President
 Robert D. Stevens
 Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
 Arcadis
 rstevens@
arcadis-us.com

 Vice President
 Eva Lerner-Lam
 Aff.M.ASCE
 The Palisades
 Group, Inc.
 elernerlam@
palisadesgroup.com

 Treasurer
 Louis F. Cohn
 Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
 University of Louisville
 cohn@louisville.edu

 Past-President
 Kumares C. Sinha
 Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
 Purdue University
 Sinha@ecn.purdue.edu

 Larry Mugler, AICP
 M.ASCE
 Denver Regional
 Council of Governments
 lmugler@drcog.org

 A. Essam Radwan
 Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
 University of
 Central Florida
 aeradwan@mail.ucf.edu

 C. Michael Walton
 Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE
 University of
 Texas at Austin
 cmwalton@mail.
utexas.edu

 Secretary
 Jonathan C. Esslinger
 P.E., F.ASCE  Transportation &
 Development Institute
 jesslinger@asce.org

In This Edition
A Message From the President

Transportation & Development Institute's call for Candidates

Transporation Bill Delayed Until 109th Congress

Downs Delivers Francis C. Turner Lecture at Awards Breakfast

2004 Jack E. Leisch Fellowship Award

Bus Rapid Transit

Stone Matrix Asphalt

Automated People Movers Standards Committee

T&DI Committees Meeting During Transporation...

Journal of Transportation Engineering Becomes Monthly

2005 Member-Get-A-Member Drive Underway!

ASCE Continuing Education/T&DI Webinars for 2004-2005

10th International Automated People Movers Conference
December 2004

A Message From the President

As this is my first message as your T&DI President for 2004-2005, I'm excited to have this opportunity to put my thoughts in writing. With the Institute starting its third year, I want to thank our current Past President, Dr. Kumares C. Sinha, for his service as President in our second year and Bob Costigan, who just completed his term as Past President and continues to represent the Institutes with ASCE’s Board of Direction.

I'm particularly excited about the outcome of the November 2004 elections. Now don't worry, I'm not going to write a political message or anything about the individual winners. Rather I want to talk about how transportation and development won at the ballot box.

Voters in 21 states approved some $28 billion in funding for transportation. Of the 55 ballot measures acted upon on November 2, 2004, more than 80% dealt with new taxes, extensions of existing taxes, or increases in existing taxed to fund transportation improvements. Some 80% of the 55 ballot measures were approved.

Providing some $28 billion in new revenue for transportation infrastructure over the next 20-30 years at a time when getting an increase in funding from the federal government continues to be a struggle, is a significant statement from the voters about the importance they place on transportation. It is obvious that voters have experienced the deteriorating and congested infrastructure that is identified so clearly by ASCE's "Report Card". Hopefully this strong support of the voters for transportation improvements both in roads and transit will send a clear message to Congress that it's time for them to provide the funds needed.

Some 26 of the initiatives that were approved were for transit. It's encouraging to see as New York City celebrated their 100-year anniversary of their subway that more and more voters are deciding to fund transit. One of the largest transit expansions that was approved was right here in Denver where I work and vote. Denver area voters approved the $4.7 billion for the FasTracks rail transit expansion plan. This plan calls for building 119 miles of rail corridors throughout the Denver metro area as well as pay for increased suburb-to-suburb bus service. The approval of this plan creates many opportunities for civil engineers, planners and others to combine our skills to improve the quality of life.

In many places throughout the U.S., joint development is occurring at and near transit stations. The newly approved funds will lead to many new transit-oriented developments. Transit-oriented development not only helps reduce auto trips and therefore, energy consumption, it also increases transit ridership. The success of these new/expanded transit systems will lead to more transit proposals being submitted to voters for their consideration.

To help bring transportation and development together was one of the reasons T&DI was formed. The link between the two is clear. As one of my bosses early in my career liked to say, "a city only has so much land and it's critical that we plan and engineer that land for the best possible use". That's a big part of what T&DI is all about.

Robert D. Stevens, Ph.D., P.E., AICP, F. ASCE


Transportation & Development Institute's call for Candidates

Transportation and Development Institute members are invited to submit recommendations for candidates to serve on the Institute’s Board of Governors. This is a four year term beginning October 1, 2005. Submittals will be considered by the T&DI Nominating Committee in early 2005.

Members of the Board of Governors shall be either a Member or Honorary Member in good standing of the Institute and shall be a Member in good standing of ASCE. Student members of the Institute cannot serve on the Board of Governors.

Submittals must be received no later than February 7, 2005 and include a one page résumé of the person, highlighting their professional accomplishments, their activities and committee service in T&DI, ASCE and other transportation related organizations, and a signed statement from the person agreeing to serve if nominated and elected.

