News

Here is a brief weekly update from the RTA business coalition – the voice of the regional business community on transportation.

25+ member chambers make for one powerful business organization
RTA serves as the voice of the regional business community on transportation in the extended Research Triangle region. We would like to offer a special welcome to our newest member chambers of commerce, serving Chatham County, the Cleveland area around I-40/42, and Clayton. RTA is honored to serve more than 25 member chambers across 11 counties in central and eastern North Carolina, as we focus on accelerating 540 and advancing key priorities across the region.

RTA and partners March forward for intersections and freeways
Last week, RTA volunteers and partners focused on intersection innovations – both the practical and the possible – at our spring 2019 RTA Intersections Forum hosted by SAS. We learned about current practices on connected/autonomous vehicles, enhanced pedestrian detection, and more. From a freeway standpoint, we had our first “Let’s make I-40 better” action team meeting earlier today, with RTA volunteers, NCDOT, and metro planning organizations getting a level set on the current and  expected conditions for the Interstate, and we had a solid discussion of potential options. Our I-40 action team will continue to meet this spring, and we will have another innovations forum at SAS this summer.

North Carolina innovates in aviation – again
Our region made national news again this week for transportation. RTA bronze member WakeMed Health and Hospitals is the host site and customer of the first drone-based continuing commercial delivery service in the U.S. –  with medical supplies being delivered to WakeMed’s flagship Raleigh campus. As flexible, scalable, and high-impact mobility solutions go, this is about as good as it gets. Congratulations to WakeMed, NCDOT, the FAA – and North Carolina for being first in unmanned commercial flight. Learn more about the initiative in our weekly blog, and explore some insights about expanding the use of drones in this McKinsey article.

Thank you for getting our region moving faster as a member of the RTA!

Let’s get moving, 

Joe

Joe Milazzo II, PE
RTA Executive Director