WSRTTIF Update - October 8th, 2026

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UPDATE: Thursday, October 8th, 2026

20 years of Technical Content, Discussion, Transparency and Trust

Forum logo and 20th Annual Badge 2006-2025, snowcapped mountains with winding road, Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum

The 20th annual Forum showcased the key features that make it a unique event such as questions and dialogue throughout presentations, frank and open talk about things that worked or didn’t work, technical details down to the nitty gritty, extended time for quality networking, presentation review, and a focus on getting things done in the rural environment.

On a table: two large photo collages, Forum three ring binders from 2016 to 2023, brochures and postcards. On a table: two large technical posters, Forum three ring binders from 2009 to 2016, brochures.

Photos by Leann Koon

To make Rural ITS work it takes technical excellence and creativity. And it helps to learn from the experiences of others. For 20 years, the Forum has advanced the state of the practice in Rural ITS by providing a venue for frank, detailed discussions and demonstrations about Rural ITS projects down to the nuts and bolts of how things work or don’t work.

The 20th Annual Forum (June 16-18, 2025) did just that with six in-depth, technical discussions featuring cutting-edge technologies and project implementations. In recognition of the milestone anniversary of the WSRTTIF, the schedule of events also included a Founders Panel featuring Sean Campbell and Ian Turnbull, WSF Founders and Past Steering Committee Members. The panel was moderated by Doug Galarus, who has attended every Forum and been a Steering Committee member from the beginning. You can read more about the Founders Panel below.

A man speaking into a microphone. A man with glasses leaning on a podium, a projector screen, a man with dark hair and a red tie standing to the right.

Photos by Leann Koon

The inaugural Forum was held in 2006 in Mount Shasta, California, and featured five technical presentations and 15 attendees from three states. The event has grown and expanded over the years, and the 20th Annual Forum included 41 engineering professionals from nine states, an all-time high for state participation. Attendees came from California, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming – the geographical diversity enriched the Forum’s discussions and enhanced the technical agenda. The audience consisted of engineers and technicians from seven state departments of transportation, three universities, the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and the Southwest Research Institute. Caltrans DRISI, four Caltrans districts, and Caltrans Headquarters Traffic Operations (ITS Support), Caltrans Headquarters Maintenance (TMS), and Caltrans Headquarters Maintenance Emergency Services all sent participants. Sixteen (16) of the participants were attending the Forum for the first time; seven “regulars” have attended twelve or more of the 20 Forums.

The technical agenda was filled with presentations and demonstrations from seven different agencies/organizations sharing their approaches to solving rural transportation challenges. The presentations and images from the Forum are posted on the 20th Forum page on the Forum’s website for your review.

Here are the participants as they listen to the first presentation of the 20th annual Forum.

Front view of an audience seated classroom style listening to a speaker standing in the front of a medium sized room.

Photo by Doug Galarus

To kick off the technical program, Tom Brummet (shown below) from NCAR presented the Pikalert system which is an advanced Maintenance Decision Support System (MDSS).

A man gestures with his right hand while speaking beside a projector screen.

Photo by Leann Koon

The Montana Department of Transportation was on the agenda for the first time this year! Curtis Buckley discussed in detail how the Statewide Montana TMC was established from the ground up. Below, Curtis is explaining some of the road and traffic challenges that MDT faces.

A man points with his right hand while speaking beside a projector screen.

Photo by Leann Koon

Jordan James (left) and Kevin Maxwell (right) teamed up to present the Nevada DOT’s Statewide ITS and ATM Master Plan and how ITS is integrated into their mobility plans.

A man speaks standing behind a podium, slide with 'Weather Related Crashes' displayed on a projector screen on the right. A man points with his right hand while speaking beside a projector screen.

Photos by Doug Galarus (left) and Leann Koon (right)

The evaluation and application of the Fotokite tethered drones in rural California and Washington was a WSRTC project. Anh Duong (AHMCT, UC Davis), Paul Yamashita (Caltrans District 6), and Michael Southwick (WSDOT) teamed up to present their research and demonstrated the drone system in the parking lot.

In the photos below, Anh (left) and Michael (center) are presenting and Paul (right) is outside conducting a live demonstration of the Fotokite drone.

