The International Road Federation (IRF) wrapped up an exciting week at the 104th TRB Annual Meeting hosted from 5 to 9 January 2025 in Washington, D.C. As a longstanding partner of TRB, IRF was pleased to lend its support to and actively engage in a number of activities and sessions, forging valuable connections to empower mobility.

Innovative Strategies for Decarbonisation and Traffic Management

The week kicked off with Sunday workshops. In the “Decarbonising Mobility Globally: International Perspectives and Experiences with Congestion Pricing and Beyond” workshop, IRF Vice-President Michael Caltabiano, CEO of the National Transport Research Organisation (NTRO), shared an Australian perspective on tolling and road user charging, raising the crucial question: is tolling a hindrance or a help to the decarbonisation agenda? The workshop could not be more timely as a new congestion pricing mechanism entered into force in New York the night before. The workshop welcomed leading figures behind what is officially called the “Congestion Relief Zone” which promises to dramatically reduce traffic in the Manhattan area.

Led by Jon Obenberger, Chair of the TRB ITS Committee, the workshop “Estimating Staffing Needs and Developing Staffing Plans for Traffic Management Systems (TMSs),” saw the participation of IRF Deputy Director General Gonzalo Alcaraz. The conversation focused on identifying methods for estimating staffing needs in TMS, developing staffing plans, and addressing staffing challenges and resource allocation.

The workshop offered also the opportunity to present highlights from the the International Symposium “Navigating the Future of Traffic Management” being supported by IRF and other leading international organisations including the European Commission. Co-sponsored by TRB, the symposium will be hosted in Athens on 29 June-1 July 2025.

The International Networking Reception hosted on Sunday evening and co-sponsored by the IRF brought together a diverse group of professionals, fostering collaboration and celebrating collective achievements within the sector.

Celebrating Leadership and Strengthening Global Collaboration

On Monday 6 January, Victoria Sheehan, Executive Director of TRB, received the IRF Personality of the Year 2024 Award from IRF Vice-President Michael Caltabiano, Director General Susanna Zammataro, and Deputy Director General Gonzalo Alcaraz. This prestigious award recognises Victoria’s exceptional leadership and significant contributions to advancing innovation, fostering collaboration, and driving research within the transportation sector.

The TRB International Coordinating Council (TRB ICC) also held its meeting on Monday 6 January. Tamás Bartal, Deputy State Secretary, Ministry of Construction and Transport of Hungary, joined the group to discuss preparation of TRA 2026. As an active partner of TRB ICC and member of the leadership team, IRF Director General contributed to the meeting by animating – together with Petra Mollet from the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) – a discussion around priority areas for international collaboration stemming from the TRB critical issues. Innovation, Road safety, decarbonisation were amongst the top priorities coming out of a recent survey conducted within TRB ICC.

Sparking Innovation for a Sustainable Future

A defining moment of the week was the Chair’s Plenary, during which IRF Director General Susanna Zammataro shared the stage with a distinguished panel of experts to discuss International Perspectives on Implementing Innovation. The TRB Executive Committee Chair and Vice Chair hosted this special session to honour TRB award winners and engage in a fireside chat on creating cultures of innovation in policy, practice, and technology. Addressing the audience, Susanna emphasised the critical challenge facing the sector: “Do more, better, with less—and faster” she said. “That’s the main challenge we all face, whether in government, private sector, or organisations like IRF. (…) That’s where innovation comes into the picture” she added. IRF DG stressed the importance to embrace system thinking as opposed to the traditional project -by-project approach and the urgent need to reform public procurement. She mentioned the QBS – Qualification-Based Selection as a great starting point to spur innovation.

The week at the 104^th TRB Annual Meeting reinforced IRF’s commitment to advancing innovation in transport, while fostering partnerships, collaboration and knowledge sharing to respond the pressing challenges facing the global mobility sector.