August 2019 WDCSITE Newsletter

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Greetings!

In This Issue

President's Message

2019 WDCSITE AnnualMeeting

Register Now forUpcoming WDCSITEEvents

2019 WDCSITETechnical Meeting atMontgomery CountyDOT

WDCSITE/VASITE/YPTAudi Field MeetingRecap

Meet a Member: BoDu

Project of the YearAward

WDCSITE AnnualScholarship

Current Job Opening

2019 WDCSITESponsors

Quick Links

WDCSITE Webpage

WDCSITE Awards

ITE ProfessionalDevelopment RecordKeeping System

President's MessageHello WDCSITE,

Hope you are doing well.

As we enter fall, we have some exciting times to lookforward to. An important agenda item is the election ofa new Baltimore Area Director. Adam Greenstein hasserved this role passionately and enthusiastically for thepast two years and as his term ends, WDCSITE isidentifying potential candidates to fill his large shoes. This position is an excellentopportunity for someone to get involved with WDCSITE and the transportationcommunity while developing new and exciting professional relationships. If youare interested in learning more about the role and duties of the Baltimore AreaDirector position, please reach out to Adam Greenstein. As part of WDCSITE's continued initiative to engage the student community, I amhappy to report that Howard University has established a new student ITE chapter.This is fantastic news as this will allow WDCSITE to collaborate and engage withstudents at Howard. A special word of thanks to Dr. Stephen Arhin, AssociateProfessor at Howard University, for initiating the conversation. Shawn Daniel fromRK&K will serve as the WDCSITE Student Liaison.

WDCSITE is organizing a resume review and workshop at University of Maryland,College Park on September 11, 2019. Additional details about this event are foundin this newsletter below. I hope the students use this opportunity to refine theirresume and prepare for upcoming interviews. I also want to encourage our studentcommunity to take advantage of WDCSITE's scholarship program. The September16, 2019 deadline for submitting your application is fast approaching. Should youhave any questions about the scholarship program, please reach out to NeelimaGhanta.

As always, if you have any questions, comments, or suggestions on how we canmake WDCSITE a more resourceful professional organization, please don't hesitateto reach out to me via email or phone (703-220-2203).

Regards

ITE EmploymentCenter

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Upcoming Events

September

9/11 - 2019 JointWDCSITE and ITSMaryland TechnicalMeeting at UMD 9/26 - VDOTTechnical Meeting

November

10/1 - MD SHA Event

at Hanover Complex 10/29 - JointMeeting with ASHE,Maryland Area TBD - ChangeManagement Eventin Washington DC orArlington County

Vivek Hariharan2019 WDCSITE President

SAVE THE DATE: 2019 WDCSITE Annual Conference andBusiness Meeting

Join your colleagues for our annual flagship event on November 14, 2019. Theconference will be in DC this year at the historic National Union Building, locatedin the heart of Penn Quarter. The conference will feature a keynote presentation,networking, various technical sessions, lunch, award ceremony, and election results.It surely will be a "can't-miss" event!

CALL FOR PRESENTERS! WDCSITE is looking for presentations on topics in the transportation field. If youare interested in presenting your work to the the local professional community atthis event, please reach out to David Duarte (dduarte@jmt.com).

Register Now for the Upcoming WDCSITE Events!Joint WDCSITE & ITS Maryland Technical Meeting at University of

Maryland

Date: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM Location: University of Maryland, 8228 Paint Branch Drive, Kim EngineeringBuilding (Pepco Seminar Room, College Park, MD 20742 Please join your fellow WDCSITE colleagues, ITS Maryland, and University ofMaryland students and professors for workshops and technical presentations at theUniversity of Maryland on Wednesday, September 11th.

Arlington County

November 11/14 - AnnualWDCSITE Conferenceand Awards Meeting

To view the current jobpostings via WDCSITE,please click on theimage above.

Volunteers

Are you interested involunteering with events,meetings, & otheractivities with WDCSITE?We are looking formotivated enthusiasticindividuals to furtherWDCSITE's goal andmake us the professionalorganization of choice.Please contact JonCrisafi or AdamGreenstein to volunteer.

