Past Webinars

The trucking industry transports goods essential to our everyday lives. In recent years, the industry has faced workforce dilemmas such as driver shortages and high turnover—and supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic only amplify these problems. How can we ensure this important workforce remains functional and efficient? How does trucking fit into the future of transportation? This webinar explored truck driver recruitment and retention as well as other broader industry trends. 

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This webinar found alternatives to solo driving can help reduce congestion, improve air quality, and reduce parking demand.

In October 2019, Google contracted the company Via to launch a new on-demand microtransit commute option called Via2G. This webinar discussed three months of pilot operations to understand the trends, challenges, and successes of microtransit commuting. The Via2G program enjoyed increasing popularity over time, providing more than 7,500 rides to nearly 900 Google employees. Most trips were relatively short, suggesting the program complemented peoples’ existing commute modes.

Findings suggested future program iterations should seek ways to minimize deadheading, focus future programming and outreach on employees who always drive and/or complete errands on the commute trip, and extend program hours.

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Transportation policymakers face two overlapping, once-in-a-generation opportunities: electrifying the nation’s vehicle fleet and re-establishing a stable source of federal and state revenue for transportation. As states and the Biden administration begin a push to rapidly electrify the US fleet for climate reasons, policymakers are under increasing pressure to rethink how states and the federal government fund transportation infrastructure and services. For decades, motor fuel taxes have generated the majority of state and federal funds spent on transportation, even if recently these taxes have been losing their purchasing power. However, a shift to electric vehicles will require a new transportation funding model. The speakers will discuss the challenges and opportunities with such options as mileage fees, carbon taxes, higher vehicle registration fees, or a shift entirely away from user-generated revenue.

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This webinar discussed how widespread autonomous vehicle use impact traffic law violations and current government revenue schematics. States and localities have the opportunity to rethink and replace current practices since these vehicles will likely commit fewer traffic offenses. Governments can begin to reallocate resources that are currently invested in writing these tickets, defending the charges, and pursuing the debts in addition to re-evaluating the considerable equity issues that autonomous vehicle adoption may further highlight. 
 

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In the quest for environmental quality as the pandemic subsides, many urban planners understand and appreciate that housing located within walking distance of rail stations and bus stops motivates many local residents to choose commuting on buses and trains rather than driving. But what about those park-and-ride (PnR) facilities for the commuters who choose to live in places beyond walking distance to transit? Attendees listened to the new research-based evidence on where parking provides a boost to bus and train ridership that is double to four times the impact of transit-adjacent housing. This webinar started the discussion of how transit agencies should react to the research.

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Autonomous and automated vehicles, which are both electric and shared—promise to reduce reliance on the personally-owned gasoline-powered car and have the potential to make our cities safer, cleaner, more inclusive, and more sustainable. Yet this vision can only be achieved with policy support at the city, state, and federal levels of government. Local policymakers specifically are uniquely positioned to harness these technological innovations.

Attendees learned how curb use and demand management; parking redesign; asset maintenance; right of way standardization; and cyclist and pedestrian-friendly projects can help cities meet emerging transportation demand more efficiently.

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Representation of women in the transportation workforce is stunningly low. What would happen to our mobility with more women driving transportation policies, planning, operations, and maintenance? During TRB's 6th International Conference on Women's Issues on Transportation, panelists discussed best practices for recruitment, support, and advancement of women in the transportation sector. In this webinar, conference speakers continued their discussion about workforce challenges and overcoming them; approaches to attract, retain and advance women in transportation, and how these leaders see COVID-19 changing the workforce and work environment.

Featuring: 

• Dr. Hilary Nixon, MTI Deputy Executive Director (moderator)
• Laurie Berman, Director (retired), California Department of Transportation
• Flora Castillo, President, Pivot Strategies, LLC
• Jodi Godfrey, Senior Research Associate, Mobility Policy Research Program & Transit Safety & Workforce Development Programs, Transportation Research, University of South Florida
• Debra A. Johnson, General Manager/ CEO, Regional Transportation District (Denver)

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted every facet of modern day life, single-handedly altering the way we communicate and engage with our colleagues and social support networks. Though face-to-face interaction has significantly decreased, or even become nonexistent, one thing has remained clear – the link between continuous communication, a healthy workforce, and productivity. This workshop, focused on effective interpersonal communication in a virtual world, presented techniques to adjust communication style, content, and frequency to maintain a personal touch. Best practices for building and solidifying relationships using a variety of mediums (phone, chat, video, etc.) was documented and breakout rooms will be used to facilitate an interactive exchange, allowing participants to share their experience and communicate in a safe space.

*This webinar was intended for our partners at Caltrans (all Caltrans employees welcome), but if you or your organization is interested in hosting a similar event, please contact irma.garcia@sjsu.edu.

Ransomware, data breaches, phishing incidents and other cyber threats are on the rise, including among public transit agencies. Such threats leave the transportation sector—one of 16 critical infrastructure sectors whose disruption would have a debilitating effect on our nation’s security—in a vulnerable position. Decision makers need to be prepared to upgrade, patch, and secure transit systems to ensure that this essential service remains safe and operational. Yet new MTI research found that only 60% of transit agencies have many of the basic policies or personnel in place to respond to a cyber incident. In recognition of Cybersecurity Awareness month, MTI researchers discussed this critical research and the policy recommendations needed to understand, mitigate, and respond to cyber threats.

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