Podcast 58: ITS America's Laura Chace on Detroit 2026 and innovation across the industry

ITS America' president and CEO Laura Chace joins TTi's Tom Stone ahead of the ITS America Confrence & Expo in Detroit (9-12 June 2026) to discuss why the Motor City makes the perfect backdrop for the event in the organisation's 35th anniversary year.Laura explains how the conference is moving beyond traditional demonstrations with four new "integrated experiences" – live, multi-vendor technology showcases running on Michigan DOT's real-world network – and why that shift reflects a broader maturation of the ITS sector itself. The conversation also covers the rapid expansion of autonomous vehicle deployments across US cities, the growing role of AI in traffic management, and the emerging use cases for drones in transportation – from infrastructure inspection to first-responder support.Whether you're heading to Detroit or following from afar, and whether you listen before the event or catch up afterwards, this is a wide-ranging discussion on where intelligent transportation stands today and where it's heading next – essential listening for anyone working in or watching the ITS sector.