Topics and Speakers We are always lookingfor fresh ideas, topics,and presentations. If youare interested presentingat a WDCSITE event,please reach out to VivekHariharan. Presentations from alltransportation andrelated disciplines arewelcome.

2019 WDCSITEEXECUTIVE BOARD

The meeting will begin with a workshop to help students build and refine resumesand practice interview skills in mock interviews. A reception will follow with foodand beverages, followed by technical presentations. It is anticipated that PDH credit(s) will be available. Payment will only be takenelectronically through PayPal. Tentative Agenda:

5:30 PM - 6:30 PM - Resume and Interview Workshop with UMD students6:30 PM - 7:00 PM - Registration and Networking7:00 PM - 8:00 PM - Technical Presentations

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!! WDCSITE and ITSMD volunteers are needed for this workshop session. Pleaseemail Anjuli Tapia if you would like to volunteer.

2019 WDCSITE Technical Meeting at VDOT NOVA Office

Date: Thursday, September 26, 2019Time: 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM Location: VDOT NOVA Offices, 4975 Alliance Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 Please join your fellow WDCSITE colleagues on Thursday, September 26, 2019 atthe VDOT NOVA offices. The meeting will begin with networking opportunitiesfollowed by technical presentations with dinner sandwiches provided. Tentative Agenda:

5:30 PM - 6:00 PM - Registration and Networking6:00 PM - 7:00 PM - Technical Presentations

1. Bud Siegel (VDOT) - Local Assistance Program2. Bill Cuttler (VDOT) - Update on VDOT Construction Program

7:00 PM - 7:15 PM - Break, dinner sandwiches to be provided

7:15 PM - 7:45 PM - Technical Presentation3. Abi Lerner (VDOT) - I-495 Express Lanes Northern Extension

7:45 PM - 8:00 PM - Closing comments/adjourn

Call for Volunteers: Maryland STEM FestivalThe WDCSITE Board is in the process of planning STEM events in our region withschool students to increase youth awareness around transportation. You asWDCSITE members have a unique opportunity to participate in these activitiesthrough the Maryland STEM Festival - this is a month-long festival that promotesSTEM all around the state from October 11 through November 10. One of ITE's

Vivek HariharanPresident

David DuarteVice President

Burak CesmeSecretary / Treasurer

Jon CrisafiWashington DC

Area Director

STEM all around the state from October 11 through November 10. One of ITE'sprimary goals as an organization is to promote transportation to school studentsthrough STEM activities, which encourages them to consider future studies andcareer paths in transportation and related fields. We would love to have you join us at these events to help engage students intransportation-related activities. Some of the events we are planning are below. Please contact Adam Greenstein (410-246-3843) if you would like to be part of theWDCSITE team in making these events memorable and enjoyable for our region'syoung minds! October 12 - Maker Day Celebration - Columbia

Location: Universities Space Research Association (USRA) - 7178 ColumbiaGateway Drive, Columbia, MD 21046Time: 2-5pmAge group(s): all

This is an event being led by the MD STEM Festival staff - we will be one of severalgroups participating. We have started developing plans to work with a groupcalled "The NEXT Education" on activities for all ages, including some on ITS andCAVs. This will include demonstrations and/or hands-on activities. October 19 - Middle School Community Transportation Event - Takoma Park

Location: Takoma Park Community Center - 7315 New Hampshire Avenue,Takoma Park, MD 20912Time: 3:30-5pm

ITE will be leading this event, running interactive activities for middle schoolstudents. November 2 - 1st Annual Cambridge STEM Day - Cambridge

Location: Cannery Way - 400 block of Race Street, Cambridge, MD 21613Time: 9am-12pm

Age group(s): all

This will be a large event run by the MD STEM Festival staff, so we would be one ofmany groups participating. We would provide hands-on activities anddemonstrations. This is a great opportunity to increase awareness of ITE and othermajor transportation initiatives for the Eastern Shore. Week of November 4 (specific date TBD) - Middle School TransportationEvent - Takoma Park

Location: Takoma Park Middle School - 7611 Piney Branch Road, SilverSpring, MD 20910Time: TBD (during the school day)

Faculty and staff from the Middle School have expressed interest in havinginteractive transportation activities integrated into science and math classes as afollow-up to the October 19 community event. This will be an ITE-led event. November 9 - Morgan State University STEM Expo - Baltimore

