ITE Talks Transportation

In this episode of  ITE Talks Transportation , ITE Global District Director Farukh Ijaz, P.E., shares his inspiring journey from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to becoming a transportation leader and entrepreneur in the United States. Farukh reflects on how relationships, mentorship, and a passion for transportation shaped both his career and the growth of Consulting Services USA. He also discusses his...

In this special anniversary episode, host Bernie Wagenblast and ITE Executive Director and CEO Steve Kuciemba celebrate 10 years of ITE Talks Transportation . Together, they reflect on a decade of conversations with industry leaders whose insights have helped shape discussions on transportation safety, transportation systems operations and management, emerging technologies, and other critical issu...

Laurie Matkowski, PMP, Planning Practice Lead at GFT, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to explore the evolving world of transportation operations and TSMO. From managing everyday mobility to preparing for global mega-events like the FIFA World Cup, Laurie shares insights on the critical role of alignment, technology, and human decision-making in keeping systems running smoothly. The conv...

In this episode of ITE Talks Transportation , Eric Rensel, Founder and CEO of Rensel Consulting, shares insights on how the industry can attract, develop, and retain the next generation of transportation professionals. From the power of mentorship and storytelling to the importance of early STEM exposure and alternative career pathways, Rensel draws on nationwide workforce development efforts and...

In this episode of  ITE Talks Transportation , host Bernie Wagenblast speaks with Bryan Jones, Assistant City Manager for the City of Menifee, California, about how a Safe System approach at the local level moves beyond traditional traffic safety strategies to examine how roadway design affects public health, emergency response, municipal budgets, and overall livability. Jones, coauthor of the Feb...

Michael Sanderson—CEO of Sanbell and 2018 ITE International President—shares how his “people first” philosophy has shaped his career and his approach to building strong teams on this episode of ITE Talks Transportation. He explains that leadership in technical fields isn’t about command-and-control, but about setting a clear vision, building culture, and trusting experts to deliver. Sanderson emph...

In this episode of  ITE Talks Transportation , Jean-Paul Brissett, CEO of Quality Counts, discusses how data and artificial intelligence are reshaping transportation decision-making. Brissett examines how new technologies are enhancing access to and interpretation of data while raising critical questions about privacy and ethics. He also reflects on the evolving role of human judgment in an increa...

In this episode of ITE Talks Transportation, host Bernie Wagenblast speaks with Lorraine Martin, President and CEO of the National Safety Council, about the need to view roadway deaths as a public health crisis. Martin outlines proven strategies and emerging technologies that are advancing progress toward the goal of zero fatalities. She discusses how cultural change, infrastructure design, and cr...

This episode of  ITE Talks Transportation dives into the newly released 12th edition of the ITE Trip Generation Manual . Guests Chris Brehmer of Kittleson & Associates and Eric Tripi of GHD highlight how the Manual reflects multimodal travel patterns, with expanded data on walking, transit, and emerging land uses. They discuss new additions such as trip rates for fast-food restaurants, dog par...

On this episode of  ITE Talks Transportation , Steve Latoski, Director of Public Works for Mohave County, Arizona, discusses the unique challenges and opportunities in managing rural roadways. He highlights the importance of low-cost Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), funding strategies like the Highway Safety Improvement Program, and the growing role of technologies such as AI in enhancing...

In this episode of ITE Talks Transportation , sustainability mobility consultant Manuel Calvo discusses how Seville rapidly transformed into a bike-friendly city by building an 80-kilometer protected bike lane network in just a few years. The initiative succeeded due to strong political will, public support, and strategic design focused on everyday users rather than just avid cyclists, and a fast,...

In this episode of ITE Talks Transportation , Joey Paskey, Director of Public Works for the City of Las Vegas, discusses the unique transportation challenges in a fast-growing city like Las Vegas, where she oversees a diverse infrastructure system that serves both residents and more than 40 million annual visitors. She emphasizes the city's proactive safety approach, including a Vision Zero action...

Bill Schultheiss, P.E., Vice President and Director of Design and Engineering at Toole Design, and Katy Sawyer, P.E., Principal Engineer at Toole Design, join the  ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss the new AASHTO Bike Guide. They highlight the importance of community engagement in planning bicycle infrastructure and share how planners can effectively navigate national, state, and local g...

Natalie Draisin, Director of the North American Office and the United Nations Representative for the FIA Foundation, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to talk about the current state of road safety on the global level. She talks about how the United States compares to other parts of the world when it comes to road safety, strategies for successfully implementing the Safe System Approach,...

David Kriger joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss emerging trends in urban goods movement and how they're impacting the space. He also talks about drivers of change in urban freight related to factors beyond land development and road infrastructure, and uses case study examples to highlight what cities in the United States and Canada are doing to further efficiency and safety. 

Karen Aspelin, P.E., PTOE (F), joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss her involvement with ITE and how it's culminated in her current position as International President. She addresses her views on leadership, what it means to be a leader, and offers her perspective on achieving a work-life balance for volunteer leaders. Karen also shares more about her own career path in engineerin...

Dale Picha, P.E., PTOE, Director of Transportation Operations for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) San Antonio District, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to talk about Crash Responder Safety Week (CRSW). Dale highlights the importance of this critical information campaign that promotes safety for first responders responding to crash sites and ITE's role in CRSW. He also dis...

Aimee Flannery, Ph. D., P.E., Global Principal – Transportation Risk & Resiliency at Jacobs, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to talk about making the transportation system more resilient and steps the industry can take to set standardized methods to measure resilience. She discusses several strategies to improve transportation resilience, including hardening assets, nature-based sol...

Brian Cronin, Director of the Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) Joint Program Office of the U.S. Department of Transportation, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to discuss the recently released National V2X Deployment Plan. The plan, drafted and advanced with collaboration across public and private partnerships, provides stakeholders with vital information to enable a safe, efficie...

Cipriana Patterson, P.E., PTOE, Director of Operations, Mid-Atlantic Region for Toole Design, joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to delve into issues of equity, representation, and collaboration. She shares both her background and her experience as a Black woman in transportation, and discusses what more can be done to make both the profession and the built environment a better experience...

ITE's 2024 Young Member of the Year Sam Harris, P.E., joins the ITE Talks Transportation podcast to share his journey from beginning at ITE through a Student Chapter to his current leadership roles on the Safety Council and the ITE Georgia Section. He also shares his passion for safety and how he has progressed in his career, as well as what he looks forward to accomplishing in the future.

​Venkat Nallamothu, P.E., Director, Transportation Operations and Safety at toXcel, joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to talk about the influence technological innovations are having on the transportation industry, specifically artificial intelligence (AI). He discusses the potential implications of AI on transportation infrastructure such as connected and automated vehicles, how AI has e...

Kathy Falk, Vice President with Kimley-Horn, joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to discuss the newly released edition of the Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). She discusses the significant changes within the 11th edition, and highlights how the manual addresses safety concerns surrounding pedestrians and bicyclists, including bicycle lanes. She covers other new parts of th...

Rachel Carpenter, Chief Safety Officer at the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to discuss why the department adopted the Safe System Approach in an effort to reverse traffic fatality rates and address speed, among other safety improvements. She also explains their work with the Safe Systems Pyramid which takes a public health approach t...

Odessa L. Phillip, P.E., President and CEO of Assedo Consulting, LLC, joins the ITE Talks Transportation Podcast to discuss community engagement as part of the decision-making process for transportation planning and project design, addressing the challenges of this process as well as the most effective strategies she's found. She also speaks to the importance of equity considerations when having t...