Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) officials noted the agency’s podcast has aided Midwestern states in collaborating on transportation issues ranging from the future of vehicle technology to COVID-19 pandemic response.
Officials said via the Mid America Association of Transportation Officials (MAASTO), a three-part series exploring varied Midwest-centric transportation topics is being offered through Transportation Connects Us, WisDOT’s official podcast.
“While each of the 10 states in the Midwest have their own unique characteristics and challenges, at the same time, there are a lot of similarities in some of the issues that we deal with,” Craig Thompson, MAASTO president and WisDOT Secretary-designee, said. “And for the public, transportation doesn’t end at the state line. The more that we can collaborate and learn from our neighbors, the better we can serve the people of Wisconsin.”
MAASTO member states include Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, and Wisconsin, with officials indicating the organization seeks to foster the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated and balanced transportation system serving the transportation needs of its member states.
“Our transportation system is the envy of the world for one reason, and that’s the collaboration between our states,” Omer Osman, Illinois Transportation Secretary, said. “Reinventing the wheel is not helpful to any one of us. When we collaborate, we can work together to improve the system we have.”
During the podcast’s first episode, Thompson, Osman, and Minnesota Commissioner of Transportation Margaret Anderson Kelliher discussed the value of the MAASTO partnership and shared how member states have collaborated on their COVID-19 pandemic response.