Eighth District United States Congressman Mike Rogers, whose district covers northern Oakland County and areas to the west, recently recognized retiring Road Commission for Oakland County (RCOC) Managing Director Brent Bair on the floor of the US House of Representatives.
On Dec. 7, Congressman Rogers read a tribute to Bair on the House floor, citing his many years of leadership in the field of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS – transportation technology). The Congressman noted that Bair, who retires at the end of the year after more than 34 years at RCOC, is a “pillar of the community.” He added that Bair, “has a long and distinguished resume.”
In particular, Congressman Rogers praised Bair’s advocacy on behalf of ITS. Rogers, who is co-chairman of the House ITS Caucus, noted he has “long looked to Brent for advice and guidance on good governance and ITS policy.”
Bair served for many years as the chairman of the ITS Congressional Caucus Public Sector Advisory Committee, which provided counsel to the members of the caucus.
Rogers added that Bair, “is widely respected as a leading expert on road funding in Michigan and has been an advocate on behalf of ITS and ITS funding.” The congressman also cited Bair’s tenure as chairman and a member of the Board of Directors of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), the leading national ITS advocacy group representing both the public and private sectors involved in transportation technology.
Rogers said that thanks to the efforts of Bair, ITS America and other ITS advocates, Congress has come to recognize that, “ITS solutions are an important step towards fiscal responsibility and, more importantly, smart solutions.”
Bair was also a founding member of the Intelligent Transportation Society of Michigan (ITS Michigan), the state chapter of ITS America, a former president of ITS Michigan and long-time member of that organization’s board of directors.
Under Bair’s leadership, the Road Commission for Oakland County has long been recognized as a leader in ITS activities. It operates the second largest system of “smart” adaptive traffic signals in the nation and, along with the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration, is one of the only local road agencies in the nation involved in cutting-edge “connected vehicle” testing.
Connected-vehicle technology will allow vehicles to communicate directly with other vehicles and with the infrastructure, helping to greatly reduce the likelihood of crashes and significantly improve mobility. Several national connected-vehicle test projects have taken place or are currently underway in Oakland County, with RCOC’s participation.
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