A woman with dark hair wearing a light pink blazer stands beside a projector screen with slide showing image and 'Fotokite User Interface'. In front of her on a table are three cases and a Fotokite drone. In a parking lot, six men gathered in three groups talking, one on the right looks skyward, one in the center with a clipboard and a white polo shirt is leading discussion, DOT pickup truck and Fotokite base station in the background. A man with glasses, dark pants, button down short sleeved shirt, gestures while speaking beside a projector screen.

Photos by Doug Galarus (left, right) and Leann Koon (center)

On Wednesday morning, Keith Tupper (left) and Steve Nickles (right) from the Wyoming Department of Transportation discussed the redesign of Wyoming’s ITS communication network.

A man with very short white hair and a trimmed white beard and glasses wearing a plaid, short sleeved shirt gestures while speaking. Another man with short hair wearing a short sleeved shirt and dark pants stands to his left.

Photo by Leann Koon

Keith and Steve passed around several radios and pieces of equipment to show the group.

A man with dark hair and a goatee examines a round, white, webbed radio about 18 inches in diameter while other audience members look on. A man with glasses and a white beard holds up a round, white, webbed radio about 18 inches in diameter. On the table in the front is a small, white square radio.

A man with an over ear microphone shows a small white rectangular piece of equipment. Two laptops are on a table in the front. A man with an over ear microphone shows a white square piece of equipment. Two laptops are on a table in the front.

Photos by Leann Koon

The final presentation was also related to drones as Michael Gauger and Kelvin Daratha discussed WSDOT’s use of unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) for graffiti removal as well as emergency response, incident management and bridge inspections. (Michael Gauger – left, Kelvin Daratha – right)

A man looks towards the audience while standing beside a projector screen with a slide title 'Graffiti...A big deal?'. He's wearing a long-sleeved brick red dress shirt and black slacks. A man raises his left hand in the air, resting his right arm on a podium, while speaking beside a projector screen. He's dressed casually in a light blue shirt and denim pants. White or grey full goatee and mustache.

Photo by Leann Koon

FOUNDERS PANEL

Rural ITS is, was and will continue to be the frontier of Intelligent Transportation. A unique addition to the Forum’s agenda was a Founders Panel including Sean Campbell and Ian Turnbull, two of the Forum’s founders and retired Caltrans engineers. Moderated by Doug Galarus, panel members Sean and Ian discussed why “Accurate, Timely, and Reliable” is the measuring stick for performance in this environment, along with other key insight into the state of the practice. Ian and Sean explained the story behind the Forum’s origin and the need for a meeting that allowed speakers (ITS implementers) to get into the nitty gritty details of how things work or don’t work. They commented on the value of frank and transparent discussions, in person networking opportunities, and a vendor free audience. Ian and Sean spoke to being able to try things out in rural environments with limited resources and infrastructure – if it works in the rural context, implementation in areas with more resources and infrastructure (i.e., urban locations with better communications) could be more easily accomplished. They advised perseverance and being able to “work with what you’ve got” to carry the field of Rural ITS for the next 20 years.

Doug introduced some great questions/topics for Sean and Ian to address, and the audience followed up with their own. Shown left to right during the Panel discussion: Doug Galarus, Sean Campbell, Ian Turnbull.

An audience listens to three men standing in the front of room with a projector screen and podium.

Photo by Caltrans District 2

Prior to the technical program, Steering Committee member Jeremiah Pearce (second from left) gathered with retired Forum Founders Sean Campbell (left) and Ian Turnbull (second from right). Ian’s wife Paddy (right) also joined the Forum’s networking activities.

Three men and a woman stand smiling in front of a projector screen. The two men in the middle are wearing ties and dress clothes. The man on the left has a laptop in his hand and is wearing glasses.

Photo by Doug Galarus

Questions and open discussion are highly encouraged throughout Forum presentations, not just for a few minutes at the end. This is facilitated with longer presentation times allowing speakers to really get into the nuts and bolts technical detail of rural ITS projects. The photos below show the audience engaging with speakers. In the photo on the left, Tom Brummet (center) and Michael Southwick (to the right) raise their hands to ask questions and discuss a topic during a technical presentation. The photo on the right shows participants from Utah DOT asking Anh Duong questions during her demonstration of the Fotokite drone.

Outside in bright sunlight, three people stand around a tablet held by the man in the center. The woman on the left is responding to a question. An audience seated in rows of cloth covered rectangular tables, photo taken from the side.

Photos by Leann Koon

The Forum intentionally does not include a vendor show. Instead, speakers and participants, particularly the host Caltrans District 2, are encouraged to bring the equipment they are presenting on and what is being used in the area. Laptop demonstrations and technical posters are often set up as well. The photo below shows the various ITS equipment on display throughout the event.

