Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
bikeandpeds
What transportation problem is on your mind? Image: Melanie Curry/Streetsblog

Planners, engineers, and others working on a difficult, hard-to-solve problem have an opportunity to get help from a team of experienced planners and engineers. At January's annual meeting in Washington DC of the Transportation Research Board (TRB), a new kind of workshop will bring together a group of experts to address “unsolved mysteries that vex planners, modelers, and analysts in the transportation field.”

The workshop, “Analyze This! What Planners Want to Know” will present three real-world problems faced by people working in transportation. Then teams will work together on a strategy to address each problem. The workshop is intended to get creative minds working together, to highlight different ways people approach problem solving, and to expose areas where research is needed.

The workshop is sponsored by four TRB committees: travel demand forecasting, transportation planning applications, public transportation, and transportation demand management. However, the problems don't have to fall into these categories.

“Everything is on the table,” writes workshop coordinator Elizabeth Sall. “Not every question can be solved with running a travel model..... but let me at least say that since we will have a bunch of dataheads in the room, you might as well get them to solve problems [for which] data can at least be part of the solution.”

Problems can be general (how do driverless vehicles affect safety and the environment? how does transit reliability affect ridership and mode share?) or specific (how to test strategies for maintaining affordable housing while significantly increasing transit access?) or in between (how best to encourage bicycling and walking?). Any problem that would benefit from a team of planners and engineers—and dataheads—is welcome.

The submissions should summarize a case study, including information on the problem, its context, who is affected, and what is the impact of not reaching a resolution. The committee will choose three problems to work on, and people who submit ideas that are selected will be invited to present their problem at the TRB meeting.

The deadline for submissions is October 1, coming up soon. Submit your problems here.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

Wednesday’s Headlines

A larger than usual headlines stack as we careen towards the 4th of July.

July 2, 2025

Inner Richmond Parents Fed Up with SFMTA Watering Down Safety

Mother of a child hit by a driver furious with city excuses for not taking daylighting and other safety measures seriously.

July 2, 2025

Governor Signs Major Changes to CEQA to Cheers from YIMBYs, Jeers from Environmental Groups

Newsom fast tracked changes to CEQA to fast track development and housing. But what do the changes to the law actually do?

July 1, 2025

Santa Monica and West Hollywood Bus Lane/Stop Enforcement Programs Start Today

Don't block the bus! Parking in a bus lane or at a bus stop will result in a $293 ticket.

July 1, 2025

Tuesday’s Headlines

Gov Signs CEQA Bill to Increase Housing, Higher Fees on Parking and Tolls, Opposition to Road Widenings, ICE

July 1, 2025
See all posts