There are several critical workforce challenges facing the U.S. transportation sector today and state departments of transportation are taking steps to “sound the alarm” about the situation. Roger Millar, secretary of the Washington State Department of Transportation, provided some stark numbers on his agency’s workforce recruiting and retention situation during…
By nearly any measure, we are entering an age of significant technological innovation that is transforming every sector of our transportation and infrastructure systems. While dramatic change can be difficult to embrace in any industry, I believe the innovation and technological advancements we are experiencing in transportation today should be…
It is well known that public transit in the United States faces a workforce skills crisis. A lot of attention—properly—goes to training for skilled craft positions, like bus mechanics. At the Transportation Learning Center, we focus on the need for training in those occupations, particularly as new technology such as…
Under the leadership of Mayor Muriel Bowser, The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) is working to bring Washington DC’s roadways, alleys, and sidewalks to a state of good repair over the next five years. By 2024, we will have replaced our structurally deficient bridges, paved hundreds of miles of roadway,…
Summer marks the height of construction season. As many of us hit the road, we have probably seen several projects—and workers—along the way. When we’re not traveling, we might overlook these projects and struggle to recognize just how many workers keep our transportation systems going. Construction is always happening, of…
The United States is on the verge of a major technological revolution that will create tremendous opportunities, as well as potential challenges, for our nation’s workforce. Continuing advances in autonomous vehicle (AV) technology present an opportunity for lawmakers and relevant stakeholders to proactively form policies that ensure workers will have…
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is the largest and oldest public transportation agency in the southeast. This year, we marked its 40th anniversary as a bus-and-rail system with stellar Super Bowl service, a newly minted labor contract, and a historic, multi-billion-dollar transit expansion program well underway in our…
The transport systems that move both people and goods are, for better or for worse, a reflection of the nation as a whole. Economists look to the trucking sector for signs of an impending recession. The condition of our roads and bridges is a reminder of what it means to…
Asphalt and track, sensors and signals – these are essential elements of what moves us, but they can never be enough on their own. We must have skilled people who plan, design, build, staff, and maintain these critical components of our everyday world. According to National League of Cities statistics,…
When I think of workforce development, I am reminded of a quote by Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company. He said: “The only thing worse than training your employees and having them leave is not training them and having them stay.” Now more than ever, these words ring…