Two ITS cabinets, 'radiowaves' dish, weather station, radio antennas, mounted CCTV camera, electronics equipment on a table. Display.

Photo by Doug Galarus

Networking is an important and integral part of the Forum, and the events are always noted in the evaluations as highly valuable. Meals and extended breaks between presentations provided ample opportunity to meet and network with peers from other districts, divisions, agencies, and states. Here, attendees are visiting and networking during the Monday evening meal.

Groups of people seated at round tables covered by bright blue tablecloths with yellow napkins. A man in the front right has his arm raised while talking to a man across the table from him. Photo collages, a poster, and equipment are seen in the background along the wall.

Photo by Doug Galarus

Networking during Tuesday morning breakfast:

People gathered at round tables eating. Technical posters, photo collages, ITS equipment on tables in the back along the wall.

Photo by Doug Galarus

The Forum’s schedule incorporates extended break times to allow participants to interact and follow up with speakers. On the left, Curtis Buckley (left) from Montana visits with Ian Turnbull (right), retired Caltrans District 2. In the middle photo, Anh Duong (left) from AHMCT discusses with Jordan James (right) of Nevada. On the right, Jeremiah Pearce of Caltrans District 2 (left) and AJ Johnson from Caltrans Headquarters are sharing ideas, while behind them Keith Holowecky (left, back) of Caltrans DRISI talks with Sean Campbell (right, back), retired Caltrans DRISI.

Two men stand talking to each other. The one on the right in a green shirt gestures to the other who is wearing a blue shirt and holding a paper coffee cup. Two pairs of men stand talking to each other. The one on the front left has his hands up showing a dimension. Outside, a woman in a white shirt faces a man in a blue shirt holding a cell phone. They are talking to each other.

Photos by Leann Koon

In keeping with the rural perspective of the Forum, the traditional networking social and BBQ at the local Upper Greenhorn Park was a hit once again! On a pleasant summer evening, participants enjoyed a scrumptious dinner, played some games, and networked around a campfire into the night. The following photos show some of the activity.

Here, the WSF group is starting to gather for dinner and networking at the Tuesday evening BBQ.

A group of people gathered at picnic tables and chairs in the shade of large trees, sunny with very blue sky, dryland vegetation in the foreground.

Photo by Leann Koon

Participants line up for the BBQ meal:

People outside lined up in a food buffet line. Large trees in the background, sun dappled grass.

Photo by Doug Galarus

Seated in the chairs clockwise from left are Andres Chavez, Anh Duong, Keith Holowecky, Jeremiah Pearce, Sean Campbell, and Doug Galarus.

A group of people outside seated around a raised fire can; others standing in groups in the background.

Photo by Leann Koon

The Forum is planned and executed by a Steering Committee. This group selects abstracts, reviews multiple versions of technical presentations, plans and coordinates logistics, and facilitates the entire event. Steering Committee members included Andres Chavez, Caltrans Division of Research, Innovation, and System Information (DRISI); Jeremiah Pearce, Caltrans District 2; Leann Koon, Western Transportation Institute; Doug Galarus, Montana Tech; and event planners Marlene Woodard and Stephanie Berlinghoff. In the photos below, the Committee is welcoming the participants to the 20th annual Forum and setting the stage for the milestone event. Photo (left): Left to right are Jeremiah, Doug, Andres, and Leann. Photo (right): Left to right are Leann, Jeremiah, Doug, and Andres.

Three men and one woman stand in front of an audience. The woman is smiling broadly and the man on the right is smiling while speaking into a microphone. Three men and a woman stand in front of an audience. The woman, on the right, is speaking into a microphone and holding a small notebook.

Photos by Leann Koon

Here, Andres is providing an introduction and welcome to kick off the 20th Annual Western States Forum and the Monday evening meal.

Groups of people at round tables covered by bright blue tablecloths with yellow napkins. They are looking to a man standing with his right hand in the air in welcome. Technical posters, 3-ring binders, and photo collages are along the wall on tables.

Photo by Leann Koon

Stephanie and Marlene were crucial parts of the team that put together the milestone 20th Western States Forum. Marlene has been involved since the very first Forum and is handing the reins to Stephanie. Thank you, Marlene and Stephanie! Stephanie’s pictured below left running the registration table and greeting attendees like A.J. Skillern from the Southwest Research Institute. In the photo on the right from the Founders Panel, Marlene (in pink) is pictured with Leann in the slideshow from past Forums. They are both wearing their Forum baseball caps.

