U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Governor Rick Scott, House T&I Chairman John Mica, Bill Ford, Other Innovation Leaders to Speak at the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems in Orlando

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) today announced its lineup of speakers and presenters for the 18th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) in Orlando, Florida from October 16 – 20, 2011. Among the speakers are:

“From top-to-bottom, these men and women comprise one of the most well rounded groups of speakers and presenters that we've ever had. There truly will be something for everyone in the transportation industry.”

Political and Policy Leaders: Florida Governor Rick Scott, House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL), Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs, Florida DOT Secretary Ananth Prasad, and other national and state policymakers.

Federal Transportation Officials: U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Deputy Secretary John Porcari, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator David Strickland, National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chairman Deborah Hersman, Research and Innovative Technology Acting Administrator Greg Winfree, and officials from the Federal Highway Administration, Federal Transit Administration, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Leading Innovators: Ford Motor Company Executive Chairman Bill Ford, General Motors Vice President of Global R&D Alan Taub, Alcatel Lucent Executive Vice President and President of the Americas Robert Vrij, and many other private sector innovators and job creators.

Global Leaders: Roundtable with more than 20 transport ministers and senior officials from around the world who will discuss how infrastructure and transportation innovation impacts the economy in a panel moderated by Chicago Transportation Commissioner Gabe Klein.

Key Panels Focused on:

Safety and the Aging Population with NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman, NHTSA Administrator David Strickland, MIT AgeLab Director Joseph Coughlin, and Hartford Financial Services Group Executive Vice President Jonathan Bennett.

Reauthorization and the Future of Transportation with former U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters, former House T&I Chairman James Oberstar, and current lawmakers including House T&I Committee Members Randy Hultgren (R-IL) and Russ Carnahan (D-MO) who co-chairs the Congressional ITS Caucus.

ITS and Job Creation with officials from IBM, Siemens AG, Alcatel-Lucent, ACS/Xerox, and countries including China, Korea, Japan, Sweden and the European Commission.

Performance Measures with senior officials from FedEx, AAA, Bipartisan Policy Center, Federal Highway Administration, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

“We're thrilled with the high-powered and dynamic lineup of speakers for this year's World Congress, said Scott Belcher, president and CEO of ITS America. “From top-to-bottom, these men and women comprise one of the most well rounded groups of speakers and presenters that we've ever had. There truly will be something for everyone in the transportation industry.

Florida Governor Rick Scott will speak during the World Congress opening ceremony on Sunday evening. House T&I Chairman John Mica will speak during the first plenary session Monday morning, immediately following the Leaders in Transportation breakfast with former Chairman Jim Oberstar, former Secretary Mary Peters, and Congressmen Randy Hultgren and Russ Carnahan. Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari and other senior U.S. DOT officials will headline a session on Tuesday morning, followed by a keynote address by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood on Wednesday. Bill Ford will be the featured speaker during the World Congress closing ceremonies on Thursday, October 20.

In addition to the featured speakers, the World Congress will offer more than 300 sessions and provide attendees with an array of tailored session tracks focused on topics such as Traffic Congestion and Management, Highway and Vehicle Safety, Next Generation Traveler Information and Consumer Applications, Performance Measurement, Sustainability, Mobility and Operations and many others.

Attendees can also peruse the 350,000 square foot exhibit hall which will feature more than 200 companies displaying the latest innovations in the ITS industry. There will also be four Technology Showcases that will demonstrate the latest safety, mobility, sustainability and pricing technologies.

Join us in Orlando from Oct. 16 – 20 to experience the cutting-edge of transportation with industry leaders and decision makers from across the globe. For the latest updates on the event or to register, please visit the World Congress website at http://www.itsworldcongress.org.