reports were released. The Consultants Council, in collaboration with the Public Agency Council, produced Best Practices in Selecting Transportation Consultants, and the Complete Streets Council delivered a new Micromobility Facility Design Guide. Coming later this year are the Pedestrian Crossing Policy Guide and Practices for Prohibiting Right Turns on Red. Recommended practices serve as guideposts for our members and the profession and go through a rigorous process of member comment and review by the International Board of Direction prior to publication. Recently, a new Recommended Practice on Preemption of Traffic Signals Near Railroad Grade Crossings was developed by the Traffic Engineering Council. Later this year the Planning Council will be delivering a draft Recommended Practice on Multimodal Transportation Impact Analysis.
Shortly we will release the 11th edition of ITE’s flagship publication, the Trip Generation Manual. This edition will provide significant new data and land uses, integrate all of the multimodal data from the 10th Edition Supplement into a single resource, and add important features to the ITETripGen web application. Look for information on how to purchase the 11th edition in September, and be sure to check out the October ITE Journal, which will center on Trip Generation, including the new manual.
We strive to bring you the latest knowledge so you are prepared to handle the challenges of today and tomorrow, but we couldn’t do it without hours of dedicated service by ITE volunteers. If you want to be involved in shaping the future of our profession, please get involved in a council or committee by contacting Coordinating Council Chair Eric Rensel (erensel@gfnet.com) or ITE Coordinating Council staff liaison Niloo Parvinashtiani (zparvin@ite.org). As always, you can reach me on the ITE e-community or on Twitter: @JPaniatiITE.
This is the Director's Message from the August ITE Journal.