Dear colleagues and friends,

We are pleased to announce that PIARC has recently established two new Task Forces:

• TF 2.2, on Electric Road Systems, chaired by Jan Pettersson (Sweden)
• TF 4.1 on Road Design Standards, chaired by Mariusz Kiec (Poland)

Indeed, one of the main lines of our 2020-2023 Strategic Plan is to offer more flexibility and responsiveness to our members. At the beginning of the year, we surveyed them to gather their latest expressions of need, and these topics emerged. We therefore decided, without waiting for the end of this work cycle, to set up these new Task Forces, bringing the total number of our Committees to 24. Their mission is to provide, within a period of only two years, case studies, documentary analyses and comprehensive reports, based on an in-depth study of current practices, innovations and projects on these subjects throughout the world. This will help to inform our members in the choices they have to make in their countries and in their networks.

These two Task Forces each met at the beginning of November, at a distance, of course, in order to start their work. These "kick-off meetings" brought together the dozens of experts that the member countries had decided to mobilise, and made it possible to set up the groups around the assigned objectives - this is essential, because these experts are really the driving force behind PIARC and they must take ownership of the mission entrusted to them. Over a period of two years, every month counts, and it is also very satisfying that each of these two Task Forces has already succeeded in structuring its approach and work plan.

The very first deliverables will be a literature review on Road Design Standards in March 2021 and a collection of case studies on Electric Road Systems in April 2021.

For more information, I encourage you to refer to our Strategic Plan, or contact info@piarc.org.

Yours sincerely

Patrick Malléjacq