Community College Journal - December 2010/January 2011

TRANSPORTATION: DESIGN, BUILD, AND MANAGE THE FUTURE FOR AMERICA

BY ROBERT BERTINI

safe, efficient, and effective
transportation system is
critical to the growth and
stability of the U.S. economy,
The continued effectiveness
of the national transporta-
tion system depends on our
ability to develop and main-
tain a highly skilled and
qualified workforce, now
and for the future. More than 13 mil-
lion Americans are currently employed
in transportation-related jobs. That in-
cludes civil engineers, architects, plane
and ship pilots, transit system manag-
ers, transportation planners, and intel-
ligent transportation systems design
engineers and technicians. America’s
community colleges can play a central
role in keeping these vital professionals
trained, prepared, and up to the task.

A

PHOTODISC PHOTOLIBRARY

Challenges and Opportunities
The transportation workforce is facing
important challenges that will pre-
sent new opportunities for the next
generation of workers. Nearly half of
the nation’s transportation workforce
will be eligible to retire within the
next 10 years. The development of new
technologies and business practices will
require transportation professionals to
possess new technical and management
skills. Innovations in transportation
safety; freight shipment tracking; air
traffic management; highway, bridge,
and pavement design; transportation
planning; and transportation systems
management will be only as effective as
workers’ ability to apply
those skills.

Air, Freight, and Transit: Growing and Growing More In addition, significant increases in airline travel, freight, and transit traffic will strain our ability to meet the nation’s growing transportation needs. Unlike the highway sector, we generally don’t think about congestion in the airline industry, but as domestic and international air travel increases, it’s getting a bit more crowded at 30,000

feet. Air traffic is expected to increase to 1 billion passengers by 2015 and to double the current levels by 2025. Assuring safe airline travel requires cutting-edge technology to design and construct mechanically sound planes and provide effective air travel management. New technologies to ensure safety, smoother rides, and greater passenger comfort are being developed and implemented now. The Federal Aviation Administration is working to completely transform air traffic control—from ground-based radar to a satellite-based system— through its Next Generation (NextGen) Air Transportation System Integrated National Plan. NextGen is critically important, because the current system is not equipped to effectively manage the air traffic expected in the coming years. Technicians and operators who understand this technology will be essential to its success.

New design and management systems for rail freight are also being developed to enhance safety and performance. Research to advance the use of bio-based fuels and lubricants with the goal of cleaner air and lessening the nation’s dependence on fossil fuels is ongoing. The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is investing $50 million to develop and deploy Positive Train Control (PTC) collision avoidance systems and other advanced technologies that use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to monitor and control a train’s movements. These new technologies will help enforce train speed limits, prevent train collisions, and keep rail workers safe.