Professor Matthew W. Daus, Esq. President, International

Professor Matthew W. Daus, Esq.
President, International Association of Transportation Regulators
Distinguished Lecturer, University Transportation Research Center, Region 2
Partner and Chairman, Windels Marx Transportation Practice Group
Contact: [email protected]
156West56thStreet|NewYork,NY10019
T.212.237.1106|F.212.262.1215
UTRC’s2014Transport‐TechSummit:
SecondAnnualSymposiumHeldatNewYorkInstituteofTechnology(NYIT)
BigDataandInnovativeSolutionsforSafe,EfficientandSustainableMobility
ByMatthewW.Daus,Esq.
Iwasproudtohelpconceive,organizeandchairthesecondannual
Transport‐TechSummit,hostedbytheU.S.DepartmentofTransportation’s
UniversityTransportationResearchCenter(UTRC)forRegion2(NewYork,New
JerseyandPuertoRico).AsaproudmemberoftheUTRCforalmost5yearsnow,
ourcenterishousedatTheCityCollege,oftheCityUniversityofNewYork,
overseeingaconsortiumof17universitieswithtransportationprograms.The
UTRChasconsistentlyservedastheregionalcenterforalmost25years,andlast
yearreceiveda5yearcommitmentformorethan$25millionfromtheU.S.DOT’s
OfficeoftheAssistantSecretaryforResearchandTechnology(OST‐R),theNYState
DepartmentofTransportation(NYSDOT)andtheNYMetropolitanTransportation
Council(NYMTC).
Technologycontinuestorapidlyevolveandchangeallofourlives,including
howwetravelfromplacetoplace.Groundtransportationandpublictransit
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technologyadvancesarebringingour“transportationandmobilitynetwork”closer
together.Transportationmodesandsub‐modesarenowabletosharedataand
worktogethermorecloselyandseamlesslythaneverbefore.Thattrendisgoingto
continue,notceaseordiminish.“Bigdata”isnotjustaboutcollecting,managing,
storingandanalyzinglargedatasets,itsabouthowyouuseittobringabout
positivechange,whichisthefocusandmissionofourTransport‐TechSummit.The
goalofthesymposiumwastodiscusstechnology,notinamodalvacuum,butin
termsofthreebasicoverallgoalsthatapplytoallmodes‐workingtogether‐forthe
ultimatebenefitofpassengersandpedestrians:(1)Efficiency(making
transportationmoreefficientintheorywillincreaseusageofappropriatemodes
andultimatelysavepassengersmoneyduetocompetitionandenhanced
connectivity);(2)Safetyandsecurity(e.g.,theuseofblackboxrelatedtechnology
andresultantdatatoreducevehiclecrashes,suchasisbeingdonenowwithNYC
MayordeBlasio’sVisionZeroinitiatives);and(3)Sustainabilityandaccessibility
(ensuringthattheefficiencygainsofenhancedtechnologyanddata
collection/analysisbenefittheenvironment,andachieveequityamongpassengers,
includingthedisabledandeconomicallydisadvantaged).
Thismulti‐modalsymposiumbroughttogethermembersoftheacademic
community(includingstudents,researchersandprofessors),privateindustry
(includinggovernmentvendors,groundtransportationprovidersandtechnology
companies)andgovernmentofficials(suchastransportationdepartments,taxiand
limousineregulatorsandmasstransitagencyrepresentatives).Thissummitalso
uniquelymarriedallofthecomponentpartsofourtransportationnetworkwhere
technologyplaysamajorconnectiverole,including:(1)thevehicle;(2)passengers;
and(3)infrastructure.Thevehicleitself‐whethertheon‐boarddiagnostics(OBD)
systemofthecar’scomputeroruseofvehicleblackboxestocaptureG‐Forceand
otherdata‐isamajorconsiderationforpolicy‐makingandfuturetransportation
advancements.Passengersareaddictedtotheirsmartphones,expectanddemand
quickandsustainableoptions,andtechnologyhasandwillcontinuetoassistthem
evenmoreinmakingsoundinter‐modalconnectionsandmodalchoices,while
reducingtraveltimeandsavingmoney.Finally,technologyanddatacollectionand
usewillnotbelimitedtojusttheusersandvehiclesoftransportationtorealize
increasedefficiency,safetyandsustainability,butalsowillinvolveinteractionswith
infrastructure(e.g.,trafficlightsignaltimingtoallowbusrapidtransittooperate
moreefficiently,andcommunicationsbetweenvehiclesandothervehicles(V2V),
passengers(V2P)andinfrastructure(V2I)toavoidcollisions).
