Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA)’s Post

🚗 Is Mobility as a Service (MaaS) on life support following MaaS Global's bankruptcy? Not so fast! While the bankruptcy raises questions, MaaS itself is far from dead. It's a wake-up call emphasizing the need for local optimization and social acceptance. 🌎 Take the US for instance. Merely integrating mobility options and payment systems won't cut it. Why? Non-driving ridership sits below 5% nationally. And if MaaS platforms only serve existing riders, they're missing out on the bigger picture. 🚶♂️ Equity and accessibility through MaaS systems are undoubtedly crucial, but engaging drivers is also key to making a regional impact and justifying the investment. The real impact lies in motivating and assisting "nudgeable" drivers in making informed and timely decisions, such as changing departure time, route, and mode or even forgoing the trip when needed. 🏙️ Our successes with programs like Houston ConnectSmart and our latest VDOT Dynamic Incentive (DI) project speak volumes. They underscore visionary state and regional transportation agencies' commitment and innovative approaches to addressing congestion, enhancing safety, and providing accessibility regionally. MaaS isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. It thrives when tailored to local needs and embraced by communities, delivered through a behavioral science-based process. #MaaS #dynamicincentive #Virginia #Texas #Houston #ConnectSmart  

Rail can give back on so many levels. One of them is a LOW HANGING FRUIT in the fight against #climatechange: drastically cutting down emissions per journey by travelling near and mid distance journeys by (speed)train instead of airplane. You don´t need to follow my example - I did not flew since 2011 and switched to 99% plantbased in 2019 (only 10% of all crops on earth are directly eaten by humans, the rest is ... agriculture, biofuel and some materials like for insulations or fashion). Imagine the space to be freed if people would change their diet habbits for 1-2 days a week – think of easily improved diabetis or high bloodpressure and obesity – but thats another posting, another low hanging fruit with the coolest receipts to cure much of it without bad sideeffects). SO WHAT can we do to get y´all on the rails? ... Make it more attractive. TIME is the new true luxury in a world, where recruiters and influencer suggest you might find relaxation with 2 reels a day on insta. ... real solutions: Competition. And better and more variable seats (almost every nation has clever solutions to be adopted by others), better food, better restrooms, maybe even influencer areas with good light. I even remember starcooks prepearing food for some train lines (I did once DVD artworks for one of them for his TV show). Companies are already coming together to provide the pathways for just that. IMAGINE going on a #train would have that romantic spirit again from the times of #MarkTwain - or the #magic of the #Hoghwarts #train. It´s all there. With a dedicated "slow down and live" - Approach where it is possible and gives you QUALITY times back. Not that stressy airport preparation for a little jump of 1 hour flights, without hunting your luggage at the airport or weighting bags. A TRAIN COULD BE A SPA on rails with the right team. Just like a company is driven by the spirit of its team. With the right people you move mountains - or experience a truly comfy journey of a lifetime ... it´s a lot of work, but passionate people to make it happen, are already there. And I´m glad, some of them also give back on other levels hope providing with passion humanitarian aid and supporting good causes from bringing students across Europe ans elsewhere together to distributing relief to disaster regions. REMEMBER your first journey on a train as a kid - it was an adventure. And yet it opened the doors to the world. The cool thing today: WE KNOW already it also helps us as humanity reduce our Emissions-Footprint. Food for thought. Enjoy your journey. #SongOfTheDay: #JOURNEY. BUNT ft. Emma Carn: 545.000+ views: 🎵 ⏯ https://lnkd.in/eg4iH-WZ (on legendary Kontor Records GmbH) (PS: yes the #vintage #vwbully in the video isn´t emission free. But: there´s a cool solution for this too 🤗 https://lnkd.in/eCG2TN6Q ) #travelblog #train #peacetrain #humanitarian #verkehrswende #cutemissions #slowtravel #slowdown #bahnfans #raillive

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A welcome development in the USA:

