A Future in Motion
ITRE is blazing new trails as it surges ahead with new project initiatives.
A recent partnership with the NCDOT Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (DBPT) has ITRE assisting in the development of a variety of bicycle and pedestrian projects. These include training workshops on planning and designing bicycle and pedestrian facilities, updating and revising DOT bike/ped design manuals, the development of maps that highlight state and local bicycle transportation systems,and providing technical assistance to communities. ITRE staff is also working with a DOT to develop ideas on how to mainstream the planning, design and construction of bicycle and pedestrian facilities into regular DOT activities and a new matching grant program to encourage NC localities to develop comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian plans. Special projects such as an economic impact study of bicycle facilities in the northern Outer Banks region are also part of the initiative.
The Triangle Regional Model (TRM) is a computer model that is used to analyze the current Triangle area transportation system, which is managed by NCDOT, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), the Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization (DCHC MPO), and the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA). ITRE is initiating a new service bureau within ITRE to provide routine support in the form of documentation and database management in addition to training and research projects related to using the TRM. The goal is a single management entity that will produce a consistent regional model. Starting January 2004, the service bureau should be fully staffed and capable of performing maintenance and update activities.
Twenty-five successful years has brought ITRE to the cusp of its potential for making a difference in the way transportation is viewed and used. Sustaining and enhancing educational opportunities, improving the knowledge and skills of transportation professionals, conducting innovative research that impacts the transportation community and building national visibility are just a few future ambitions waiting to be accomplished by ITRE. Through its unique professional partnerships, its dynamic and motivated staff and a history of evolution, invention and reinvention, ITRE's transportation research and education will extend the boundaries and the way we think of transportation.
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