In a year in which households across the nation are struggling due to the rising costs of necessities, ATSS Foundation Director Lori Diaz tempered her expectations for the 2023 global day of philanthropy known as Giving Tuesday.

But Tuesday’s giving not only exceeded her expectations but also set a record for the second year in a row.

“I was astonished by the generosity shown to the ATSS Foundation,” Diaz said. “People had the opportunity to support many deserving organizations with their donations on Giving Tuesday and I am honored that they chose to support us. I appreciate every individual and group who gave to the Foundation and is helping us finish the year strong.”

Kathi Holst is still haunted by the deaths of two roadway workers at companies where she served as an executive. That’s why she’s passionate about the importance of a daily emphasis on worker safety.

ATSSA’s second Roadway Worker Protection Special Edition is now online. This year’s edition focuses on three areas:

• Building a workplace safety culture
• Insights on situational awareness
• A teen driver education program that protects workers, teens and all motorists by teaching new drivers how to safely navigate work zones.

The Roadway Worker Protection Special Edition also includes a state-by-state breakdown of work zone crashes.

With speeding through highway work zones posing an increasingly prevalent threat, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and ATSSA members are taking extensive steps to protect workers engaged in a 3 ½-year project.

The Fall issue of Roadway Safety magazine details the steps those partners are taking for this long-term work on Interstate 494. Read about this project and much more in this issue, available online now.

The magazine also delves into several other issues including artificial intelligence, looking at how it’s being applied to optimize business and employed to raise the bar with intelligent traffic management systems.

The ATSS Foundation awarded Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarships to 14 students for the 2023-24 academic year.

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. Since its inception, the program has awarded 126 Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarships. An additional 26 Chuck Bailey Memorial Scholarships—valued at $1,000 each—have been awarded to applicants who demonstrate a strong commitment to volunteerism. Bailey was a member of the roadway safety industry who died in 2002.

“The goal of the program is to help dependents of workers killed or permanently disabled in a work zone incident navigate a path forward,” said Foundation Director Lori Diaz.

ATSSA’s Public Agency and Marty Weed Engineering scholarships provide department of transportation (DOT) officials opportunities to engage with the latest roadway safety tools and the people advancing the industry at the largest gathering of roadway safety infrastructure officials in North America. 

A record-breaking crowd registered for ATSSA’s 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo, and more are expected for the 54th annual event in San Diego, Feb. 2-6.