This year’s 3M pledge wall raised $14,820 for The ATSS Foundation.

This was the seventh year 3M has operated the virtual wall fundraiser, which ran from the start of the year through the end of ATSSA’s Convention & Traffic Expo.

3M launched the event with an offer to match up to $5,000 in donations. When the tally fell just short of that figure—at $4,820—the company elected to provide the full match. Those funds plus 3M’s $5,000 sponsorship provided The Foundation with a total of $14,820.

The ATSS Foundation recently recognized the Shirley family of Georgia with the nonprofit’s Ambassador Award.

The Foundation Ambassador Award recognizes an individual or entity for extraordinary efforts in supporting The Foundation’s core purpose of promoting roadway safety through charitable giving and public awareness programs.

Georgia ATSSA Chapter President Rick Brockman nominated the family for the Foundation Ambassador Award in recognition of their years-long efforts in helping both The Foundation and the Georgia Department of Transportation, both of which offer college scholarships.

Thousands of roadway safety advocates filled the Phoenix Convention Center this week for ATSSA’s 53^rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, exploring the latest technology and equipment for protecting lives within work zones and on the nation’s roadways.

A record-setting number of people registered, with more than 3,700 for this year's event.

With nearly 50 education sessions to choose from, they gained both practical tips—such as how to negotiate contracts to limit liability—and enhanced their understanding of critical workplace safety and technology issues such as advances in communication between work zones and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Keynote speaker Scott Wozniak, an organizational leadership expert from Atlanta, addressed a key workforce issue on Sunday when he offered insights for building a successful team by focusing on the essential element of employee engagement.

Check out some of the highlights of this week's event.

Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarships can fuel the journey to dreams fulfilled for students who lost a parent or had one permanently disabled due to a work zone incident.

The ATSS Foundation offers two scholarships for the loved ones following a work zone tragedy.

The Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program offers dependents of the workers—both children and spouses—an opportunity to continue pursuing their academic dreams beyond high school. This competitive program offers up to $10,000 for an academic year. Applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteerism may be eligible to receive an additional $1,000 in honor of Chuck Bailey, who was an esteemed member of the roadway safety industry.

Applications are due by Feb. 15 for the 2023-24 academic year.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Dec. 14, 2022) –The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation awarded scholarships to 14 students for the 2022-23 academic year, with the majority of students being multi-year recipients.

The Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship Program started in 2002 to provide financial assistance for post-high school education to dependents of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in roadway work zones. The program is competitive and provides scholarships valued up to $10,000 per student each year. The program has awarded more than $400,000 since its inception.

Applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteerism may be eligible for an additional $1,000 in honor of Chuck Bailey, a member of the roadway safety industry who died in 2002.

Giving Tuesday donations resulted in more than $12,800 for The ATSS Foundation, the largest amount ever received by the nonprofit on this global day of philanthropy.

The Georgia ATSSA Chapter (GA-ATSSA) got things rolling by offering $5,000 in matching funds. Then 31 individuals and businesses rose to the challenge, giving $7,851.

“We are overwhelmed by the generosity shown by our supporters, including the Georgia Chapter of ATSSA by providing its $5,000 match,” said Foundation Director Lori Diaz. “Yesterday’s record-breaking total demonstrates the heart of our members who back The Foundation and its efforts to spread awareness of the importance of work zone safety and to assist families whose lives are forever changed by a work zone tragedy.”

When ATSSA members arrive in Phoenix for the 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo in February they will find themselves in a city that’s made a name for itself as a pioneer in the testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies. The region has embraced the technology and seen multiple pilots for grocery delivery as well as a driverless taxi service.

The Fall issue of Roadway Safety magazine—available online now—details these efforts in Arizona and reveals a resource for members to remove the fear factor from contract negotiations, offers members’ take on the value of in-person advocacy and explains how ATSSA’s ITS Team keeps pace with innovation.

An entire supplement is devoted to roadway worker protection and spells out efforts underway to improve worker safety from multiple perspectives.

Both issues are online now.

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.

The Summer issue of Roadway Safety magazine is now online and focuses on work zone awareness efforts nationwide.

From the national event in Virginia to member photos from across the country to expert insights into planning a National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) event, the magazine addresses this key industry safety effort.

Plus, this issue celebrates the 20^th anniversary of the National Work Zone Memorial, offers insights about supply chain challenges, and delves into the pitfalls of gas tax suspensions.

Check out three tools to help protect roadway workers on the job and much more in the Summer issue of Roadway Safety magazine, the flagship publication of the American Traffic Safety Services Association.

ATSSA’s Public Agency and Marty Weed Engineering scholarships offer department of transportation (DOT) officials the opportunity to participate in the largest gathering of roadway safety infrastructure officials in North America.

There they can see the latest innovations in roadway safety, interact with companies that produce them and engage with industry experts on everything from pavement marking and traffic control to technology designed to protect roadway workers and interact with connected and automated vehicles.

ATSSA’s 53^rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo takes place in Phoenix, Feb. 17-21 and will include the New Products Rollout, Innovation Awards that go to the top products as judged by DOT officials, and the ever-popular Circle of Innovation where transportation officials from across the country and around the globe hear about the latest topics.

Scholarship applications are due by Sept. 19. Applicants will be notified by Oct. 12.