Keynote Case Study: Ontario Road Builders Association — The Very Concept Of A Road Was Starting To Change

For the Ontario Road Builders Association in Toronto, futurist Jim Carroll focused on transportation trends and intelligent highway infrastructure, challenging the industry to rethink roads as electric, autonomous and connected vehicles moved from science fiction toward reality.

The Very Concept Of A Road Was Starting To Change

Road builders were planning long-life infrastructure while vehicle technology and transportation models were changing at accelerating speed. Jim’s keynote reframed the challenge: electricity becomes the new asphalt, connectivity the new horsepower and silicon the new oil. Infrastructure has to evolve with the vehicle.

Six trends are shaping that shift.

• Intelligent Roads. Highways evolve from passive pavement into technology-rich transportation platforms.
• Electric Vehicles. Vehicle electrification changes infrastructure needs, energy demand and roadside services.
• Autonomous Vehicles. Self-driving systems redefine road design, lane use, safety assumptions and operating patterns.
• Vehicle-to-Infrastructure. Connected vehicles increasingly communicate with roads, signals and transportation systems.
• Smart Infrastructure. Sensors and software make physical infrastructure measurable, adaptive and data-driven.
• Charging Networks. Transportation infrastructure increasingly includes energy infrastructure as part of the road system.

The road of the future is electric, connected, intelligent and built for vehicles that think, Jim told Ontario’s road builders.

It’s the shift road builders in that Toronto ballroom are already planning years of investment around. Explore more keynote case studies.