ITE facilitates the application of technology and scientific principles to research, planning, functional design, implementation, operation, policy development, and management for any mode of ground transportation.

The organization was formed in October 1930 amid growing public demand for experts to alleviate traffic congestion and the frequency of crashes that came from the rapid development of automotive transportation.

These discussions led to a group of transportation engineers starting the creation of the first professional traffic society.

ITE is also a standards development organization designated by the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT).

[7] Urbanists such as Jeff Speck have criticized ITE standards for encouraging towns to build more, wider streets making pedestrians less safe and cities less walkable.