Transportation leaders across the world are championing the need for smart infrastructure, AI integration, and future-proofed mobility solutions to pave the way for safety, efficiency, and sustainability.

The transportation industry is undergoing a time of rapid transformation, and smart infrastructure is at the forefront of making transportation safer and more efficient. At the ITS World Congress in Atlanta, industry leaders recognized that AI, connectors, and electrification are revolutionizing the design, construction, and operation of infrastructure.

Laura Chace, CEO of ITS America, reminded us that the influence of AI on infrastructure inspections and planning continues to grow. The Atlanta Regional Commission is using AI to simulate future population and guide a $168 billion transportation investment strategy through 2050.

Researchers insisted that lane addition is no longer an answer. Instead, it's important to be smarter about the use of existing infrastructure. Georgia is testing broadband-enabled highways and congestion pricing on its GA 400 expressway toll lanes to better manage traffic.

Dublin, Ohio, is piloting connected infrastructure with its 33 Smart Mobility Corridor using fiber networks, connected intersections and autonomous freight trials. Similarly, Jacksonville, Florida, broke ground for the first permanent autonomous public transit corridor for U.S. smart cities.

In Michigan, the DOT is making investments in charging infrastructure, hydrogen infrastructure and inline wireless charging, a huge step toward electrified, connected highways.

Smart infrastructure is a worldwide movement as the European Union is promoting digitization, automated driving and carbon-free mobility in 2050. Experts agree that this is a once-in-a-century change, and it will still require collaboration across continents and industries.

With the emergence of AI, machine learning, and connectivity, smart infrastructure holds the promise of a future of safer, more sustainable, and more connected transportation networks around the globe.