Next up in our Get to Know GSG series: Donald Grabowski! 🚅 Learn more about the Vice President of our Rail Services division. #gsgconsultants #gettoknowgsg #chicagoengineering #railservices

🚆Our new briefing provides an overview of rail in Wales. It looks at passenger services, infrastructure, and freight. Find out more about responsibility for the system, current debates, policy developments, and the future direction of rail ⬇ https://lnkd.in/evsCxYQM

Last week, AFCO’s Steve Forrer was honored to attend a press conference celebrating a $40 million federal grant to support air cargo infrastructure at Lehigh Valley International Airport (ABE). The funding award is part of a program created and supported by the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.   U.S. Senator Bob Casey and U.S. Representative Susan Wild were on hand to underscore the grant’s importance to the region: Rep. Wild called the airport “a huge economic driver for our area” (Lehigh Valley News) while Senator Casey noted that ABE is an “economic engine that is critical to the success of the region” (WDIY).   AFCO has been working with Lehigh Northampton Airport Authority (LNAA) to address their immediate need for enhanced, modern, and sustainable air cargo capacity – which has seen an approximate 800% jump over the last 10 years. In 2023 alone, ABE processed more than 275 million pounds of air cargo through its facilities. This federal funding will improve the airport’s day-to-day operations and make its movement of cargo and freight more efficient while creating jobs, supporting business, and contributing to the region’s overall economic success. (Pictured below: Left--Steve Forrer, AFCO; Right--Senator Casey) #infrastructureprojects #aircargo #airportdevelopment

Metrolink, the long-awaited metro line for Dublin, is finally moving forward with its statutory planning procedure. The project has been in the works for 19 years, ever since it was recommended in the Irish Government's 2005 Transport plan. Recently, Aan Bord Pleanála (ABP), the national independent statutory body responsible for determining applications for strategic infrastructure and other developments, held an Oral Hearing for Metrolink. This hearing provided a unique opportunity for the project team to hear valuable information from stakeholders on issues that may have been overlooked. Identifying as many risks as possible before the project begins is crucial to avoiding delays and extra costs. As Professor Flyvbjerg says, "Think slow, act fast." Taking the time to carefully consider potential risks can make all the difference in the success of the project. To learn more about the importance of careful planning for Metrolink, check out the full article here: http://surl.li/rpasy

✍ European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and #UICrail signed a new appendix on Safety Culture Peer Reviews, complementing the existing Coordination Framework between the two organisations. Josef Doppelbauer, François DAVENNE   💡 Following the development of a Railway Safety Culture Peer Review methodology by the European Union Agency for Railways, which was also used by #UICrail in the European Commission-funded Twinning II project, a corresponding Safety Culture Peer Review procedure will be established under UIC’s coordination. The intention is to promote #safetyculture peer reviews and to support the railway sector with coordination, methodologies and training. ➡ The main stakeholders from the sector will be infrastructure managers and railway undertakings, however, others such as wagon keepers, entities in charge of maintenance (ECMs), and manufacturers will not be excluded. Both European Union Agency for Railways and UIC have agreed to openly share their views, knowledge, and experience to ensure that the peer reviews provide added value for safety within the sector. #UICrail and European Union Agency for Railways are delighted to announce the creation of a Railway Safety Culture Peer Review programme. This initiative aims to enhance safety culture within the railway sector and follows the success of a series of partnerships. Based on the results of these peer reviews, the EU railway sector and ERA are interested in UIC going further, anchoring peer review activities between railway stakeholders. 👉 Read more about the objectives and scope, the collaboration and governance and the benefits of peer reviews here: https://lnkd.in/egcFJWt2

“Defining and fixing project scope is essential to sound decision making.” Michael Byng, from MBPC INFRASTRUCTURE LIMITED, writes about maintaining and enhancing the public and investors’ confidence in future railway projects. Read his full article here: #UKrail #railways