StrongPorts Community Planner, US Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD). |
Travis Black is the StrongPorts Community Planner at the US Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration (MARAD). Mr. Black has more than 20 years of experience in the transportation planning field. He joined MARAD in September 2015. He has advanced intelligent transportation technologies as a subject matter expert with the Intelligent Transportation System-Joint Program Office (ITS-JPO) of USDOT. He is leading MARAD’s coordination with the ITS-JPO in their “Emerging Capabilities Program” coordinating research for assessing, developing, and demonstrating a technology portfolio of ITS projects that can be implemented in a port environment. The program seeks to accelerate ITS deployment by positioning State and local agencies and public authorities, including port authorities, to leverage opportunities contained in the “Fixing America’s Surface Transportation” (FAST) Act to implement ITS solutions. At MARAD Mr. Black leads efforts in the Office of Marine Highways and Passenger Services to develop program outreach materials and tools for use in the StrongPorts program. He is working with ports, State DOTs and MPOs to implement best practices for including ports in the various planning processes and how to incorporate ports into local, regional and State transportation programs. Prior to MARAD, Mr. Black provided expert guidance on major national and international transportation issues regarding the U.S.-Mexico and U.S.-Canada borders and land ports-of-entry (LPOEs) at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). He previously worked for Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) serving the regions of Beaumont, Texas; Houston, Texas; and Seattle, Washington. Mr. Black has a BA in International Relations from Brigham Young University and a Master’s of Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A&M University. He is active in the Transportation Research Board serving as a member of the International Trade and Transportation Committee. |