ATSSA Signal Jan/Feb 2019

American Traffic Safety Services Association 14 Meetings & Conventions Tampa bound Pack your bags & get ready for ATSSA’s 49th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo ATSSA’s 49th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is just around the corner. The premier roadway safety infrastruc- ture industry event is being held Feb. 8–12, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. This year there will be some exciting new events and changes that innovate, influence, and inspire. “We’re looking forward to all of you join- ing us for the ATSSA 49th Annual Con- vention & Traffic Expo. With a full roster of engaging programs and events, and more than 650 booths on our Expo floor, there’s something for everyone in the industry,” said ATSSA Director of Meet- ings and Conventions Necoya Tyson. Industry events to look for For the 49th Annual Convention & Traf- fic Expo there will be several open fo- rums and events for attendees to par- ticipate in. There will be an open forum on bid spec- ification enforcement with state depart- ments of transportation (DOTs) to iden- tify the challenges the DOTs face when it comes to inspecting and enforcing specifications for roadway projects. “This forum will be an opportunity to share practices amongst the different DOTs. The goal here is to help every- body in identifying bid specification en- forcement challenges and begin the discussion on what can be done to over- come them,” said ATSSA Vice President of Member Services Donna Clark. The Signals Open Forum, a continuation from the first forum at ATSSA’s Midyear Meeting, will be held to address ques- tions raised in the initial meeting about adding a traffic signals division to ATSSA membership and encouraging broad participation from within the associa- tion to discuss the potential addition. Also kicked off at ATSSA’s Midyear Meet- ing, another Automotive Safety Council (ASC) Roundtable will be hosted with stakeholders from the roadway safety infrastructure and Connected Automat- ed Vehicle (CAV) communities. This round- table will focus on work zones and how CAVs navigate through these zones. “ATSSA is excited to host another ASC Roundtable to continue fostering dia- logue between the roadway safety in- frastructure industry and the automo- tive and CAV industry, to ensure that the association is at the forefront of this major development in transportation and roadway safety,” said ATSSA Direc- tor of New Programs Brian Watson. ATSSA members are encouraged to ap- ply for ATSSA’s New Products Rollout event, which will be held during the 49th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, as well as the ATSSA Innovation Awards and New Products Listing. These inno- vative opportunities are designed to help gain maximum exposure for new products from exhibitors. As an extension of ATSSA’s Circle of In- novation (ACOI), held last year, the up- coming convention will present an event focusing on solutions DOTs have imple- mented to improve safety and combat issues identified in previous ACOI discussions. Additionally, there will be various busi- ness and education sessions that offer individuals valuable information on top- ics including Manual for Assessing Safe- ty Hardware (MASH) compliance, high- way asset management, and mobile work zones. No shortage of networking opportunities During ATSSA’s 49th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo attendees will have plen- ty of opportunities to network with fel- low industry members. ATSSA will be hosting its first Young In- dustry Professionals reception to bring newer members of the roadway safety infrastructure industry together. There will also be a New Member and First- Time Attendee welcome event, which offers insight on how members can get the most of their association member- ship and their time at convention. The Public Agency Officials (PAO) recep- tion will be held on Feb. 10 and will bring together recipients of the 2019 Public Agency Scholarships. The scholarships cover travel expenses for selected pub- lic agency employees who may not oth- erwise be able to attend the Annual Convention & Traffic Expo. New this year is a spousal program, where spouses of Annual Convention & Traffic Expo attendees will be able to interact with one another and enjoy re- freshments during the event. Also, keep an eye out for new compo- nents at the Chairman’s Reception event as ATSSA prepares for its 50th anniver- sary in 2020. Honoring excellence in transportation and roadway safety ATSSA will recognize excellence in trans- portation and roadway safety infrastruc- ture through several awards that will be presented at the 49th Annual Conven- tion & Traffic Expo. The ATSSA Innovation Awards recog- nize the top three most innovative products submitted as part of the New Products Rollout event. In partnership with the Transportation Research Board (TRB), ATSSA holds the Traffic Control Device Challenge (TCD Challenge)—a contest for high school and college students focusing on solu- tions in traffic control devices. The 2019 TCD Challenge theme is “Traffic Control Device Innovations to Improve Pedestri- an and Bicycle Safety at Signalized Inter- sections.” The top three winners of the TCD Challenge will be recognized.