by Mary McCarthy
On September 21st, the sun peeked out from a week’s worth of clouds to shine on the 10th Annual Technology Transfer Expo in Storrs. The event, sponsored and coordinated by CTI’s Technology Transfer Center (T2 Center), gathered more than 400 participants. Those in attendance shared in the demonstrations, educational sessions and networking that make this event so popular.
Each year, the T2 Center uses this opportunity to provide educational outreach to state and local transportation professionals on the latest initiatives and regulations affecting the transportation community in Connecticut. This year, the focus was on the Federal Highway Administration’s Everyday Counts (EDC) Initiative and the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection’s Educational Outreach efforts. Exhibitors shared information on new technologies and processes such as Connecticut’s use of the Safety Edge, a new approach to hot-in-place recycling, innovations in guard rail design, environmental guidelines for fleet maintenance garages, and cost saving techniques in winter maintenance operations.
Safety is always a theme throughout the event as well. Several exhibitors shared information on the latest in both operational and roadway safety technology, and municipal transportation professionals participated in the Dr. Jack Stephens Memorial Safety Challenge. The towns of Colchester, Hebron and Bloomfield took top honors. Attendees also had the opportunity to test their snowplow skills at the driving simulator on loan from the Rhode Island DOT and LTAP Center.
A special thanks goes out to all the volunteers and exhibitors who helped make this day such a success. We look forward to another great show next year! To learn more about the Expo and the other programs of the Connecticut Technology Transfer Center, visit our website: www.t2center.uconn.edu.
