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ATSSA & TRB announce winners of 2023 TCD Student Challenge
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. FREDERICKSBURG, Va. Jan. 11, 2023 – The American Traffic Safety Services Association 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. Petru Sofio, below left, and Talia Askenazi, who are computer-aided drafting and design students, received first place for their project entitled, “Lenticular Traffic Signal.” A team from Auburn University placed second with its project entitled, “Rectangular Rapid-Flashing Beacon Supplement Strategy.” The team consisted of Department of Civil Engineering students pictured below, from left, Zijie Zhao, Jessie Chea, Stanton Freeman, Tonghui Li and team leader Fangjian Yang. A team from Michigan State University placed third with its project entitled, “Smart Safety Using Connected Dynamic Messaging Panel and Flashing Crosswalk for People Walking and Biking.” The team consisted of, below from left, Sakar Pahari, Nischal Gupta, Gagan Gupta, and team leader Sagar Keshari. “We always enjoy seeing students putting their skills to work solving real-world problems,” said ATSSA Innovation & Technical Services Manager Nagham "Melodie" Matout. “Finding ways to help vulnerable road users travel safely whether on foot, bike, wheelchair or with another aid is of critical importance. We appreciate the thought that went into the entries submitted this year.” The TCD Student Challenge is open to high school, junior college, college and university students or teams of students who have an interest in transportation and an understanding of traffic control devices. Students in relevant fields such as transportation, human factors and technology-related curricula are particularly encouraged to participate. Entries are judged on the ability of the idea to address the problem, applicability of the idea and its transferability to various environments and roadways, and feasibility of implementation. “We commend the students from Arlington High School for being the first high school team to win the contest and congratulate all of the winners and each team that participated,” Matout said. The three winning teams were chosen during the TRB Annual Meeting that started Sunday and runs through Thursday in Washington, D.C. Each winning team receives a cash prize $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 for third place and the opportunity to present their submissions to members of the roadway safety infrastructure industry at ATSSA’s 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in Phoenix, Feb. 17-21. The following seven teams also competed in the 2023 challenge. Davidson Academy of Reno Nevada, Adrian Lin, “Conflict Early Warning Beacon.” Northeastern University, Milad Tahmasebi, “Enhanced Flashing Yellow Arrow: A Dynamic Warning Mitigating Permitted Turn Conflicts with Cyclists and Pedestrians.” Oregon State, Benjamin Fryback, team leader, and teammates Kezia Suwandhaputra, Logan Scott-Deeter and Amy Wyman, “Right Hook Conflict Mitigation Using Modified Signage.” University of California, Irvine, Montana Rodriguez Reinoehl, team leader, and teammates Siwei Hu and Koti Reddy Allu, “A Non-Intrusive and Influence-Agnostic Impaired Driving Detection and Control Framework using LiDAR.” University of Florida, Agustin Guerra, team leader, and teammate Liliana P. Salas of the University of Arizona, “Actuated Micromobility Users Presence Awareness System in Urban Arterials.” University of Washington, Hao Frank Yang, team leader, and teammates Chenxi Liu, Yifan Ling, Cole Kopca and Sam Ricord, “Cooperative Traffic Signal Assistance System for Non-motorized Users and Disabilities Empowered by Computer Vision and Edge Artificial Intelligence.” University of Wisconsin-Madison, Rei Tamaru, “Prepared for Abrupt Emergency of Vulnerable Road users at Geofencing Crosswalk.”
ATSSA congratulates Graves on being named chair of T&I Committee
ATSSA congratulates Rep. Sam Graves R-Mo. on being chosen to chair the Transportation and Infrastructure T&I Committee in the 118th Congress. “ATSSA members have counted Chairman Graves as a roadway safety leader throughout his tenure on the T&I Committee and we look forward to his continued emphasis on this critical issue now that he is chair,” ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner said. “We are eager to work with him and his committee staff in the months and years ahead to ensure that roadway safety remains the top priority for Congress and the Biden administration.” Graves’ selection was announced by the committee today. He confirmed his priority for roadway safety and infrastructure in his comments included with the announcement. ATSSA congratulates Rep. Sam Graves R-Mo. on being chosen to chair the Transportation and Infrastructure T&I Committee in the 118th Congress. “ATSSA members have counted Chairman Graves as a roadway safety leader throughout his tenure on the T&I Committee and we look forward to his continued emphasis on this critical issue now that he is chair,” ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner said. “We are eager to work with him and his committee staff in the months and years ahead to ensure that roadway safety remains the top priority for Congress and the Biden administration.” Graves’ selection was announced by the committee today. He confirmed his priority for roadway safety and infrastructure in his comments included with the announcement. “When I first came to Congress, I fought hard to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. It’s now one of the greatest honors of my life to be chosen by my colleagues to chair what I believe is one of the most important and effective committees in Congress,” Graves said. “America cannot prosper without a safe and efficient transportation network that meets the economic needs of our diverse states and communities. “T&I will have a full agenda over the next two years, including oversight of the Administration, its implementation of the massive $1.2 trillion infrastructure law, and its policies that have exacerbated many of the economic crises facing our Nation. “We also have an important legislative agenda ahead, including looking at packages to help alleviate ongoing energy and supply chain problems.” Graves' full statement is here.