All submittals should be sent to the Transportation & Development Institute, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1801 Alexander Bell Drive, Reston, VA 20191, c/o Jonathan Esslinger, P.E., F. ASCE or by fax to 703-295-6421, attn: Jonathan Esslinger, P.E., F. ASCE


Transporation Bill Delayed Until 109th Congress

Despite pressure from ASCE and other allied groups, Congress was unable to reach an agreement to finish a six-year transportation reauthorization bill during its recently completed lame duck session, meaning the reauthorization fight will continue in the 109th Congress that begins in January. The current extension of TEA-21 expires in May 2005, giving lawmakers just over four months following the inauguration to come to an agreement on reauthorization.


Downs Delivers Francis C. Turner Lecture at Awards Breakfast

This year's recipient of the ASCE Francis C. Turner Lecture Award, Thomas M. Downs, delivered a forceful and enlightening speech on the bleak outlook for transportation infrastructure and operations funding in the U.S., and the need to look beyond the existing decision making process for a more deliberate and effective means of legislating revenue generation and expenditures. He presented his eloquent remarks to a crowd of peers and well-wishers at a breakfast hosted by the Transportation and Development Institute at the ASCE Annual Meeting in Baltimore, MD on "T&DI Day," Friday, October 22, 2004.

Downs is President and CEO of the ENO Transportation Foundation. He is a nationally recognized leader in transportation policy, having headed a number of highway, rail, and transit organizations over the past 25 years. Before joining the ENO staff in 2003, he was Director of the National Center for Smart Growth at the University of Maryland. Prior positions include Chairman and CEO of Amtrak, Commissioner of Transportation and Chairman of the Board of New Jersey Transit, President of the Triboro Bridge and Tunnel Authority, and City Administrator and Director of Transportation in Washington, DC. At the federal level he served as Executive Director of the Federal Transit Administration and as Associate Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration.

The Turner lectureship was established jointly by the former Highway and Urban Transportation Divisions of the Society by the former solicitation of gifts from the many friends and admirers of Francis C. Turner, Hon. M.ASCE, former Chief Engineer of the Bureau of Public Roads, and retired Federal Highway Administrator. It was instituted by the Board of Direction in October 1988.

The award consists of a plaque, a certificate, and a cash prize determined annually by and subject to the approval of the Society Awards Committee based on the income from the award endowment.

Thomas M. Downs (third from right) recipient of the Francis C. Turner Award along with some of the Transportation & Development Institutes Board of Governors. From left to right: Louis F. Cohn, Kumares C. Sinha, Robert D. Stevens, Eva Lerner-Lam and Larry Mugler


2004 Jack E. Leisch Fellowship Award

An annual award was established several years ago by Joel P. Leisch, P.E., F. ASCE in memory of his father, Jack Leisch, to recognize a graduate student pursing a career in Transportation Engineering with a particular interest in Geometric Design. Jack Leisch was a legendary figure in the transportation field, and he greatly contributed to the development of highway geometric design standards. This award is given each year by the Transportation and Development Institute and the recipient is selected by a committee.

This year the recipient was Brian Guy who completed his BSCE from the University of Nebraska with distinction and is currently a graduate student at Purdue University. Joel P. Leisch gave the award at a ceremony held on October 15, 2004 at Purdue.

Joel Leisch, a Purdue Alumnus, is a Transportation Engineering consultant. He has had a long association with ASCE and has served as the chair of the executive committee of the former ASCE Highway Division. At the award ceremony, Mr. Leisch made a presentation on the design of interchanges reflective of human factors.


Bus Rapid Transit

Over 35 transportation professionals attended the October 22, 2004 Bus Rapid Transit workshop that was held in Baltimore, MD during ASCE's Annual Conference and Exposition. The BRT workshop was the first of four being held around the U.S. The workshops are jointly sponsored by T&DI, The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) and the National Transit Institute (NTI).

Participants heard presentations from internationally known experts on various aspects of BRT systems including planning, engineering, traffic operations, vehicle design and ITS with a case study on Eugene Oregon's implementation of a BRT system. The new "Characteristics of BRT" (CBRT) document published by FTA was debuted by Barbara Sisson, P.E., FTA's Associate Administrator for Research, Demonstration and Innovation. Workshop attendees participated in an open forum and panel discussion designed to assist FTA in identifying future BRT research needs and topics to be addressed in future revisions to the CBRT document.

Another highlight of the workshop was the luncheon keynote speaker, Maryland Secretary of Transportation, Robert L. Flanagan. Secretary Flanagan spoke about Maryland's transportation needs and that state's intent to give users modal choices. The Secretary also noted Maryland's interest in BRT systems because of their flexibility compared to light rail where there is new development to be served or if there are problems along the route such as crashes.

The next BRT workshop is being held on January 19, 2005 in Orlando, FL. Cost of the workshop is $175 for T&DI/ASCE member, $225 for non-members and includes all course materials, lunch and breaks. More information can be obtained at T&DI's website, www.tanddi.org. Future workshops are scheduled for March 3, 2005 in Las Vegas and March 30, 2005 in Los Angeles.




