FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb.17, 2021) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association is pleased to announce winners of the Industry Achievement Award, the Mark of Excellence Award and the National Safety Award.

The awards were given as part of the 51st^th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, held online Feb. 8-12 & 16-18. The Industry Achievement Award and the Mark of Excellence Award were announced on Feb. 16. The National Safety Award was announced today.

Automated vehicles will be mainstream in the next decade, members of an Innovation Panel predicted today during the first general session of ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

Timothy Drake, vice president of public policy and regulatory affairs at ITS America, said he expected trucking fleets and public transportation would be the first to take that step and be in place in the 2030s. With that in mind, he said planning needs to take place now within jurisdictions across the country and state departments of transportation (DOTs).

Nazila Roofigari-Esfahan, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, agreed with Drake but said she hoped it wouldn’t take place before people are ready for it. She said both infrastructure and individuals need to be prepared for that shift in transportation.

The Innovation Panel was one part of today’s general session at ATSSA’s 2021 Convention & Traffic Expo. The session kicked off with a welcome from Board Chair Greg Driskell and the State of the Association Report by ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. That was followed by a State of the Industry panel and announcement of two industry awards.

ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo resumes on Tuesday. The second week of this two-week event includes two general sessions packed with industry panels and the ever-popular Circle of Innovation, which this year is open to all attendees.

Tuesday's general session will include a State of the Industry Panel, Industry Innovation Panel, State of the Association Report, and the presentation of the Industry Achievement and Mark of Excellence awards. The Trade Show booths open on Tuesday and will be open from noon to 5 p.m. daily. 

It’s not too late to register for everything this unique, online event has to offer.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner will be the guest on Transport Topics Radio this Saturday to discuss roadway safety and ATSSA’s 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, which started on Monday and continues through next Thursday.

The program initially airs at 1 p.m. Saturday and will be rebroadcast three times over the weekend.

Transport Topics Radio is hosted by Dan Ronan, who chats weekly with experts from government, business, logistics and other sectors of the transportation industry.

The demand for roadway industry jobs is enormous and will continue growing, Karen Bobo, director of the Center for Transportation Workforce Development at the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), said at today’s Workforce Development Open Forum.

The “critical task” is developing a qualified workforce, she told the group attending the Open Forum held as part of ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. The question for everyone was how to achieve that.

She said it’s essential to identify emerging skills and training that will be needed and finding effective ways to attract employees who will want to invest in the industry.