ThesummitbeganwithintroductoryremarksbyHon.CouncilMember
YdanisRodriguez,ChairoftheNewYorkCityCouncil’sTransportation
Committee.CouncilmanRodriguez,himselfaformerliverycabdriveranda
graduateofTheCityCollegeofNewYork(thehomeofUTRC),spokeofhis
“progressivetransportationagenda”andtheroledatawillplayinbothhis
legislativeactivityandoversightresponsibilities.CouncilMemberRodriguezis
responsibleforhelpingpasslegislationimplementing“VisionZero”and“Cooper’s
Law”‐pro‐publicsafetyinitiativesforfor‐hireandothervehicleswheredata
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collectionplaysamajorroleinthesuccessofsuchinitiativesandlawenforcement.
Also,theChairmanspokeoftheimportantroledatawillplayinhiscommittee’s
oversightofimportanttransportationagenciessuchastheMetropolitan
TransportationAuthority,theNYCDepartmentofTransportation(DOT)andthe
NYCTaxiandLimousineCommission.Toviewthevideoofthisspeech,pleasesee
thefollowinglink:http://vimeo.com/114064775
TheworkofthedaythenbeganwithaplenarysessionmoderatedbyDr.
Robert“Buz”Paaswellon“VehicleTechnology–Safety&Sustainability”that
includedpresentationsonenvironmental/alternativefueltechnologyandelectric
vehicles,aswellasautonomousvehicletechnology.Then,uponunveilingseveral
academicpostersandpapersfordisplay,thefirstseriesofbreakoutswereheld‐all
involvedtheuseofdataforimprovingtransportation.UTRCDirectorDr.Camille
KamgamoderatedasessiononTraffic&TransitManagement,thatincludedreal‐
timebusandtrafficridershipdata,trafficflowandcongestiondata.Imoderateda
breakoutsessionontheuseofTaxicabDataAnalysis&Modelling,includingthe
relationshipbetweenthebikeshareprogramandtaxicabridership.Theremaining
morningbreakoutsessionwasmoderatedbyDr.SabihaWadooofNYITand
includedpresentationsonBigTransportationDataincludingNYCDOTprojects,
trafficsignalmanagement,transportplanningandpedestriancrashhotspots.The
afternoonbreakoutsessionscoveredsuchtopicsasTravelandSafetyData
(moderatedbyProfessorHongmianGong),Security&Privacy(moderatedby
ProfessorSarahKaufmanfromNYU),andTransportationSimulation(byCity
CollegeAssistantProfessorMahdiehAllahviranloo).
Aftertheluncheon,IwaspleasedtointroduceourKeynoteSpeaker,Dr.
