The first time Kathi Holst lost an employee in a work zone incident was decades ago but she vividly remembers the heartache and overwhelming desire to closet herself off from the world. Instead, she had to keep going and deal with the myriad issues that arise from such a tragedy.

Doug Dolinar is still reeling from the death of an employee just six months ago.

Those experiences motivated Holst, president & CEO of RCMS in Naperville, Ill., and Dolinar, president of Guidemark Inc. of Souderton, Pa., to take part in ATSSA’s Roadway Worker Protection Summit scheduled for Feb. 8 as the kickoff event for the Association’s 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

The U.S. Department of Transportation this week released an “Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan”  (AVCP) that details a multi-pronged approach that “prioritizes safety while preparing for the future of transportation,” according to a statement announcing the plan.

“This comprehensive plan lays out a vision for the safe integration of automated vehicles into America’s transportation system while ensuring that legitimate concerns about safety, security and privacy are addressed,” Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao said in the statement.

Public comments should be made within 60 days of the posting.

ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo’s general sessions will inspire and inform, including insights from keynote speaker Chad Hymas, who was forced to rework everything in his life after a ranch accident left him a quadriplegic.

Hymas will share about his experience adapting to change and offer lessons on leadership, teamwork and customer service to employ in your workplace.

This year’s general sessions stretch over two days and are jampacked with valuable information including panels on the industry, innovation and government advocacy.

UPDATE: Deadline extended to Jan. 20 to enter ATSSA’s Got Talent: Battle of the Bands edition taking place at the 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in February.

So, if you've always secretly dreamed of stardom, it's not too late to enter your band in the competition.

Gather your bandmates and submit your entry. Achieve fame among your ATSSA colleagues and you could be playing for the crowd in Tampa at the 52^nd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao today announced that she would be resigning from her position, with her final day coming on Jan. 11.

In a letter to her colleagues at the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) posted to Twitter, Chao wrote, “Yesterday, our country experienced a traumatic and entirely avoidable event as supporters of the President stormed the Capitol building following a rally he addressed. As I’m sure is the case with many of you, it has deeply troubled me in a way that I simply cannot set aside.”

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Jan. 7, 2021) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association  selected nine companies to participate in its 2021 New Products Rollout  event, which is held in conjunction with the 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo being held online over two weeks in February.

Typically, more than 3,700 people attend the largest roadway safety tradeshow in North America to see some of the latest innovations in the roadway safety infrastructure industry. The products submitted as part of NPRO are comprised of a wide range of devices designed to save lives on our nation’s roadways.

This year’s Convention is being held Feb. 8-12 and 16-18.

The Federal Highway administration issued a Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or Streets and Highways (MUTCD) official ruling this week pertaining to syntax on changeable message sign messaging.

Official Ruling No. 2(09)-174 provides an official interpretation for the question of “whether the MUTCD provides for displays on changeable message signs (CMS) that use unconventional wording typically not found on standard signing and how public input into the development of CMS messages may be used.”

The ruling notes that the devices should not contain advertising or messages unrelated to traffic control and then reviews the five principles for an effective traffic control device: fulfill a need; command attention; convey a clear, simple meaning; command respect from road users; and give adequate time for proper response.

Attend the Open Forum on Workforce Development at ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo to be part of the dialogue among key stakeholders on the challenges facing roadway safety infrastructure industry in hiring and retaining a viable workforce.

Hear from experts during a two-hour session on Feb. 10 and engage in the discussion to help identify partners and resources. 

Jeffrey Zaharewicz, acting director of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Center for Accelerating Innovation and Office of Innovative Program Delivery, will serve as facilitator.

The American Traffic Safety Services Foundation (The ATSS Foundation) offers academic scholarships to the spouses and children of roadway workers killed or permanently disabled in work zone incidents to help them achieve their academic goals.

Applications for Roadway Worker Memorial Scholarships for the 2021-22 academic year are due by Feb. 15. Roadway Worker Memorial scholarships are competitive and awarded annually to help put family members on the road to a brilliant future.

Scholarships provide financial assistance up to $10,000 for post-secondary education. 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.

Always secretly dreamed of stardom? Enjoy showing off your musical talents? Have a group of bandmates?

Get your act together and compete in ATSSA’s Got Talent: Battle of the Bands edition during the 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in February.

Achieve fame among your ATSSA colleagues and you could be playing for the crowd in Tampa at the 52^nd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

The entry deadline is Jan. 10.