U.S. DOT Provides Newly Updated Website on the 5.9 GHz Safety Band

The newly updated U.S. DOT website provides detailed information about the 5.9 GHz Safety Band, a segment of the wireless spectrum that is crucial to the deployment of connected and automated vehicles. The Safety Band was established by the Federal Communications Commission in 1999. The newly updated site describes how three cutting-edge communities are using the Safety Band: New York City, Tampa, and Wyoming. The Safety Band website also features interactive maps that identify where local communities are using the Safety Band, fact sheets, technical reports, presentations, and content from past conferences.

From Our Partners: TSMO Workforce Webinar Series: Background, Guidebook, and Resources

March 17, 2:00 - 3:30 PM ET –

This webinar series will provide an overview of how the Transportation System Management and Operations (TSMO) Workforce Guidebook was developed and the resources that resulted from the completed National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) report and on-going National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE) efforts. A significant milestone recently reached is the completion of the NCHRP 20-7(408) report that included the TSMO Workforce Guidebook and several other resources. This NOCoE webinar will provide insights from the principal investigators and an overview of the products.

From Our Partners: Traffic Safety Culture Messaging Webinar

March 25, 1:00 - 2:30 PM ET – 

The National Center for Rural Road Safety is hosting a webinar that will feature information on the design of effective traffic safety messages, based on an understanding of traffic safety culture. The webinar will summarize different forms of traffic safety culture messages including social norms. The webinar will also discuss the importance of a positive (rather than fear-based) message "frame"; namely, those that grow self-efficacy and align with audience values. Finally, the webinar will discuss some aspects of message design to overcome audience resistance.

ITS College Courses Available Nationwide

ITS is an increasingly important element of engineering and planning education. Many colleges and universities offer ITS courses, including two universities in Rhode Island: Brown University and the University of Rhode Island (URI). The course at URI, a civil engineering course in ITS, focuses on traffic systems operations, detection devices, in-vehicle navigation theory, advanced transportation management systems, etc. To view a list of ITS courses offered at colleges and universities around the country, see the ITS College Courses webpage.

Educators, please email itspcb@dot.gov with information on additional ITS courses to add to this list.