Institute of Transportation Engineers

The Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) is an international educational and scientific association of transportation professionals who are responsible for meeting mobility and safety needs. ITE facilitates the application of technology and scientific principles to research, planning, functional design, implementation, operation, policy development, and management for any mode of ground transportation.

Institute of Transportation Engineers
AbbreviationITE
FoundedOctober 2, 1930; 94 years ago (1930-10-02)
TypeTransportation
FocusImprove mobility and safety for all transportation system users and help build smart and livable communities.
HeadquartersWashington, D.C.
OriginsPittsburgh
Area served
Worldwide
MethodIndustry standards, publications, conferences
Members18,000
International President
John Davis
Websiteite.org
Formerly called
Institute of Traffic Engineers
[1][2]

History

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The organization was formed in October 1930 amid growing public demand for experts to alleviate traffic congestion and the frequency of crashes that came from the rapid development of automotive transportation.[3] Various national and regional conferences called for discussions of traffic problems. These discussions led to a group of transportation engineers starting the creation of the first professional traffic society. A meeting took place in Pittsburgh on October 2, 1930, where a tentative draft of the organization's constitution and by-laws came to fruition. The constitution and by-laws were later adopted at a meeting in New York on January 20, 1931. The first chapter of the Institute of Traffic Engineers[1] was established consisting of 30 men with Ernest P. Goodrich as its first president.[4]

The organization consists of 10 districts, 62 sections, and 30 chapters from various parts of the world.[5]

Transportation Professional Certification Board

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ITE founded the Transportation Professional Certification Board Inc. (TPCB) in 1996 as an autonomous certification body.[6] TPCB facilitates multiple testing and certification pathways for transportation professionals.

Standards development

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ITE is also a standards development organization designated by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). One of the current standardization efforts is the advanced transportation controller. ITE is also known for publishing articles about trip generation, parking generation, parking demand, and various transportation-related material through ITE Journal, a monthly publication.[7]

Criticism

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Urbanists such as Jeff Speck have criticized ITE standards for encouraging towns to build more, wider streets making pedestrians less safe and cities less walkable.[8] Donald Shoup in his book The High Cost of Free Parking argues that the ITE Trip Generation Manual estimates give towns the false confidence to regulate minimum parking requirements which reinforce sprawl.[9]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About ITE". Institute of Transportation Engineers. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  2. ^ "Board of Direction". Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  3. ^ "History". Institute of Transportation Engineers. Retrieved May 24, 2024.
  4. ^ "Ernest P. Goodrich". Institute of Transportation Engineers. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved January 4, 2011.
  5. ^ "ITE Ingrographic". Institute of Transportation Engineers. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  6. ^ Birdsall, Michelle (February 2008). "Growth of Certification Program Signals Success". ITE Journal. 78 (2): 30–31. ProQuest 224896442. Retrieved 16 October 2024.
  7. ^ "ITE Journal". Institute of Transportation Engineers. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Speck, Jeff (November 7, 2012). "With fat lanes, traffic engineers kill in the name of safety". GGWash. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
  9. ^ Shoup, Donald C. (2003). "Truth In Transportation Planning" (PDF). Journal of Transportation and Statistics. 6 (1). University of California, Los Angeles. Retrieved December 17, 2021.
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