Location: Murphy Fine Arts Center - 2201 Argonne Drive, Baltimore, MD21218

Adam GreensteinBaltimore

Area Director

Seth YoungDistrict

Representative &Immediate Past

President

21218Time: 10am-2pmAge group(s): all

This event will be led by staff from Morgan State University, so we will be one ofseveral groups participating. We are working with a group called "LearningUndefeated" to plan demonstrations and hands-on activities. We have been intouch with the MSU ITE student chapter, and their members will be engaged tojoin us. Activities will vary throughout the day, so you are still encouraged to joinus even if you cannot attend the entire event. This provides a great opportunity forour professional members to engage directly with the student chapter members. ITE STEM Resources A STEM resources page is available on ITE's website that provides guidance andexamples of activities for different age groups and settings, including resourcesoutside of ITE. Please visit this website, and let us know if you have any topics oractivities that you'd like to incorporate in these events. We look forward to having you as part of our team to promote transportation toour region's youth!

2019 WDCSITE Technical Meeting at Montgomery County DOTWDCSITE held a well-attended technical lunch meeting at the Montgomery CountyDepartment of Transportation offices in Gaithersburg, MD on July 31, 2019.

Mr. Michael Paylor, Chief of the Division of Traffic Engineering and Operations,

gave an overview of the County's responsibilities and initiatives.

Ms. Liz Parrish, Senior Engineer with MCDOT, described Montgomery County'sAdvanced Transportation Management System (ATMS) and TransportationManagement Center (TMC). She also shared the County's experience with testingtwo types of different Adaptive Signal Control Technologies (ASCT) alongMontrose Rd/Pkwy.

WDCSITE/VASITE/YPT - Audi Field MeetingWDCSITE held a joint event with VASITE and YPT at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.that included two technical presentations, happy hour, and a DC United game. The meeting kicked off with Jonathan Rogers (DDOT) & Robert Schiesel (GoroveSlade) providing a review of transportation access to the meeting's venue, AudiField, with a focus on how the District DDOT and other District agenciescoordinated with DC United on the run up to opening day and beyond. Next, Jon Whitney and Errol Williams provided an introduction and update onDDOT's largest project to date, the South Capitol Street Corridor Project; just astone's throw away from the meeting venue. The presentation reviewed the projectand the footprint extents while focusing on the construction progress of theFrederick Douglass Memorial Bridge and the redesign of the Suitland Parkway/I-295 interchange. Following presentations, members from all three organizations enjoyed happyhour drinks and appetizers, and later saw DC United take on their long-time rivals,New York Red Bulls (unfortunately losing 2-1)!

Meet a Member: Bo Du 1. Please introduce yourself and tell us about your role in WDCSITE. My name is Bo Du. I grew up in Hohhot (abeautiful city in northern China) and obtainedmy PhD degree in Transportation from NewJersey Institute of Technology (NJIT). I currentlyserve as one of the WDCSITE's webmasters. 2. Please tell us about your family. I moved from New Jersey to Arlington, VA threeyears ago. Now I live in Crystal City with mywife, son and a dog. 3. Please tell us something about your hobbies and activities outside work.

I love to spend time with family, friends and experience new foods. Outside ofthat, I serve as a reviewer for Journal of Advanced Transportation, KSCE Journal ofCivil Engineering, Journal of Traffic and Transportation Engineering, and TRBAnnual Meeting. 4. Tell us briefly about your work - firm/organization, your role. What doesyour typical workday look like?

