At the end of 2022, ITE reached a major milestone with more than 17,000 members for the first time in our 92-year history. We finished 2022 with a record 17,302 members. While a late boost of new members (about 450) from the offer of 1 year of free membership for transportation planning professionals got us to the milestone a little early, we were already on a trajectory to pass the 17,000-mark in 2023. We have been steadily adding numbers since 2015 when our membership sat at 14,228.
Achieving this milestone did not come because of any one action or initiative, but a series of efforts since 2016 that have steadily increased our membership year-over-year. The beginning of this period of growth started with reestablishment of ITE at the forefront of our profession. Starting with Vision Zero and continuing with Transportation and Health, Mobility as a Service/Mobility on Demand, Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, Microbility, Curb Space Management, Big Data, and Transportation Equity, ITE has made valuable contributions to the state-of-knowledge and state-of-the practice, both through our own efforts and by working in close collaboration with our industry partners.
The ONE ITE initiative contributed by restructuring ITE’s Districts and Sections to create new leadership opportunities and support growth. Creating a consistent member experience allows ITE Headquarters to better support our local volunteer leaders. We have taken on administrative tasks and provided new resources. The ONE ITE effort has
also fostered a more collaborative, supportive relationship across all levels of ITE.
Increased member value has also helped retain and attract new members. A key element was shortening the development process for new products and broadening the range of products available, moving beyond traditional Recommended Practices and Informational Reports to Tech Briefs and Quickbites. We also made webinars free for members. With our “technical engine” of Councils and Committees firing on all cylinders, ITE’s knowledge pipeline is flowing strongly, with new products appearing regularly.
By improving our public agency membership model, we also made ITE membership less expensive and more accessible for public sector employees. We have seen the number
of jurisdictions taking advantage of this opportunity rise significantly, particularly among state departments of transportation. Our Student-to-Younger-Member initiative is also contributing to increased membership by streamlining the transition to professional membership as students graduate.
The most recent boost has come from our 2023 initiative to broaden our Community of Transportation Professionals, specifically, targeting transportation planning professionals. We believe once these new members and their employers see the value ITE provides firsthand, they will stay members even after the free membership offer expires.
We should all take a moment to celebrate this accomplishment. ITE will not become complacent. Working along with our members, we will strive to make current services
better, add new products and initiatives, and find ways to engage more members as active participants. I am confident that we will see our membership continue to grow as more
transportation professionals make ITE their “transportation organization of choice.” As always, contact me on the ITE e-Community, or at jpaniati@ite.org.