Stone Matrix Asphalt


A joint collaborative research between South Dakota State University (SDSU), USA and Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM), on Stone Matrix Asphalt (SMA), yielded some interesting results. Local cellulose fibers which is one of the main ingredients of SMA was developed from local palm trees found in abundance in Malaysia at a fraction of the cost of other commercial fibers available in the Market. Ali Selim, Ph.D., P.E., Past Chair of the T & DI Highway Pavement Committee, with his counterpart Ratnasamy Muniandy of UPM showed that doubling the amount of fibers in SMA did not only improve drain down characteristics of the mix, but also improved fatigue resistance as well as crack control. Even after doubling the amount of fibers to 0.6% the cost was still more economical than using the type of fibers available in the market at a rate of 0.3%. The new fiber is in the process of being patented.


Automated People Movers Standards Committee
February 10 – 11, 2005/Miami Beach, FL

The T&DI/ASCE Automated People Movers Standards Committee will be meeting on February 10 – 11, 2005. During the meeting the Committee will perform a line by line review of the System Verification and Acceptance material, resolve comments from the reaffirmation ballot of Part 1, and perform a review of Part 4, Chapter 12, Security. The committee will also review material related to reaffirmation of Part 2 of the Standard including a report on European and American structural standards relevant for Part 2. For more information, contact Jonathan C. Esslinger, P.E., Director, T&DI at 703-295-6295 or jesslinger@asce.org.


T&DI COMMITTEES MEETING DURING TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD WEEK
January 9 - 13, 2005

January 9, 2005 8:00–5:00pm Transportation Security Marriott Hotel Thomas Paine Room
January 9, 2005 2:00–9:00pm Airfield Pavement Shoreham Hotel Calvert Room
January 9, 2005 7:00–9:00pm Infrastructure Systems Marriott Hotel Harding Room
January 9, 2005 4:30–7:30pm Highway Pavement Shoreham Hotel Cabinet Room
January 10, 2005 7:00am-9:00am Cross Cutting Marriott Hotel Restaurant
January 10, 2005 8:00–5:00pm Land Use Hilton Hotel Cabana 327 Room
January 10, 2005 11:00-2:30pm Traffic Operations Marriott Hotel Ethan Allen Room
January 10, 2005 4:00-7:00pm Local Roads and Streets Marriott Hotel Thomas Paine Room
January 11, 2005 8:00-5:00pm Automated People Movers Marriott Hotel Park Tower Room 8224
January 11, 2005 10:00-2:00pm Transportation Planning & Economics Hilton Hotel Cabana 328 Room
January 11, 2005 6:00pm-10:00pm Transportation Safety Marriott Hotel Park Tower Room 8224
January 12, 2005 12:00pm–2:30pm Environmental Issues Marriott Hotel Park Tower Suite 8216
January 13, 2005 8:00-5:00pm Public Transportation Hilton Hotel Chevy Chase Room


The Board of Governors for the Transportation & Development Institute will be hosting a reception during TRB week. The Reception will be held Tuesday, January 11th from 5:30pm to 7:30pm in the Thomas Paine Room of the Marriott Hotel.


Journal of Transportation Engineering Becomes Monthly

The ASCE Journal of Transportation Engineering will become a monthly journal beginning with the January, 2005 issue. Currently it is published bimonthly. The change is being made to meet increased demand for publication in the journal. As the timely publication of quality papers is our main objective, the editorial board is always looking for volunteers to review papers. All comments, suggestions or expressions of interest in being a reviewer are eagerly solicited by the Editor-in-Chief, Kumares C. Sinha, Ph.D., P.E. (ksinha@purdue.edu).


2005 Member-Get-A-Member Drive Underway!

Members can participate in the 2005 campaign in two ways: Simply submit colleagues' names and e-mail addresses at www.ASCEDrive.org. ASCE will send the potential members an e-mail notification of their nomination with a link to the Membership Drive Web site, where they can get complete details on ASCE membership and complete a membership application online. Members can also participate by asking colleagues to join ASCE. Either way, potential members can include their recruiter’s name in the "sponsor" section of their membership application to give sponsorship credit.

Each quarter, ASCE will announce new prizes for the Membership Drive. For more information or to request membership applications, please call 1-800-548-2723 or 703-295-6300, or e-mail drive@asce.org, or go to www.ASCEDrive.org.


ASCE Continuing Education/T&DI Webinars for 2004-2005




10th International Automated People Movers Conference

The 10th International Automated People Movers conference will be held May 1-4, 2005 at the Coronado Springs Resort and Conference Center at Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL. An exciting technical program of technical presentations, technical tours and plenary sessions have been arranged by the conference steering committee on topics of interest to transportation professionals. More information on the conference program and registration is available at www.asce.org/conferences/apm05.



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