By 1808Delaware
When the technology experts gather in Dublin next week, the future of transportation will be more than just diagrams and presentation slides.
Transportation officials, engineers, researchers and technology companies will be at Bridge Park on September 22 and 23 for the 2026 ITS Midwest Conference and Expo. In addition to professional sessions, the event will feature public demonstrations of connected vehicles, smart infrastructure and other tools designed to make travel safer and more responsive. The demos will be held across Bridge Park, giving residents and visitors a chance to see transportation technology in action against the backdrop of real streets, vehicles and infrastructure. Read the City of Dublin’s September 15 announcement.
When The Street Joins The Network
An intelligent transportation system gathers and exchanges information to improve how people and vehicles move. That can include traffic signals that respond to changing conditions, roadside equipment communicating with vehicles, sensors identifying congestion, and software helping transportation agencies manage incidents or construction.
Dublin says the Bridge Park demonstrations will include connected vehicles and smart infrastructure. The city has not yet published a detailed public demonstration schedule or a list of specific equipment that will be shown.
The setting is nevertheless significant. Instead of limiting the demonstrations to a closed testing facility, organizers are bringing them into a mixed-use district containing streets, intersections, residences, offices, restaurants, and pedestrian activity. That gives participants an opportunity to consider how the technology interacts with the places where transportation decisions have immediate consequences.
Dublin Brings Its Own Experiments
Dublin is more than the conference host. Members of the city’s Transportation and Mobility Team will participate in sessions on artificial intelligence-powered pathway management and Dublin’s cloud-based traffic operations.
The city previously introduced technology that allows traffic information to be gathered and managed through connected systems rather than relying entirely on equipment housed at individual intersections. Dublin also has experimented with pedestrian-safety technology, including an artificial intelligence-assisted crosswalk on Brand Road that activates lighting as someone approaches or moves through the crossing.
“Transportation innovation thrives in Dublin because we are willing to test new ideas, build strong partnerships and turn emerging technology into real-world solutions,” Transportation Program Manager Marc Dilsaver said in the city’s announcement.
City Manager Megan O’Callaghan will welcome conference participants on September 22.
A Regional Conversation Comes To Dublin
The conference theme is “Partnering for Progress: Collaboration for Smarter Transportation.” That emphasis reflects the way transportation systems operate. A vehicle may travel through several cities, townships, or counties during a single trip. Traffic information, emergency responses, and construction planning frequently cross jurisdictional boundaries. ITS Midwest represents transportation professionals in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky. Its membership includes private companies, consultants, municipalities, universities, state and county transportation departments, and toll-road operators.
Laura Demeo Chace, president and CEO of the Intelligent Transportation Society of America, will deliver the conference keynote. Her national organization works on policies and investments involving transportation safety, efficiency, and emerging technology. The professional program also includes technical sessions, student research presentations, exhibits, and industry awards. View the conference information and schedule.
What The Public Can Attend
The conference will be held at The Exchange at Bridge Park, 6520 Riverside Drive. It opens at 8:00 AM on September 22 and concludes at 5:00 PM on September 23. Access to the indoor conference is limited to registered participants. Online registration has closed, although ITS Midwest says it will accept on-site registrations paid by credit card. Members of the public are invited only to the Bridge Park demonstrations. The city has not announced their individual times or locations, so prospective visitors should watch the Dublin event announcement for additional instructions before making plans.
For two days, Bridge Park will serve as a place to ask not only what new transportation technology can do, but how it performs when it leaves the laboratory and meets an actual city street.
