TransCasts

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TransCasts

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TransCasts are the METRANS Transportation Center's podcasts. TransCasts will feature interviews with METRANS researchers and other distinguished transportation experts. They will spotlight education programs at USC and CSULB and will further explore issues that are showcased in METRANS outreach programs, e.g., the State of the Trade & Transportation Industry Town Hall Meetings.

Listen also to ContainerCasts produced by the Center for International Trade & Transportation (CITT).

August 2018 Transcast

Randy Iwasaki of Contra Costa County Transportation Authority

An in-depth conversation with Randy Iwasaki, Executive Director of the Contra Costa County Transportation Authority and former director of the California Department of Transportation. Randy shares his thoughts and work underway by the CCTA related to autonomous vehicles, good movement and the last mile, mass transit, encouraging healthy transportation options, funding and the roles of research and higher education.

June 2016 TransCast

Joshua Schank of L.A. Metro

The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is one of the largest transit agencies in the United States. The nearly 1,500 square mile area it serves is also famous worldwide for its traffic congestion. As L.A. Metro’s Chief Innovation Officer, Joshua Schank is charged with finding and implementing new technologies and partnerships that will make Southern California transportation more efficient and livable. In this lively conversation with Mat Kaplan, Joshua talks about the Authority’s unique approaches and capabilities that make him optimistic about L.A.’s future. Joshua was a featured speaker at the METRANS-hosted 2016 meeting of the Council of University Transportation Centers.

Jill Hough and Joel Volinski at CUTC

METRANS is one of the many University Transportation Centers across the United States. Many of these Centers have banded together as the Council of University Transportation Centers, or CUTC. CUTC member gathered in June of 2016 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. During a break in the three-day meeting, new CUTC President Jill Hough and immediate past-president Joel Volinski joined Mat Kaplan for a conversation about the organization’s mission and the important role played by UTCs as the nation attempts to understand and solve its complex transportation challenges.

January 2016 TransCast

Kieran Donaghy

The movement of commodities becomes more complex every year as distributed production and manufacturing gain popularity. Modeling the environmental and other effects of this evolution is an enormous challenge--one that has been taken on by Kieran Donaghy and his colleagues at Cornell University. Kieran talked about the massive simulation effort underway, and some of their early observations at the 2015 INUF Conference. He later joined TransCast host Mat Kaplan for this fascinating conversation.

Henrik Nolmark, Volvo Research and Educational Foundations

Henrik Nolmark is the Executive Director of the Volvo Research and Educational Foundations, backer of the METROFREIGHT Center of Excellence based at METRANS, and a major funder of the 2015 INUF Conference. Henrik joined host Mat Kaplan for this exclusive conversation at the Long Beach, California gathering.

December 2015 TransCast

Melissa Tooley

METRANS enjoys collaborative relationships with similar organizations throughout the United States and around the world. One of our closest partners is the Texas A&M Transportation Institute or TTI. Melissa Tooley directs TTI’s Southwest Region University Transportation Center. While attending the recent International Urban Freight Conference, Dr. Tooley sat down with Mat Kaplan for a fascinating conversation about the conference, TTI’s work, and how we are meeting common challenges.

Violeta Roso

In an ever-accelerating world, you might be surprised to learn that going slower offers advantages to some components of the goods movement industry, though possibly not the shippers themselves. Violeta Roso discusses her illuminating research on "slow steaming" with Mat Kaplan in this edition of TRANSCAST. She had just delivered a well-received presentation on this topic at the recent International Urban Freight Conference. Violeta is a distinguished Associate Professor in the Division of Logistics and Transpotation at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden.

Benjamin Conwell, Cushman & Wakefield

How will the real estate segment of the logistics industry keep up with the demand for faster delivery of an ever-expanding variety of goods? Million-plus square foot warehouses are just part of the answer, according to Benjamin Conwell of Cushman & Wakefield. Ben presented his observations and predictions in a popular keynote address at the 2015 International Urban Freight Conference. TransCast host Mat Kaplan sat down with him minutes later.

October 2015 TransCast

Dr. Alison Conway, Grove School of Engineering at City College of New York

METRANS is dedicated to solving urban freight challenges. One way to help achieve this goal is through development of innovative courses based on the latest and best research. A pioneering pilot class was successfully offered online in Spring of 2015. It was taught by Alison Conway, a civil engineer with expertise in freight policy and logistics. Alison is an Assistant Professor in the Grove School of Engineering at City College of New York. She recently joined TransCast host Mat Kaplan for a conversation about this groundbreaking course.

July 2013 TransCast

Dr. Laetitia Dablanc, IFSTTAR

The movement of goods through our cities presents many challenges. Dr. Laetitia Dablanc tells us in this transcontinental conversation that Europe has conducted much more research on urban freight transportation that the US. Laetitia was a Co-Principal Investigator on a recently-completed METRANS report titled, "Synthesis of Freight Research in Urban Transportation Planning." It's an eye-opening analysis of data gathered from around the world and provides an impressive list of findings and recommendations.

Laetitia talks with Mat Kaplan from her office at the French Institute of Science and Technology for Transport, Development and Networks, where she is the Director of Research.

November 2012 TransCast

Dr. Marlon Boarnet, University of Southern California

Host Mat Kaplan talks with Dr. Marlon Boarnet.

September 2012 TransCast

Gill Hicks, Cambridge Systematics

Host Mat Kaplan talks with Gill Hicks, Director of Southern California Opeartions at Cambridge Systematics. Kaplan continues the discussion as a followup to the 2012 Point/Counterpoint event in which Hicks participated as panelist, discussing the future of Southern California goods movement.

October 2011 TransCast

Dr. Peter Gordon, University of Southern California

Host Mat Kaplan talks with Dr. Peter Gordon. Gordon says, “If price does not ration, something else will.” He advocates the establishment of sophisticated and flexible toll lanes as a solution for urban highway congestion. Peter and several colleagues have modeled the effect of such measures on the Southern California freeway system. The results discussed in this extended edition of Transcast are fascinating, and may offer hope to both commuters and goods movement professionals.

October 2011 TransCast

Dr. Geraldine Knatz, Executive Director, Port of Los Angeles

Host Mat Kaplan talks with Dr. Geraldine Knatz about the challenges and accomplishments of the Port of Los Angeles.

August 2011 TransCast -- posted August 2011

Dr. Gen Giuliano, University of Southern California

Host Mat Kaplan talks with Dr. Gen Giuliano about the 2011 METRANS National Urban Freight Conference.

October 2009 TransCast -- posted May 2010

Dr. Eddy Van de Voorde, University of Antwerp

Host Mat Kaplan met with Eddy Van de Voorde at the METRANS National Urban Freight Conference (NUF) in October 2009 to discuss transportation issues from an international perspective. Dr. Van de Voorde served as the keynote speaker at NUF.

October 2009 TransCast

Michael Onder, FHWA

Host Mat Kaplan sat down with Mike Onder at the METRANS National Urban Freight Conference late last October for an in-depth conversation about transportation issues.

October 2009 TransCast

Dr. Kristen Monaco, California State University, Long Beach

Dr. Monaco discusses her research on a variety of trucking and transportation issues, including how drayage might be made more productive, responsive, and more green.