Happy New Year! We’re hitting the halfway point of the 2020s already, and it’s amazing how quickly the decade is flying by! First, a huge welcome to Karen Aspelin, P.E., PTOE (F), as our new International President, and to Gordon Meth, P.E., PTOE, PTP, RSP2I, T.E. (F), International Vice President. I’m excited about the many great activities and meetings they will have the opportunity to preside over as ITE continues riding the wave of successful member engagement since we emerged from the COVID pandemic.
It’s also the beginning of my second full year as Executive Director and CEO—and my personal goal of seeing safety elevated in the conversation is already taking shape! We are excited to introduce the ITE Safety Roadmap and Action Plan, the culmination of an effort that represents a pivotal step forward in our journey toward achieving zero roadway fatalities.
As you’ll read in ITE Journal (and the plan itself), this roadmap and action plan reflects the dedication of our volunteer members and staff who have come together over the past year to create a clear, actionable path for advancing safety across the transportation profession. Our shared vision drives every aspect of this plan. Through leveraging our resources, fostering innovative partnerships, and committing to evidence-based, data-driven interventions, ITE is leading the charge toward a safer, more resilient transportation network.
I’ve been engaged in transportation for my nearly 40 years of working, and I’ve always felt that safety is a foundational element that gets a lot of talk—but too often suffers when it comes up against finances, politics, and schedules. I’ll be quick to agree that it’s getting better—but there is still plenty of room to improve. And that improvement will benefit from fostering a culture where roadway safety is prioritized.
The Safety Roadmap and Action Plan leverages ITE volunteer members to help lead the development and dissemination of resources, services, and tools. The plan is structured around five essential goal areas, each vital to creating the systemic changes needed for lasting impact: engaging the next generation of transportation professionals, expanding professional development, integrating safety within our Councils and Committees, advancing technical resources, and fostering meaningful partnerships. Through these five goal areas, we are not only strengthening the culture of safety within our profession, but also ensuring that every action is supported by a detailed plan, championed by dedicated leaders, and aligned with our vision of zero roadway fatalities.
Over the past year I’ve talked to a lot of ITE members individually—and from the stage doing presentations—where I regularly mention that culture is such an important component of belonging to ITE. The culture of our profession, of our industry—and in this case the culture of roadway safety—is important because it’s the right thing to do. It really is that simple—we join and participate in ITE because we care about what we do. It’s in our DNA. It’s a core element of our culture within ITE.
This is our opportunity, as we mobilize these efforts, for ITE members to emphasize the safety message. To make a real-world contribution to fostering a safety culture. ITE remains fully committed to equipping our members with the tools and resources needed to make this vision a reality, transforming our communities into safer, more sustainable places for all!