Transportation Research Board 2021 Annual Report (2022)

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12 / TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT Communities of Individuals TRB’s standing technical committees operated for their first full year in the new commit- tee structure that was implemented in 2020. New and rescoped committees addressed transportation and health, as well as equity issues in transportation. Sustainability and resilience have received renewed attention, and transportation infrastructure commit- tees have realigned themselves to work better across disciplinary areas and facilitate a more multimodal approach to infrastructure. A new concept—coordinating councils—supports col- laboration across committees on issues related to international transportation concerns and transportation issues in rural areas and cities. Committees continue to increase the diversity of their membership. The Technical Activities Council has established a Blue Ribbon Com- mittee award to recognize best practices in promoting committee diversity. Strengthening Domestic and International Partnerships The transportation industry is complex and comprises a wide range of actors. TRB partners with other organizations to ensure its advice, research, and collaboration includes all voices. TRB has entered into memoranda of under- standing or letters of intent with many domes- tic and international organizations to partner and work together on activities for mutual benefit. In 2021, TRB entered into new arrange- ments with Latinos in Transit and the World Bank and cosponsored many joint webinars with partner organizations to discuss current GOAL 4 Collaboration

TRB 2021 AnnuAl RepoRT / 13 and emerging issues, with volunteers and staff participating. In addition to these partnerships, TRB volunteers helped create content for nearly two dozen cosponsored conferences held this year. Considering the Future To share perspectives on new issues and chal- lenges surrounding automated vehicles and shared mobility, TRB hosts the Forum on Pre- paring for Automated Vehicles and Shared Mo- bility Systems. Topics discussed during forum events are varied and include opportunities for automated vehicles and shared mobility modes to benefit transportation and society through increased safety, reduced congestion, enhanced accessibility and equity, and increased environ- mental and energy sustainability. Expert Collaborations Moving Forward TRB staff and volunteers share resources and expertise across the transportation industry. The University of Central Florida credits its work with TRB and NCHRP for helping its civil engineering program flourish, receive many ac- colades, and continue recruiting top talent. NHTSA’s Countermeasures That Work report notes that it draws heavily from NCHRP’s guides for state DOTs to use in implementing the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan. To give more attention to papers on equity and transportation in TRR, staff coordinated press releases with authors’ institutions, including The University of Texas at Austin, Portland State University in Oregon, and the University of Michigan. The Equity and Trans- portation collection papers are available via open access.