{"id":9107,"date":"2026-01-29T10:35:15","date_gmt":"2026-01-29T18:35:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/?p=9107"},"modified":"2026-05-20T15:05:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-20T23:05:03","slug":"trb-2026-highlights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/trb-2026-highlights\/","title":{"rendered":"TRB 2026 Highlights"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9214\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593-97x55.jpeg 97w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/426a712c-e654-dc3a-538c-91712a633593.jpeg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On January 11-15, 2026, our Region 10 Consortium migrated east to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. This annual conference typically consists of more than 13,000 transportation professionals from all around the world, hosting more than 5,000 presentations in nearly 800 sessions and workshops in what always amounts to a jam-packed week in a chilly Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mcePastedContent\">In total, we participated in over 100 events, which included lecterns, poster sessions, workshops, committees, and subcommittees.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mcePastedContent last-child\"><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/spreadsheets\/d\/1IglRDa2y2wCI69f-mkS7Lf1hwrmJQ3j4fvimlMae0Mk\/edit?usp=sharing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Check out the full list &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Region 10 Reception<\/h4>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9217\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665-97x55.jpeg 97w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/589571f9-3823-2b92-9282-4aa1856c2665.jpeg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>On Tuesday evening, PacTrans continued our tradition of co-hosting the Region 10 Reception, alongside our university partners. Every year, this gathering serves as the perfect opportunity to network and collaborate with other transportation professionals in a casual atmosphere.<\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\">During the reception, PacTrans presented the <em>2025 Michael Kyte Region 10 Outstanding Student of the Year Award<\/em>\u00a0to Shakiba Naderian from the UW Seattle. Her research focuses on improving multimodal traffic operations by balancing mobility and safety for all road users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and connected and automated vehicles. Through optimization and AI-based methods, her work develops efficient and safe control strategies that are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=DLrfBwyitY8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">implemented and tested in real-world urban environments<\/a>. Interested in collaborating? Connect with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/shakiba-naderian-310723216\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Shakiba<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9225\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1-97x55.jpeg 97w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/7fd6e91c-bdad-f6db-0908-00460f1b6241-1.jpeg 1800w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/drive\/folders\/1WyIKLRYqYt-O81r-sx_2NXh0cTkwyPXe\">View Reception Photos &gt;&gt;<\/a><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>CUTC Banquet<\/h4>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In parallel with the TRB meeting, the Council of University Transportation Centers (CUTC) Awards Banquet, sponsored by PacTrans, was hosted the Saturday evening before the annual meeting began. This banquet honors the outstanding students and faculty who are shaping and advancing university transportation research with federal funding.<\/p>\n<p>We celebrated many award recipients, of note:<\/p>\n<p class=\"mcePastedContent\"><strong>PSU Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) Project Team\u00a0<\/strong>received the\u00a0<em>CUTC Graduate-Level Group Award in Policy and Planning<\/em>\u00a0for their project \u201cBridgeless to Better Burnside\u201d, which focuses on transforming a wide, high-traffic corridor into a space that supports connectivity and safety. The PSU MURP team includes Michael Azierski, Brian Bill, Eric Gasper, Alex Gill, Jackson Morrison, and Michel Rojas.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.pdx.edu\/urban-studies-planning\/blog\/car-sewer-signature-street-murp-students-and-better-block-pdx-continue-west-burnside-efforts\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Learn more about the project.<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9218\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3-97x55.jpeg 97w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/15fd926c-26d6-c70a-8efc-e65d0a2e8ca3.jpeg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"mcePastedContent\"><strong>Rubina Singh (UW Seattle)\u00a0<\/strong>received the\u00a0<em>CUTC Outstanding Student of the Year Award<\/em>, which recognizes excellence in technical merit, research capability, academic performance, and leadership. Her research centers on how people make transportation decisions, using experimental and quasi-experimental methods to evaluate the impact of transportation policies and infrastructure on mode choice and travel behavior. Interested in collaborating? Connect with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/rubina-singh\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Rubina<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9220\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/e48a4ed2-a23c-8261-e8c8-aa00ff60c26e-97x55.jpeg 97w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"last-child\"><strong>Ruimin Ke<\/strong>\u00a0received the<em>\u00a0CUTC-Cambridge Systematics New Faculty Award\u00a0<\/em>for outstanding teaching and research contributions to the transportation field. Ruimin, a PacTrans and UW alumnus and 2019 recipient of the\u00a0<em>Michael Kyte Region X Outstanding Student of the Year Award<\/em>, is now an Assistant Professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Connect with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/faculty.rpi.edu\/ruimin-ke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Ruimin<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9222\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-2048x1152.jpeg 2048w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/86bfb0e5-df84-556d-4365-97b11c4c7012-1-97x55.jpeg 97w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h4>Other Awards<\/h4>\n<p class=\"last-child\"><strong>Wayne Kittelson<\/strong>,\u00a0Senior Principal Engineer, Kittelson &amp; Associates, Inc. and esteemed PacTrans Advisory Board Member was awarded the\u00a0<em>2025 recipient of the W.N. Carey, Jr., Distinguished Service Award<\/em>\u00a0for his almost 50 years of service to TRB and for his significant engagement in the highway capacity and quality of service field. Through his leadership and global philanthropic work, Kittelson exemplifies the spirit of lifelong service and transformative influence that the award honors.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-large wp-image-9223\" src=\"http:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-1024x576.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" srcset=\"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-1024x576.jpeg 1024w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-300x169.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-768x432.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-1536x864.jpeg 1536w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb-97x55.jpeg 97w, https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/221639b2-5539-88fa-61d8-85fc17fe13fb.jpeg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>From packed sessions and celebratory receptions to simple hallway conversations, TRB once again reminded us how powerful it is to gather. We\u2019re grateful for the time our PacTrans community spent together and look forward to our continued collaborations in the months ahead.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On January 11-15, 2026, our Region 10 Consortium migrated east to the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting. This annual conference typically consists of more than 13,000 transportation professionals from [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35,20,3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9107","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-conferences","category-events","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/25"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=9107"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9226,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9107\/revisions\/9226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=9107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=9107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/depts.washington.edu\/pactrans\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=9107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}