#TRBAM 2014

And thus another Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting (and trip to Washington, DC) comes to a close.

The events related to the meeting were a blast. It was wonderful to catch up with old friends and existing colleagues, as well as find new ones from all corners of the globe. Once at the meeting, I learned that next year there will be a major venue change, so I made sure to take in all of the fond memories of the Wardman Park Marriott (I never had much going on at the Shoreham or Hilton). I also got a lot of mileage out of the #TRBPM Twitter hashtag, the analog to #TRBAM.

It also goes without saying that the research and technical content were outstanding. I’m not sure how well it is understood that all of the programming is compiled by volunteer committees, but it is not a small feat. As a fellow at the Transportation Research Board in 2009 I became intimately familiar with the “sausage making” that is planning and compiling the annual meeting and it is truly incredible. But I think it’s worth it to celebrate the accomplishments of an industry that affects every single person on this planet so intimately.

What I most appreciated was the opportunity to candidly talk to transportation professionals at all stages in their careers, working for all kinds of companies and organizations and are experts in any mode you choose to name. Given this is likely to be my last TRBAM as a student, this was the information I needed more than anything in a session this time around.

And congratulations to the parents of the three TRBabies born this year!

See everyone next year!

January Sets the Tone

The culmination of a year’s efforts in the transportation business comes to a head every January. Every January brings the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. At the heart of this meeting are over 11,000 transportation professionals covering every mode of transportation as well as every discipline contributing to the field. For the past three January’s, making the trek to Washington, DC has been a ritual. And every year, I along with many others, emerge with new ideas and fresh perspective on the happenings in our field.

From the exterior it seems like a standard conference, with a nice shiny program filled with educational presentations and workshops, as well as a vendor display area. But as the past three years have progressed, it has grown into so much more for me.

I am a new addition in this field. But at the Annual Meeting, there are people who have been working in transportation for decades, in addition to the hordes in the peak of their career, and the others who, like me, are relatively new. This, of course, means that the networking opportunities are second to none. But opportunities to learn outside of the list of sessions and committee meetings abound.

Despite budget cuts and unpredictable actions from governments, the mood at the Annual Meeting always seems to be a positive and progressive one. There is always this overwhelming feeling that we are still going to find a way to keep moving. There is also this feeling that we will accomplish these great things by working together.

Cold weather aside, January sets the tone for the rest of the year for us transportation wonks. And if the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting was any indication, 2012 is going to be another great year.