An audience looks to the front of a room where three men are standing and facing them. In the middle, two women are shown on a screen. The one on the left is wearing a pink dress and pink baseball cap. The one on the right has a yellow cap. A woman on the right seated at a table talking to a man leaning over to make a selection from items on the table.

Photo left by Doug Galarus, photo right by Caltrans District 2

Recognizing speakers for the time and effort put into preparing and delivering their presentation is an important part of the Forum. Time during the Forum is also spent recognizing participants to encourage first-time attendees to come back again and to show appreciation to those who have attended multiple events over the years.

Steering Committee members are shown below handing out participation certificates.

A man shakes hands with another as he hands him a certificate. A man hands a certificate to another man.

Photos by Caltrans District 2

Sean and Ian were recognized for their steadfast support of the Western States Forum over the years as well as their participation in the Founders Panel. (Sean – left, Ian – center) Doug Galarus (right) has attended every Forum, and he’s shown here receiving his participation certificate.

A woman with red hair hands a box to a tall man in glasses. Both are smiling. A man humbly walks toward a woman with a microphone and two men clapping. A woman with red hair shakes hands with a dark-haired man while handing him a box. A man standing to the side is clapping as is a seated man on the other side.

Photos by Caltrans District 2

Forum speakers must devote a significant amount of time and effort to put together a technical presentation. In honor of the 20th anniversary of the Forum and in recognition of the speakers, each presenter received a custom branded multi-tool. In the photos left to right, speakers Tom Brummet, Curtis Buckley, and Keith Tupper receive their recognition item from Steering Committee members.

A man in a blue shirt shakes hands with a man in black and hands him a box while two other men and a woman with a microphone holding a yellow sheet of paper look on. A man hands a box to another man while an audience looks towards them. A man shakes hands with another man while handing him a box. An audience looks towards them.

Photos by Caltrans District 2

Here are some fun notes about the Forum's history and this year’s participants:

  • 141 presentations and demonstrations (2006 – 2025)
  • 735 total participants, 325 unique attendees (2006 – 2025)
  • Attendance “records”:
    • Doug Galarus – 19
    • Jeremiah Pearce -18
    • Sean Campbell – 17
    • Keith Koeppen – 17
    • Leann Koon – 13
    • Doug Spencer – 12
    • Ian Turnbull – 12
  • Speakers:
    • Doug Galarus – 8 presentations
    • Doug Spencer, Jeremiah Pearce – 7 presentations
    • Keith Koeppen – 6 presentations
    • Troy Torgersen – 4 presentations, including 2 in one year
    • Ian Turnbull, Sean Campbell – 3 presentations
    • Andres Chavez, AJ Skillern, Kenny Shipley, Kevin Maxwell, Tony Leingang – 2 presentations

To celebrate the 20th Forum, the group enjoyed a birthday cake, custom cookies, framed photos from past events, a Western States Forum through the years slide show, perusing previous materials, and even special tablecloths and napkins. Below are a few photos.

A smiling woman with long, straight blonde hair seated behind a table covered with Forum branded materials. Round tables with framed photographs, yellow napkins with silverware tucked in, bright blue tablecloths, several people seated and milling around looking at the equipment, posters, and materials on tables against the wall. On a table: two large photo collages, Forum and WSRTC branded sweatshirts, mugs, coasters, ball caps, beanie hats, multi-tools, black padfolio.

Photos by Leann Koon

Thank you to all the participants and speakers who contributed to the milestone 20th annual Western States Forum! Thank you to all those who have participated over the last 20 years and have made this event what it is. Be sure to check out the Past Forum pages on the Forum website to review agendas, photos, and technical presentations.

Cookie in a plastic sleeve, Forum mountain and road, 20th Annual, 2006-2025 ribbon; custom shaped cookie follows the outline of the mountain, badge, and banner. Packaged cookie, round, Forum logo mountain, 20th ANNUAL, 2006-2026 ribbon, 'Western States Rural Transportation Technology Implementers Forum' around the outside edge. Two round cakes decorated in Forum colors on elevated turntables, the one on the left is double-decker and shows the 20th annual badge and mountain. Three forks are in front.

Photos by Leann Koon

Stay tuned for a report from the 2026 Western States Forum!