I am a Transportation Planning Engineer with HNTB. I spend most of my day intraffic simulation programs like VISSIM and Synchro. Recently, I am fulfilled withchallenging multimodal transportation projects from all over the Country. 5. What projects have you worked on that have had a big impact on yourcareer or on a community? The most exciting and challenging project I've worked on is the RooseveltBoulevard - Route for Change project for the City of Philadelphia. I really enjoyedthis project because it aimed at transforming Roosevelt Boulevard into a beautifulscenic corridor that increases pedestrian and vehicular safety, improvesmultimodal transportation options, increases community accessibility, andsupports local economic development. I also worked on a research project for New Jersey DOT during my PhD study,where I developed a multi-variate regression model and an artificial neuralnetwork model that incorporated probe-vehicle data into work zone delaypredictions. I integrated my models into a user-friendly web-based graphical userinterface to assist traffic engineers at NJDOT in better comprehending the dataand in making judicious decisions. This project helped me understand theimportance of communication and translating complex modelling results tosimple charts or tables. 6. What is your favorite WDCSITE activity/event you have participated inand what activity/event/presentation would you like to see next? My favorite WDCSITE event was the SimCap Meeting at TRB. I liked all the greatpresentations, roundtable discussions, and the engagement with professionalsfrom public, private, and academic sectors. 7. When and how did you get involved with ITE and how has yourinvolvement in ITE, especially WDCSITE, helped your career? I've been involved with ITE since attending NJIT, where I was a student memberand attended many ITE Met Section meetings and events. I continued myinvolvement with WDCSITE after moving to DC metro area. WDCSITE has beengreat for me, because it has helped me build amazing relationships with otherprofessionals. 8. What topic (besides connected and autonomous vehicles) are you mostinterested in seeing progress in the next 10-15 years in the transportationindustry? I am interested in leveraging Big Data solutions for smart decision making andstrategic planning that will improve safety and mobility for all users in an efficient

strategic planning that will improve safety and mobility for all users in an efficientand environmentally friendly way. 9. What advice would you give to a young transportation engineer? I would encourage young transportation engineers like myself to challengeyourself by taking the opportunity to work on solutions to overcome difficultobstacles. It is also important to become more engaged with professionalorganizations to build networks and broaden horizons.

Project of the Year Award - Deadline September 30, 2019This award is given to a project that applied innovative methods and techniques tosolve a transportation problem/issue for the overall betterment of the community.The project should clearly demonstrate the use of effective and trend settingsolutions that reflect in-depth knowledge in the field of transportation. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

The competition is limited to agencies/consultants and projects locatedwithin the WDCSITE geographic area: Washington DC, Maryland, NorthernVirginia - Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William CountyProject should be able to highlight substantial involvement of at least oneWDCSITE memberProject may be of any type (study, design, or construction) or magnitudeSubstantial portion of the project must have been completed before August15th of the year of submission for this award's considerationThe committee will accept submission of projects that are work-in-progress.However, should your project be selected for the award, the same projectcannot be submitted again for consideration the next two (2) years

CRITERIA FOR JUDGEMENT:Projects submitted for this award will be judged on the following criteria:

Use of sound engineering principles with application of innovative solutionsand ideasSocial, environmental, and significance of the project to the relevantcommunity/areaProject complexity and net benefit of the projectTechnical value to the transportation engineering professionDollar value of the project will not be considered in judging

SUBMISSION ITEMS:

The submittal shall consist of a project description of no more than twopages that outlines its benefits (including graphics/pictures)Include the name of the agency/firm, project location and informationnecessary to judge the project based on the stated criteriaUp to two additional pages of drawings/graphics will be accepted as anappendix (if necessary)Applicants are also encouraged to submit a technical paper about theirproject for presentation at the annual meeting

DEADLINE:September 30, 2019.

Please reach out to Vivek Hariharan for any questions.

WDCSITE Scholarship Program - Deadline September 16,2019

WDCSITE is introducing an annual student scholarship intended for futuretransportation professionals. This scholarship aims to recognize students for theirhard work, while encouraging them to fulfill their remaining course work inTransportation Engineering/Planning and pursue a career in the field oftransportation. This scholarship is designed to provide financial support tostudents who have demonstrated extraordinary interest in the transportation field.Two undergraduate or graduate students will be provided scholarships in theamount of$500 each. Please reach out to Neelima Ghanta for additional information. Please find thesupporting background information, application, and referral form at the linkslocated below: Submission Deadline: September 16, 2019

Background InformationApplication Form

Application Referral Form

Current Job OpeningsThe following job opportunities are posted on the WDCSITE Job Portal.

Company Position Contact Person

Mid-Senior and JuniorTraffic Engineers

Anne Wilkinson

2019 WDCSITE Sponsors

We would love to hear your thoughts / comments / suggestions on the newsletter.Please feel free to reach out to our newsletter committee!

Thank You,

Dana Slone, Krishna Patnam & Philip KoloskiNewsletter Committee

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