Digital Infrastructure Week
Authored by COO Kristin White and CEO Laura Chace
“Isn’t infrastructure roads and bridges? How is technology infrastructure?” In January 2022, ITS America met with senior transportation officials responsible for implementing the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s (BIL) $1 trillion (about $3,100 per person in the US) investment in our nation’s transportation system. ITS America leaders discussed how the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), and the entire transportation industry must broaden its definition of ‘infrastructure’ needs to incorporate transportation technology and innovation. This ‘digital infrastructure’ is needed to ensure the U.S. invests wisely to modernize our country’s infrastructure by looking towards a future that includes revolutionary new mobility technologies and innovations. Digital infrastructure represents a fundamental shift towards a more interconnected and data-driven transportation ecosystem that better meets the needs of all.
Thus began ITS America’s campaign to shift mindsets about how we invest in the future of transportation. Software, code, sensors, computing, data, and connectivity – these are the new frontiers of infrastructure investment. We are re-energizing the concept of infrastructure with emerging technologies and exciting innovative solutions that also draw in a new generation. Last year we started a national campaign on social media, held workshops and forums, and launched a working group across industries and sectors to bring together leading technologists, engineers, planners, public agencies, researchers, and community nonprofits. The goal of this work is to advocate for technology investment by defining what ‘digital infrastructure’ means to us, crafting the transportation technology industry’s ‘vision’ for the future, and developing a strategy for the modernization of the U.S. transportation system together with USDOT to help support their leadership and vision for digital transformation.
ITS America is the country’s leading advocate for transportation technology and innovation. Founded by Congress in 1990 to advise the federal government on how we can integrate technology into our transportation system, ITS America’s mission is to bring together private sector innovators, public sector stewards, researchers, and community nonprofits to holistically use a system-of-systems approach to help people move safety, promote sustainability, and grow more access and opportunity for everyone.
How do we define ‘digital infrastructure’?
Through our work, we define ‘digital infrastructure’ as the data, communications systems, servers, routers, hardware, sensors, software applications, and computing to share information through data exchanges and platforms. Digital infrastructure uses public and private technology, data, and information to share information, provide meaningful insights, and connect us to champion a safer, greener, smarter future for all.
Our vision for digital infrastructure
We use digital infrastructure, data, information, and insights to advance our Vision Zero goals to reduce fatalities, to progress our Net Zero emissions reduction goals, to grow our economy by providing market certainty for industry, and to provide underserved communities with more affordable, accessible, and reliable transportation.
What’s the problem we are trying to solve?
There are millions of phones, devices, sensors, and vehicles being used. We have a lot of data from these devices and don’t know how to use it. Public agencies rely on older systems and outdated digital processes. It’s hard for them to share data. Communities expect information immediately that’s reliable, affordable, and easy to access. The private sector is investing billions in these products without clear governmental goals or coordination. Many public agencies don’t know how to upgrade legacy systems using tech and innovation or what to plan for and it’s very hard to partner across public-private sectors and across different national organizations.
What questions are we asking?
1. How do we define digital infrastructure? What is it?
2. What is our vision of the future that uses technology and innovation to help transform the way we move?
3. Who needs to be involved? Who are the stakeholders and communities we must reach out to? What are the distinct roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders?
4. What are the use cases – the benefits and the stories – for investing in technology and innovation? What are the business ‘cases’ or reasons for investing in digital infrastructure?
5. What is the return on investment for these technologies?
6. How do we measure success?
7. What are the barriers and challenges?
8. How do we break down siloes?
9. What is the 10-year roadmap to implement these innovations holistically across sectors? How can we all work together towards the same goals?
How can we achieve a digital infrastructure future?
How can we overcome these challenges to achieve our vision? By leading. By collaborating with our federal partners to craft a clear vision for American leadership. By bringing different stakeholders together to find consensus and dig into where we disagree. By developing or updating standards for investment that help the private sector invest, scale, and predict future market needs. Through developing a playbook for public agencies to invest, plan for the future with confidence, and develop a workforce to meet these needs. And, by championing how investments in digital infrastructure promote our societal goals.
Conclusion
In early 2022, ITS America and US Department of Transportation leaders began new conversations on how to ensure that the infrastructure investments we are making today help modernize America’s transportation system for tomorrow, with intelligent transportation technologies: like connectivity, automation, electric vehicles, mobility on demand and other emerging technologies. These technologies supply meaningful data and insights to help the stewards of our transportation system make more informed decisions to better serve all of us. After all, each of us is not only a user of the system, but also a decision-maker on how we invest in transportation. Every day we need information to help answer, “How will I get to work on time?” “What route should I take?” “When will the next bus arrive?” “Which route has an accessible mobility option?” “How long will traffic be stopped?” or “Where are the closest bike lanes?”
Through ITS America’s leadership, more voices are championing this view of the future: A vision that we plan for by investing in transportation technology and digital infrastructure as the means to get us to a safer, smarter greener future. For the first time ever, the USDOT has now included ‘digital infrastructure’ in its Research, Development and Technology Strategic Plan, noting:
“The transportation system of the future will integrate digital technologies and infrastructure to support safe, reliable, and convenient multi-modal travel.“
Call to action
We all have an enormous responsibility – as users, decision-makers, and leaders – to ensure we leverage the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law investment to invest in technology and innovation. The clock is ticking. Every day we wait is another day when the status quo of 43,000 deaths on our roads per year, 29% GHG emissions from transportation, and inequitable mobility solutions in many areas of our country. Cities, states, counties, MPOs, and transit agencies want better, but they need help with digital transformation. Communities want to plan for our future, but we need a national vision and strategy to ensure we are all working towards the same goals. No longer can we have conversations separating physical and digital transformation – we must ensure the funding Congress approved lasts well beyond the next generation by investing in our digital layer to help people and goods move more safely, more sustainably, and provide more access and opportunity for communities. The future of transportation isn't just asphalt roads and concrete bridges, it’s coding software and edge computing that provides valuable information to help us make better decisions. Decisions that save lives. Insights that protect our climate. Intelligence that gives more community members access to transportation. ITS America is proud to empower opportunity by promoting technology and innovation toward a safer, greener, smarter future for all.