Yes, there was a big event in Phoenix yesterday but could those guys tackle roadway safety solutions?

Could their front line mount an effective defense against work zone incursions? Could their offensive coordinators come up with a plan to integrate pavement markings and connected vehicle technology?

No, but roadway safety fans can find strategies for those issues and many more in Phoenix Feb. 17-21 at ATSSA’s biggest event of the year – the 53^rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

Attendees will score big through interactions with industry experts, networking opportunities, nearly 50 education sessions and by exploring the 200,000-square-foot exhibit hall (more than triple the size of the gridiron) where new and powerful lifesaving devices will be displayed.

Registration is still open for the Convention & Traffic Expo where roadway safety and innovation intersect so get your name on the roster before it’s too late.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 9, 2023) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association  announces the lineup for its 2023 New Products Rollout (NPRO), which will include 18 products and be held at its 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo taking place Feb. 17-21 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

Traditionally, more than 3,500 people attend the Convention—the largest roadway safety tradeshow in North America—to see some of the latest innovations in the roadway safety infrastructure industry. The products submitted as part of the NPRO are comprised of a wide range of devices designed to save lives on our nation’s roadways.

“The products for this year’s New Products Rollout address a variety of issues related to safety on the roadways and reflect the diverse issues within this industry,” said ATSSA Manager of Innovation & Technical Services Nagham “Melodie” Matout. “It’s always fascinating to see the products on view for the NPRO and the ways they can help advance roadway safety.”

What issues are front of mind as ATSSA members contemplate 2023? What variables are being used to gauge how things will go in the long-term? What opportunities are on the horizon that are building excitement?

ATSSA asked four members who are leaders in different segments of the roadway safety infrastructure industry for their views on those questions and more for the Winter issue of Roadway Safety magazine, which is online today. Read what they had to say and see how their views compare to your own.

The Winter issue also explores rural road safety solutions, the importance of keeping workers from being distracted on the job, where wider pavement markings are being utilized and much more.

ATSSA will hold its first Roadway Safety Forum: East Coast in Richmond, Va., May 16-18.

Registration opens Tuesday (Jan. 17) afternoon for this pilot event, which features a mix of opportunities to target regional issues in the roadway safety industry. The three-day event includes general sessions, educational breakout sessions, networking opportunities and exhibits.

The Virginia, Carolinas and Chesapeake ATSSA Chapters are guiding the educational content of this conference, which addresses roadway safety infrastructure issues identified by chapter members. Anyone wishing to suggest a topic or who is interested in presenting should contact Director of Member Engagement Pamala Bouchard. 

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 11, 2023) – ATSSA in partnership with the National Academy of Sciences Transportation Research Board (TRB), announces the winners of the 2023 Traffic Control Device (TCD) Student Challenge.

Ten teams, made up primarily of engineering students from universities across the U.S., competed in the TCD Student Challenge, which was titled, “Innovative Traffic Control Devices to Improve Vulnerable Road User Safety.”

The team from Arlington High School in Arlington, Mass., won the contest and was the first high school team in the history of the TCD Student Challenge to achieve that honor. The other winners are from Auburn and Michigan State.

With nearly 50 options to choose from, ATSSA’s 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo offers tremendous opportunities to learn from roadway safety industry experts through formal education sessions, 30-minute “micro sessions” or traffic talks led by ATSSA staff.

Topics span nine categories: business, guardrail, signs, safety and public awareness, roadway worker protection, traffic signals, temporary traffic control, connected and automated vehicles (CAV) and innovation, and pavement markings and high friction surface treatment (HFST).

“We recognize the importance of pulling together subject matter experts to advance roadway safety and our Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is the perfect place to showcase the skills, insights and innovations our members and others have to address issues facing the industry,” said ATSSA Vice President of Education & Technical Services Donna Clark. “These sessions are designed to spur conversations, share ideas and lead to solutions for real-world problems.”

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will hold a Sept. 29 webinar to assist individuals interested in applying for a Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant.

Registration is now open for the webinar, which runs from 2:30-4 p.m. ET.

The grants were authorized as part of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) approved in November. The new grant program offers up to $100 million annually over the next five years. The grants would fund transportation projects that “use data and technology to solve real-world challenges facing communities today,” according to the USDOT announcement.

The SMART Grants Program does not require other funding such as matching or cost sharing, according to USDOT.

ATSSA’s Midyear Meeting kicks off on Tuesday, launching the annual collaboration of industry insiders gathered to address the latest innovations and challenges in the roadway safety infrastructure industry.

This year’s event takes place in Providence, R.I., where Wednesday’s agenda includes a panel discussion on workforce, materials and supply chain issues.

“Construction and transportation industry challenges – potholes on the industry highway” will be moderated by ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith. Panelists include Kate Fox Wood, senior director of government relations with the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Jonathan Starks of FTR, who is a longtime member of the freight industry, and Sterling Wiggins with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The 1-hour session starts at 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and will focus on the state of affairs across the construction and transportation industries and what the path forward may look like.

Apply by Dec. 1 to participate in ATSSA’s New Products Rollout (NPRO), which will be held during ATSSA’s 53^rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in Phoenix, Feb. 17-21.

Exhibitors who introduced products after Jan. 1, 2020, are eligible to apply.

Entries accepted for NPRO will be included in the New Products Listing, which showcases the products to the roughly 3,700 roadway safety professionals who attend ATSSA’S Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, including listing on the Convention website and mobile app.

Innovation Awards are chosen from among the products selected for NPRO.

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) takes the first step in activating its variable speed zone along Interstate 95 in the Fredericksburg region today.

New LED signs that can display variable speed limits will be illuminated for the first several days with the 65-70 mph limit to give drivers time to adjust to the presence of the signs, VDOT announced. The system will be fully activated on June 22, at which point speed limits could be anywhere between 35 mph and 70 mph.

ATSSA examined variable speed zones in the Winter 2022 issue of Roadway Safety magazine in an article that analyzed their use in multiple states. The article, “Do They Improve Safety?” reviewed details of how the new VDOT variable speed zone will work and how the zones have been used elsewhere in Virginia and in regions across the country.