Convention educational offerings advance roadway safety
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.” 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.” ATSSA’s 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo takes place at the Phoenix Convention Center, Feb. 17-21. Educational offerings run from Feb. 19-21. Keynote speaker Scott Wozniak, an expert on organizational leadership, addresses attendees on Feb. 19 on the topic: “Great Brands Have Great Employees – The Engine Behind Legendary Companies.” Wozniak will explain how to build an “employee engagement engine,” including providing five systems to attract and empower great people. The next morning, he will expand on his presentation during an education session in the business track entitled, “Tactics and Tools for Your Employee Engagement Engine.” That session will be interactive and dive deeper into the tactics and tools used by legendary brands to engage their employees. Roadway Worker Protection topics include: “Safety Culture: One Employee at a Time!,” “How Smart Roadway Workers Use Situational Awareness to Improve Safety,” and “Can We Talk? Communications, Coordination and Cooperation for Increased Safety.” The Roadway Worker Protection Council meets on Feb. 20 from 2-5:30 p.m. A group of volunteers is working to help members navigate the challenges of contract negotiation. A four-member panel from this group will lead, “Contract Review 101” on Feb. 19 with the aim of educating and empowering ATSSA members. Among the other education session topics are one on modernizing teen driver instruction regarding work zone safety, a look at “next generation work zones for highly automated vehicles,” an update on the rewrite of the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware MASH and department of transportation DOT implementation schedules, “Lessons Learned in Using Work Zone Photo Speed Enforcement PSE,” a session on “How Do I Reduce Crashes and Fatalities in Work Zones?” and a roundtable discussion about the road ahead for pavement marking contractors. A Legislative Insights Forum featuring former Rep. Bill Shuster takes place Feb. 20. Shuster represented Pennsylvania’s 9th Congressional District for more than 17 years and served as chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He currently serves as a senior policy advisor at Squire Patton Boggs, providing strategic advice and consulting on issues including transportation, infrastructure and local governments. The 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo begins with two ATSS Foundation fundraisers on Feb. 17. The Sporting Clays Event will be held at Ben Avery Clay Target Center in Phoenix. The Foundation Golf Classic takes place nearby at Wigwam Golf Club in Litchfield Park, Ariz. Among the other Foundation activities is a “Meet & Greet” on the Expo floor Feb. 19, 3-4 p.m., where attendees can chat with college students who are recipients of the Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarship. 3M is once again sponsoring a pledge wall to benefit The Foundation and will match the first $5,000 in donations. The fundraiser runs from Jan. 1 through the end of Convention. Donations can be made during registration for the Convention & Traffic Expo, by texting TZD to 41444 or online. New this year is Student Day on Monday, Feb. 20. Students in seventh grade through the university level can attend the Convention & Traffic Expo for free that day along with a chaperone to learn about the industry and its many career opportunities. Register with promo code 2023AZStudent by Jan. 30. The Arizona ATSSA Chapter AZ-ATSSA is sponsoring lunch and a welcome presentation 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. immediately after which students can take a guided tour of the Traffic Expo floor to learn about roadway safety and see the latest industry innovations. They are then free to explore the floor on their own. Registration is now open for the 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo: Where roadway safety and innovation intersect. It is expected to bring together 3,500 members of the roadway safety industry and provide endless opportunities for learning, collaborating and networking while advancing roadway safety.
Upcoming Events
2026 Convention & Traffic Expo
Where Roadway Safety + Innovation Intersect. ATSSA’s 56th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is Feb. 20-24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Join key roadway safety and transportation professionals at this premier event.
Legislative Briefing & Fly-In 2026
ATSSA’s 2026 Legislative Briefing & Fly-In is April 14-15, in Washington, D.C.
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National Work Zone Awareness Week
Show your support of work zone safety awareness by participating in NWZAW 2026, April 20-24, with ATSSA and host Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT).
ATSSA's Core purpose is to advance roadway safety
ATSSA members embrace the goal of eliminating roadway fatalities through the design, manufacture and installation of road safety and traffic control devices. For more than 50 years, ATSSA’s training has been recognized as the highest quality roadway safety training program available. Get top training for your team.