This week, our transportation attorneys attended the Transportation Research Board 95th Annual Meeting, which is affectionately deemed the nexus of all-out, unabashed transportation “nerdom” by industry insiders.

During the conference, Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx addressed and challenged attendees to rethink transportation as a tool for connecting, as opposed to just being a “through-put” for north and south or east and west travel. This complements President Obama’s sentiment during his State of the Union address this week that we spend money “to work to build a 21st Century transportation system.”

Based on Foxx’s message, expect to see announcements showing financial support for “smart” transportation technologies from the Department of Transportation and the White House in the coming months, such as the proposed $4 billion investment into the development of autonomous vehicles over the next 10 years. These announcements will complement the ongoing Smart City Challenge, for which applications are due Feb. 4. As Foxx noted, “transportation is not just about function anymore, it is about connections” and, to take it a step further, “overcoming disconnections.”

We look forward to digesting the information and conversations from our participation in TRB and continuing to advise clients on trends, policies and law associated with smart transportation planning and construction. States and cities are truly moving through the gates of an era of transportation and connectivity that has the potential for creating new fast lanes, but careful and thoughtful navigation will be needed.