February 3, 2011 

Chairman Hersman was the keynote speaker at the Transportation Research Board’s 90^th  Annual Meeting on January 26, 2011, in Washington, DC.   Speaking to a sold out crowd of transportation researchers and practitioners, Hersman highlighted the need for a new perspective on safety culture, record-keeping and aging infrastructure based on NTSB investigations.  “For operators, there’s the complex challenge of building a safety culture.  For designers and builders, there’s a simple lesson in keeping good records.  And for regulators, I want to convey that the decisions you make regarding exemptions to regulations are as important as the regulations themselves.”

Hersman identified the challenges faced by the transportation community in the face of reduced spending on transportation infrastructure and safety programs but cautioned that, “Investing in safety is not discretionary; like justice, safety deferred is safety denied.” Click here to view the Chairman's remarks.