AmenRaMashariki,thenewlyappointedChiefAnalyticsOfficer,wholeadsthe
Mayor’sOfficeofDataAnalytics(MODA).AgraduateofBrooklynTech,anda
computerscientistandengineer,Dr.MasharikipreviouslyservedasChief
TechnologyOfficerattheU.S.OfficeofPersonnelandManagement.MODA’smission
istoserveasNYC’scivicintelligencecenter,allowingtheaggregationandanalysisof
bigdataacrosscityagencies,toincreasetheefficiencyofservicedeliveryand
enhancegovernmenttransparency.MODA’sroleincludesbuildingacitywidedata
platformtofacilitatedatasharing,overseecitywidedataprojectsandimplementing
theCity’sOpenDataLaw.Dr.Masharikispokeofhisexperience,perspectiveand
plansforMODA,whichincludeinternalgovernment“Hack‐A‐Thons”orwhatis
knownas“Data‐Palooza.”Thatisanexercisebywhichgovernmentagenciesshare
dataandbrainstormastohowsuchdatacanbeusedtoimproveagency
coordinationandservicedelivery,amongotheritems–butitdoesnotinvolve
actual“computerhacking”oranythingsonefarious.AsPresidentReaganoncesaid
inadifferentcontext,IencouragedDr.MasharikiandMayordeBlasioto“Tear
DownThoseDataWalls”thatseparategovernmentagencies,privateindustryand
theacademiccommunity,forthebettermentofthepublic.Thefactthatpublic
informationundertheFreedomofInformationActtakessolongforgovernment
agenciestodelivertoresearchers,andatsuchahighcost,isanimpedimentto
servicedeliveryand,particularlyinthetransportationfield,topassengerefficiency
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andcustomerservice.Dr.Masharikiadvisedthathewouldlookintohowmore
opendataplatformscanbedevelopedinordertoallowSiliconAlleyinNYCtogrow
bythedevelopmentofappsusinggovernmentdataintheprivatesector,aswellas
tofuelresearchandpromotegovernmenttransparency.ToviewtheKeynote
Speech,clickherehttp://vimeo.com/114130662.Formediacoverageofthe
keynotespeech,pleaseseehttp://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/city‐
hall/2014/11/8557154/transit‐event‐new‐city‐analytics‐head‐stresses‐sharing.
Last,butnotleast,averylivelyandinformativepaneldiscussionclosedthe
day’seventsonthetopicofFor‐HireGroundTransportationSmartphoneand
RidesharingApplications.Iservedasmoderatorofthisplenarysession,which
includedpanelistsAvikKabessa,CEOofCarmelCarService,DanielRamot,CEOof
Via,andRonSrebro,CEOofGetTaxi.Thepanelists,afterexplainingtheirapps,
businessmodelsanddatacollectionandusage,eachanswereddifficultquestions
abouttheroleofgovernmentinobtainingprivatetransportationdataandthe
conceptofoneuniversalsmartphoneappselectedbythegovernmenttobeusedfor
alltaxicabsandfor‐hirevehicles.Thepanelalsoprognosticatedonthefutureof
thisrapidlyevolvingdisruptionmovement,usingsmartphonestopre‐arrange
groundtransportation,theNYCTaxicabPassengerEnhancementProgram(T‐PEP–
creditcards,GPS,etc),transportationaggregatorservices(likeExpediafortravel)
andtherelationshiptoothermodesoftransportation,suchasparatransitand
servicedelivery.
TheUTRCwouldliketothankalloftheindividualsandbusinessesthat
helpedmakethissecondannualsymposiumsuchasuccess:theNYCMayor’sOffice;
NYITEngineeringandComputingSciencesSchoolDeanDr.NadaMarieAnid;UTRC
DirectorCamilleKamgaandUTRCDirectorEmeritusRobert“Buz”Paaswell;the
staffofUTRC,includingNadiaAslam,PennyEickemeyer,AndriyBlagay,Tierra
Fisher,NathalieMartinez,SabihehFaghih,OtiBoatengandMahdiehAllahviranloo;
Transport‐TechCommitteeMembers,co‐ChairProfessorHongmianGongfrom
HunterCollegeandDr.MartaPanero,DirectorofStrategicPartnershipsatNYIT;
andofcourseoursponsors,theBlackCarFund,Via,GetTaxi,UTRC,NYIT,the
InternationalAssociationofTransportationRegulators(IATR),WindelsMarx,and
Pango.Oursincerestthanksgotoallofthepresenterswhosharedtheirresearch
withtheaudienceatthisverywellattendedsummit.
Toviewamorecompletesetofvideos,speechesandpresentationsfromthe
2014Summit,pleasevisittheUTRC’slinkathttps://vimeo.com/album/3167102
WearealllookingforwardtoanotherexcitingTransport‐TechSummitin2015!
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