ATSSA Accomplishments Report 2018

American Traffic Safety Services Association 8 New Programs ATSSA publishes new case study books for members Second annual Traffic Control DeviceChallenge a success ATSSA introduced two case study books in 2018, “Safety Benefits of Median Barrier and Roadside Guardrail,” and “Advanced Technologies for Preventing Work Zone Intrusions.” Safety Benefits of Median Barrier and Roadside Guardrail Roadside guardrail and median barrier are important roadway safety infrastruc- ture devices that can significantly reduce roadwaydeparture crashes andcross-me- dian crashes, which often result in severe injuries and fatalities. However, certain isolated incidents wherein these safety devices failed to performwell have gener- ated negative feedback about their usage in the general public. Therefore it is necessary to shed light on the vital role guardrail and median barrier play in improving highway safety, as well as mitigating crash severity. This case study booklet highlights many “real life” stories and applications of these safety devices. Advanced Technologies for PreventingWork Zone Intrusions This publication discusses the latest devices and products that can help protect workers against work zone intru- sions by alertingmotorists or Connected Automated Vehicles (CAVs) approaching work zones or warning workers of poten- tial intrusions. The research defines types of work zone intrusions, including CAVs, distracted drivers, and impaired drivers, and examines case studies that have shown the effective use of existing and new technologies to prevent these intrusions. ATSSA, in partnership with the Na t i ona l Academy of Sc i ences ’ Transportation Research Board (TRB), honored three university engineering students and their teams, for winning the ATSSA-TRB Traffic Control Device (TCD) Challenge. Engineering students from around the country competed in the challenge, which focusedon improving roadway systemdesign, and the creation of innovative roadway traffic control devices that help improve safety on the nation’s roadways. Participants in the contest included students from high schools, community colleges, college or graduate students, or teams of students with an interest in transportation. Nearly 25 finalists fromacross the country were evaluated for the prestigious awards during the January TRB Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. From those submis- sions, first, second, and third place winners were selected to present their concepts to the roadway safety infra- structure industry—and over 3,000 guests—during ATSSA’s 48th Annual Convention& Traffic Expo in San Antonio, Texas. Additionally, winning teams received cash prizes and plaques for their submissions. All submissions to the contest were original designs or modifications to industry-accepted designs or products. A panel of TRB experts judged the entries based on the ability of the idea to address a specific roadway problem, how easily it would be understood by all road users, its applicability on a nationwide basis, and its feasibility for implementation. SAFETYBENEFITSOFMEDIAN BARRIERANDROADSIDEGUARDRAIL PREPAREDUNDERCONTRACTBYAUBURNUNIVERSITY AmericanTrafficSafetyServicesAssociation www.atssa.com ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR PREVENTINGWORK ZONE INTRUSIONS PREPAREDUNDERCONTRACTBYAUBURNUNIVERSITY AmericanTrafficSafetyServicesAssociation www.atssa.com (From left to right) Chief Technology Officer for Road Infrastructure Investment Holdings, Inc. Paul Carl- son, ATSSA Chair Juan Arvizu, Oregon State University student winners Logan Scott-Deeter and Hisham Jashami, Pennsylvania State University student winner Lingyu Li, University of Missouri student winner Katy Harlan, Engineer of Traffic and Operations for the Transportation Research Board Richard Cunard, and ATSSA Director of New Programs Brian Watson attend the award ceremony for the Traffic Control Device Challenge. ATSSA provides case studies annually that focus on major issues or innovations in the roadway safety infrastructure industry to keep association members up-to-date. A T S S A ’ S C I R C L E O F I N N O V A T I O N