Write out names of the organizations represented by these acronyms and, for each organization, briefly note the type of organization, its purpose, and its members and constituency. AAA, AAR, AASHTO, APTA, ARTBA, FHWA, TRB

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

AAA: American Automobile Association. It is a not-for-profit, fully tax-paying
corporation. It is a federation of affiliated motor clubs with more than 1,100 offices in the
U.S. and Canada. AAA provides services to its members such as travel, automotive,
insurance, financial, and discounts. It has over 53 million members in the United States
and Canada. Each AAA club is an independent, not-for-profit organization, chartered and
incorporated in its own state and controlled by its own Board of Directors.
AAR: Association of American Railroads. It is an industry trade group representing
primarily the major railroads of North America. AAR represents its members' interests to
the public at large and to Congress and government regulators in particular. The AAR
works to improve the efficiency, safety and service of the railroad industry, such as
through its responsibility for the industry's interchange rules and equipment
specifications. AAR includes the major freight railroads in the United States, Canada and
Mexico, as well as Amtrak. Account for more than 43 percent of intercity freight rail
volume and almost 100 percent of intercity passenger service in the U.S. The Association
is governed by several committees. AAR has affiliate and associate members; the affiliate
members can participate in all activities and are eligible to be part of AAR committees
while only some associate members are elected as representatives of associate members
at AAR committees. The President of AAR is elected by the members and presides at the
Washington D.C. Headquarters and is the official spokesperson and authorizing body for
policies and plans.
AASHTO: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. It is a
nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments
in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The primary goal is to foster
the development, operation, and maintenance of an integrated national transportation
system. AASHTO is composed only of instrumentalities of government. The membership
of this Association is by Member Departments, which are those Departments or Agencies
of the States of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia in which the
official highway responsibility for that State or Territory is lodged, and the United States
Department of Transportation, which is an ex-officio member. AASHTO is guided by a
Board of Directors made up of the chief transportation officers from the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. The 12-member Executive Committee is led by
AASHTO's elected officers, and is assisted by its executive director.
APTA: American Public Transportation Association. It is a nonprofit organization which
serves as an advocate for the advancement of public transportation programs and
initiatives in the United States. APTA serves and leads its diverse membership through
advocacy, innovation and information sharing. APTA and its members and staff work to
ensure that public transportation is available and accessible for all Americans in
communities across the country. APTA consists of public organizations that are engaged
in the areas of bus, paratransit, light rail, commuter rail, subways, waterborne passenger
services, and high-speed rail. Members also include large and small companies who plan,
design, construct, finance, supply, and operate bus and rail services worldwide. All
membership classes have the right to vote on Association matters and other such
privileges and services as prescribed from time to time by the Board of Directors. The
Board of Directors is comprised of the members of the executive committee; the
designated committee chair directors, the designated transit system directors, the
designated business member directors, the at-large directors, and the APTA president.
ARTBA: American Road and Transportation Builders Association. It is a trade
association. ARTBA intends to aggressively grow and protect transportation
infrastructure investment to meet the public and business demand for safe and efficient
travel. There are more than 5,000 members from the public and private sectors. ARTBA
membership divisions include: contractors, planning and design, transportation officials,
traffic safety, materials and services, public-private partnerships, research and education,
and equipment manufacturers. Members can be elected to serve one-year terms as
officers for the Executive Committee. Top executives of industry firms and organizations
serve on the ARTBA Board of Directors.
FHWA: Federal Highway Administration. It is an agency of the United States
Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. FHWA supports
State and local governments in the design, construction, and maintenance of the Nation’s
highway system and various federally and tribal owned lands. Through financial and
technical assistance to State and local governments, the Federal Highway Administration
is responsible for ensuring that America’s roads and highways continue to be among the
safest and most technologically sound in the world. Key Personnel include Administrator
Victor M. Mendez, Executive Director Jeffrey F. Paniati, and Deputy Administrator Greg
Nadeau. It is overseen by an Administrator appointed by the President of the United
States by and with the consent of the United States Senate. The Administrator works
under the direction of the Secretary of Transportation and Deputy Secretary of
Transportation. The internal organization of FHWA includes several offices.
TRB: Transportation Research Board . It is one of six major divisions of the National
Research Council— a private, nonprofit institution that is the principal operating agency
of the National Academies in providing services to the government, the public, and the
scientific and engineering communities. TRB provides leadership in transportation
innovation and progress through research and information exchange, conducted within a
setting that is objective, interdisciplinary, and multimodal. TRB annually engages more
than 7,000 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners
from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise
in the public interest by participating on TRB committees, panels, and task forces. The
TRB Executive Committee, whose members are appointed by the chairman of National
Research Council, exercises oversight responsibility for the Board’s programs and
activities. Members include senior transportation industry executives, top officials of
public-sector transportation agencies, and distinguished researchers from academia.