Driverless Cars and Their Impacts on America's Transportation Network Focus of ARTBA's October 28-30 Dr. J. Don Brock TransOvation™ Workshop

Third Annual Event Held at San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation

Register: www.transovation.org

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This release is being distributed by the Mineta Transportation Institute.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100318/MTILOGO)

Smart cars and transportation systems are coming. It's not a question of "if" or even "when." They are here and they are coming. The key question for the U.S. transportation design, construction and management industry is whether or not they are going to help shape and lead its implementation to ensure a safe, efficient and seamless transition for their customers. 

How will these innovations impact the design and construction of highways and bridges? What will it mean for motorists and businesses? Will the public agencies that manage these transportation networks be prepared? Executives from IBM, Microsoft, the Automobile Manufacturers Alliance, public and private sector transportation construction professionals, and other thought leaders will explore these issues October 28-30 during the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's (ARTBA) Dr. J. Don Brock TransOvation Workshop™, held in San Jose, Calif. Federal Highways Administrator Victor Mendez is also slated to be on hand for the event, which is being co-sponsored by a number of organizations including the Mineta Transportation Institute.

Now in its third year, TransOvation brings together the brightest minds in transportation development and business to help them build innovative thinking into their professional skill set in order to tap new markets and increase efficiency, productivity and profit for their employers.

This year's theme is "Where Technology Meets the Road." World-class innovators will lead attendees during interactive workshops, where they will identify the design, building and management challenges posed by self-driving cars and other game-changing technologies. Attendees will break into groups and be tasked with creating a blueprint to help the transportation construction industry meet these challenges. 

The line-up of speakers and workshop leaders includes:

Phaedra Boinodiris, producer of IBM's award-winning INNOV8 series of serious games, is responsible for the company's broader global serious games strategy. He leads efforts to leverage serious games to provide greater agility for businesses and organizations in an increasingly complex environment. 

Mitch Bainwol, president & CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, the trade association representing 12 major automakers, including BMW Group, Chrysler Group, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz USA, Mitsubishi Motors, Porsche, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo.  

Ross Smith, head of software testing at Microsoft, is one of the nation's top innovation thought leaders, and has spent over 20 years developing and testing software. He holds five patents, and has been featured in the "Wall Street Journal" and on CNBC and MSNBC.

Bryant Walker Smith, a fellow at the Center for Automotive Research at Stanford and the Center for Internet and Society at Stanford Law School, writes, speaks, and teaches on the legal and policy aspects of increasing automation. He designed and taught the first-ever course on the legal aspects of autonomous driving and frequently lectures in both law and engineering courses.

Ted Zoli, a heralded bridge engineer and a vice president at HNTB, is a 2009 MacArthur Foundation Fellowship recipient. Esquire magazine labeled him "The Brightest: 16 Geniuses Who Give Us Hope." He teaches at Princeton and Columbia.

John Hillman, president and CEO of HC Bridge Company, was named a "Champion of Change" in 2013 by the White House. He is the 2010 Engineering News-Record magazine "Award of Excellence" winner for his development of the Hybrid Composite Beam. 

Dr. Raymond Chiu, an MIT-educated, 20-year veteran of 3M Corporation, where he currently heads the firm's research and development team working on high performance solutions for vehicle and traffic management systems.

James P. Pinkerton, a national thought leader, is a contributor to Fox News. He is the author of "What Comes Next: The End of Big Government & the New Paradigm Ahead." Mr. Pinkerton worked in the White House domestic policy offices of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush.

The TransOvation Awards will also be presented during a special October 28 event. The program honors "innovative transportation infrastructure-related products, services, technologies and techniques that improve safety, save transportation users and taxpayers time and money, and make our infrastructure more environmentally sustainable."

Established in 1902, the Washington, D.C.–headquartered ARTBA is the "consensus voice" of the U.S. transportation design and construction industry before Congress, the White House, federal agencies, news media and general public.

CONTACT: Beth McGinn
(202) 289-4434

SOURCE Mineta Transportation Institute