Roadway Safety Spring Issue and Convention Extra now online Roadway Safety Spring Issue and Convention Extra now online Explore Ohio’s smart mobility corridor and relive highlights of the 2022 Convention in Tampa Pam / Monday, May 2, 2022 0 1846 Article rating: 4.0 The Spring Issue of Roadway Safety magazine is online now and explores Ohio’s Smart Mobility Corridor along Interstate 33 between Dublin and East Liberty. This 35-mile stretch of roadway in Northeast Ohio is a living laboratory where multiple organizations are testing automated and connected vehicle technology including ways to protect pedestrians. The project is a partnership between private industry and government entities as well as residents in those communities and has been dubbed “the world’s most connected highway.” Convention Extra is also online and provides a commemorative of the 2022 Convention & Traffic Expo in Tampa, Fla., and an opportunity to see what you missed if you didn't attend this reunion of the roadway safety industry. Read more
ATSSA’s 2022 Convention & Traffic Expo reunited thousands of roadway safety advocates ATSSA’s 2022 Convention & Traffic Expo reunited thousands of roadway safety advocates ATSSA travels to Phoenix for the 2023 event set for Feb. 17-21 Pam / Wednesday, February 16, 2022 0 2093 Article rating: 4.0 ATSSA’s 2022 Convention & Traffic Expo brought together more than 3,200 roadway safety advocates over five days in Tampa, Fla. They collaborated, networked, learned about the latest innovations and even cheered on their favorite team at the Chairman’s Big Game Watch Party on Sunday evening. Keynote speaker Scott Moore kept the packed crowd in the Ballroom of the Tampa Convention Center spellbound as he shared leadership and teamwork tips gleaned from his decades leading the elite Navy SEALs on “no fail” missions. And Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg talked about the USDOT commitment to zero deaths on the nation's roadways while acknowledging that may not be achieved during his tenure but that ATSSA's members are needed to achieve that goal. It's not too early to start planning now for next year. The 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo takes place in Phoenix, Feb. 17-21 at the Phoenix Convention Center with the theme of “where roadway safety and Innovation intersect.” Read more
Midyear Meeting general session explores connected technology with Audi and Ford executives Midyear Meeting general session explores connected technology with Audi and Ford executives Pam / Thursday, August 19, 2021 0 3976 Article rating: No rating Executives with Ford and Audi emphasized the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders as connected and autonomous vehicle technology advances. Tony Reinhart, director of Government Relations for Ford Motor Company, and Brad Stertz, director of Audi Government Affairs and co-founder and chairman of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), spoke at this morning’s general session at ATSSA’s Midyear Meeting, which runs through Friday. After opening remarks, Reinhart and Stertz were joined by ATSSA Board Chair Greg Driskell and ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith for a panel that took questions from the group assembled in Kansas City, Mo., for the Midyear Meeting. Read more
VTTI seeks participants for survey on how connected and automated vehicles will interact with work zones VTTI seeks participants for survey on how connected and automated vehicles will interact with work zones Pam / Tuesday, July 13, 2021 0 3991 Article rating: 2.0 Luke Neurauter, senior research associate in the Division of Vehicle, Driver and Safety Systems at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), is asking ATSSA members and others in the roadway safety industry to take part in a survey on the impact of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) on work zones. The purpose is to “better understand how CAV technologies will behave when they encounter typical work zone scenarios and what can be done (from the perspectives of both the CAVs and work zone operations) to ensure ultimate compatibility between all available technologies,” according to information from VTTI Senior Research Associate Tammy Trimble. The research is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Read more
CAT Coalition working group shares research on AV issues, primer plans CAT Coalition working group shares research on AV issues, primer plans Participants share impacts of AVs on highway infrastructure and report on U.S. readiness Pam / Thursday, April 15, 2021 0 4869 Article rating: No rating Members of the Cooperative Automated Transportation Coalition Infrastructure-Industry (CAT I-I) Working Group shared recently that they are assembling a primer with acronyms and definitions for autonomous vehicle (AV) and connected vehicle (CV) infrastructure and technology. The primer is not the first of its kind but intended to “bridge the gap” between Infrastructure Owner-Operators (IOOs) and Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) practitioners, according to the CAT I-I working group members. The working group's recent meeting also included presentations by Ted Hamer, managing director at KPMG Corporate Finance, and Paul Carlson, chief technology officer at Road Infrastructure Inc. Read more
Panels discuss innovations and safety challenges during Convention’s first general session Panels discuss innovations and safety challenges during Convention’s first general session Two industry awards announced as annual Convention starts its second week Pam / Tuesday, February 16, 2021 0 4557 Article rating: No rating Automated vehicles will be mainstream in the next decade, members of an Innovation Panel predicted today during the first general session of ATSSA’s 51st 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. Read more
MUTCD discussions scheduled for ATSSA’s Convention & Traffic Expo MUTCD discussions scheduled for ATSSA’s Convention & Traffic Expo Take part in chats on nine topics Feb. 16-18 Pam / Thursday, February 11, 2021 0 5243 Article rating: No rating Join the discussion on various aspects of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) during week two of ATSSA’s 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. The discussions are hosted by ATSSA and take place within the Conversation Lounge of the Convention’s online platform. Check out the topics you want to be part of and join the conversation. Participation is free for everyone registered for the Convention. Sessions run Tuesday through Thursday next week and cover nine topics. Read more
FHWA extends comment time for MUTCD NPA FHWA extends comment time for MUTCD NPA New deadline is May 14 Pam / Tuesday, February 2, 2021 0 6113 Article rating: No rating The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has extended the time for public comment to May 14 for the first comprehensive update to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (MUTCD) in more than a decade. The document opened for public comment on Dec. 14 as originally reported here and was originally to allow comments through March 15. The Notice of Proposed Amendments for the 11th edition of the MUTCD contains more than 600 proposed changes, according to a statement from the FHWA. Read more
USDOT releases 'Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan' USDOT releases 'Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan' The plan is available on the Federal Register for public comments Pam / Wednesday, January 13, 2021 0 5076 Article rating: No rating The U.S. Department of Transportation this week released an “Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan” (AVCP) that details a multi-pronged approach that “prioritizes safety while preparing for the future of transportation,” according to a statement announcing the plan. “This comprehensive plan lays out a vision for the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security and privacy are addressed,” Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in the statement. Public comments should be made within 60 days of the posting. Read more
FCC votes unanimously to redistribute a portion of the safety spectrum FCC votes unanimously to redistribute a portion of the safety spectrum ATSSA and other roadway safety advocates opposed changes to 5.9 GHz band Pam / Wednesday, November 18, 2020 0 5471 Article rating: 5.0 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously today to reallocate more than half of the 5.9GHz spectrum band—known as the “safety spectrum”—to unlicensed uses including WiFi. The new rules adopted today make the lower 45 megahertz of the spectrum available for unlicensed uses. They require Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) licensees to stop using this portion of the spectrum within a year. ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner called the action "a major blow to the roadway safety community and public safety in general." Read more
17May2022 Traffic fatalities rose an estimated 10.5% in 2021, reach 16-year high, NHTSA reports Tuesday, May 17, 2022 Read more