First, we want to congratulate Elizabeth Paul and her team for winning the Young Professionals Transportation Project of the Year Award.
Ms. Paul submitted the Credit Card Pilot Project at MTA Bridges and Tunnels project. It is an innovative solution to operational, safety and customer service issues at the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge in New York City. The project enables truck drivers without cash or a functional E-ZPass to pay their toll by credit card instead of having their passage barred. The project team installed Apple iPads and iPhones in toll booths with credit card swiping attachments to accept credit cards from customers. The project team developed their own software to calculate tolls and securely process credit card transactions, and developed a custom backend system to handle transaction reporting. The project was rolled out rapidly using agile project management methods.
Second, we want to congratulate Brad Davis and his team for winning the Young Professionals Excellence in Innovation/Research of the Year Award.
Mr. Davis submitted the The Cycle Atlanta: Phase 1.0 Study. It represents a strategy to create a complete and connected network of high-quality bicycle facilities in the core of the Atlanta. The focus of the study is on five cycling corridors that extend from the Atlanta BeltLine into the center of the city. Completing the bikeway network along each of these corridors will improve cycling conditions and expand route options that are desirable for a wide range of cyclists. When implemented, the improved and expanded bikeway network will enhance connections between neighborhoods, job centers, transit stations, tourist attractions, shops, and restaurants, as well as other daily destinations.
Each team will receive a happy hour at their local chapter sponsored by YPT International, a plaque recognizing their achievement, and a year of free YPT membership. Every application we received was outstanding, and we hope we will see even more applications next year!
Please join us in congratulating our winners!