When I first entered the world of transportation, as a graduate engineering student at Texas A&M University, I recall that several of my professors introduced me to a new organization that was focused on emerging tech and innovations ─ innovations that could change how we move people and goods. At the time, the organization was designated as the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS) of America, the precursor to what would become the Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) of America. Little did I know, more than three decades later, I would have the privilege of serving as chair of that visionary organization.

This year, we celebrate the 35^th anniversary of ITS America. The convergence of emerging technologies in the areas of intelligent transportation systems, digital infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping every dimension of how we plan, build, operate, and sustain our transportation systems, fulfilling the vision of the leaders who formed this organization over three decades ago.

Today, we stand at a defining moment. Transportation innovation has never been more achievable as our digital evolution and AI are helping to augment analysis, accelerate workflow, and support decision-making. The choices and the efforts that we make now will determine how effectively we meet the mobility, safety, and economic challenges of the coming decades.

Our transportation system is no longer just physical—it is a digital transportation ecosystem of roadway corridors, multimodal networks, ITS systems, as well as connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs). Here in Texas, we are moving from pilot projects to full-scale deployment across the ‘Texas Triangle’ connecting the Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth and Austin/San Antonio regions. Roadside systems are being incorporated into the state’s traffic management platform to support applications such as queue warnings, work‑zone alerts, wrong-way driver notifications, and advanced traveler information.

Within our urban areas, Traffic Management Centers integrate CCTV feeds and dynamic message signs augmented by AI systems and connected vehicle data to provide operators with enhanced real-time visibility and rapid incident response. These capabilities give our teams the information needed to keep Texans safe and traffic moving. We are also deploying Connected and Automated Transportation (CAT) technologies, including roadside systems along major freight corridors that deliver real-time safety alerts to drivers and help facilitate the growing industry of automated vehicles and trucks in our state.

This digital backbone is essential not only for operations today, but also for enabling connected and automated vehicles that optimize freight movement and support smarter and safer mobility. Complimenting these advancements, Texas has solidified its position as the primary hub for AV deployment in the United States. As of early 2026, at least seven AV trucking companies and five commercial AV companies are actively operating or testing in the state. The state’s “permissive” regulatory environment and digital initiatives have transitioned from small-scale testing to 24/7 commercial operations.

Our digital transportation ecosystem is no longer simply experimental but is a tangible example of our transportation future.

To fully achieve the promise of our evolving digital infrastructure and automated technologies, interoperability must be a priority for infrastructure owners and operators as well as the manufacturers, owners and operators of the vehicles that use that infrastructure.  These efforts toward interoperability should include unified data practices and common communication protocols that transcend geographic boundaries. Trustworthy standards for highway condition reporting, work zone data exchanges, and connected‑vehicle information sharing are needed to achieve seamless communications between vehicles and infrastructure. This type of national approach makes the work that ITS America does at the national level essential.

It is important to emphasize that the federal government plays a pivotal role in accelerating the nation’s digital transportation infrastructure by establishing clear, interoperable standards, modernizing funding eligibility, and providing consistent national direction.

Thanks to the efforts of ITS America staff and our members, the U.S. Department of Transportation has been effectively engaged as a collaborative partner in these efforts. We urge Congress to act through the reauthorization process to increase funding for investments in transportation technologies and modernizing our core federal funding programs that currently exclude digital assets such as software, data systems, and connected‑infrastructure technologies. This exclusion creates barriers that only federal action can remove by authorizing these investments. ITS America’s policy priorities and federal engagement is helping to reinforce these priorities.

The 2026 ITS America Board has affirmed our collective mission: building a transportation system that is safe, smart, and connected.

To maximize our success, we must:

• Modernize federal funding structures to support digital and intelligent infrastructure.
• Advance a national framework for autonomous vehicle safety and data interoperability.
• Strengthen partnerships across sectors to accelerate deployment and adoption of digital and automated transportation technologies.

I am honored to be part of this multidisciplinary team of industry, academic and government leaders who are collaborating and working to achieve this mission. The future of transportation is intelligent, interconnected, and increasingly automated. But it is also human-centered, rooted in the belief that technology, when deployed responsibly, can help save lives, expand opportunities, and strengthen the foundations of our communities.

Together, we are unleashing a new era of transportation, one that our organizational predecessors could only dream up but that we get to see and experience.

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