ONLINE NOW: Phoenix offers a glimpse into the AV future ONLINE NOW: Phoenix offers a glimpse into the AV future Fall issue of Roadway Safety magazine includes supplement on Worker Protection Pam / Monday, October 31, 2022 0 15953 Article rating: 5.0 When ATSSA members arrive in Phoenix for the 2023 Convention & Traffic Expo in February they will find themselves in a city that’s made a name for itself as a pioneer in the testing of autonomous vehicle (AV) technologies. The region has embraced the technology and seen multiple pilots for grocery delivery as well as a driverless taxi service. The Fall issue of Roadway Safety magazine—available online now—details these efforts in Arizona and reveals a resource for members to remove the fear factor from contract negotiations, offers members’ take on the value of in-person advocacy and explains how ATSSA’s ITS Team keeps pace with innovation. An entire supplement is devoted to roadway worker protection and spells out efforts underway to improve worker safety from multiple perspectives. Both issues are online now. Read more
USDOT offering webinar on applying for SMART Grants USDOT offering webinar on applying for SMART Grants Register now for Sept. 29 webinar; applications due Nov. 18 Pam / Wednesday, September 21, 2022 0 17302 Article rating: 4.0 The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) will hold a Sept. 29 webinar to assist individuals interested in applying for a Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grant. Registration is now open for the webinar, which runs from 2:30-4 p.m. ET. The grants were authorized as part of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) approved in November. The new grant program offers up to $100 million annually over the next five years. The grants would fund transportation projects that “use data and technology to solve real-world challenges facing communities today,” according to the USDOT announcement. The SMART Grants Program does not require other funding such as matching or cost sharing, according to USDOT. Read more
Midyear Meeting general session explores connected technology with Audi and Ford executives Midyear Meeting general session explores connected technology with Audi and Ford executives Pam / Thursday, August 19, 2021 0 8320 Article rating: No rating Executives with Ford and Audi emphasized the importance of collaboration among key stakeholders as connected and autonomous vehicle technology advances. Tony Reinhart, director of Government Relations for Ford Motor Company, and Brad Stertz, director of Audi Government Affairs and co-founder and chairman of Partners for Automated Vehicle Education (PAVE), spoke at this morning’s general session at ATSSA’s Midyear Meeting, which runs through Friday. After opening remarks, Reinhart and Stertz were joined by ATSSA Board Chair Greg Driskell and ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith for a panel that took questions from the group assembled in Kansas City, Mo., for the Midyear Meeting. Read more
VTTI seeks participants for survey on how connected and automated vehicles will interact with work zones VTTI seeks participants for survey on how connected and automated vehicles will interact with work zones Pam / Tuesday, July 13, 2021 0 7991 Article rating: 3.5 Luke Neurauter, senior research associate in the Division of Vehicle, Driver and Safety Systems at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), is asking ATSSA members and others in the roadway safety industry to take part in a survey on the impact of connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) on work zones. The purpose is to “better understand how CAV technologies will behave when they encounter typical work zone scenarios and what can be done (from the perspectives of both the CAVs and work zone operations) to ensure ultimate compatibility between all available technologies,” according to information from VTTI Senior Research Associate Tammy Trimble. The research is sponsored by the Transportation Research Board (TRB). Read more
FCC votes unanimously to redistribute a portion of the safety spectrum FCC votes unanimously to redistribute a portion of the safety spectrum ATSSA and other roadway safety advocates opposed changes to 5.9 GHz band Pam / Wednesday, November 18, 2020 0 9683 Article rating: 5.0 The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) voted unanimously today to reallocate more than half of the 5.9GHz spectrum band—known as the “safety spectrum”—to unlicensed uses including WiFi. The new rules adopted today make the lower 45 megahertz of the spectrum available for unlicensed uses. They require Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) licensees to stop using this portion of the spectrum within a year. ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner called the action "a major blow to the roadway safety community and public safety in general." Read more
Midyear Digital: Hear national experts’ short- and long-range industry forecasts Midyear Digital: Hear national experts’ short- and long-range industry forecasts Opening General Session will reveal “6:60:6 Predictions” Pam / Monday, August 3, 2020 0 8561 Article rating: No rating Midyear Digital’s Opening General Session features a panel of national experts providing their “6:60:6 Predictions” for the roadway safety industry. Panelists include Ken Simonson, chief economist, Associated General Contractors of America; Jeff Davis, senior fellow and editor, Eno Transportation Weekly; and Hilary Cain, vice president, Technology, Innovation, and Mobility Policy, Alliance for Automotive Innovation. Registration is now open for this fully virtual meeting. Read more
ATSSA endorses Auto Alliance’s commitment to preserve bands of spectrum for transportation safety ATSSA endorses Auto Alliance’s commitment to preserve bands of spectrum for transportation safety Pam / Tuesday, April 28, 2020 0 10284 Article rating: No rating ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner sent letters to Federal Communications Commission Chair Ajit Pai and U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao this week strongly endorsing the Alliance for Automotive Innovation’s letter committing to fully utilize the bands of spectrum allocated for transportation safety. “The commitment undertaken by the Auto Innovators reflects a watershed moment for roadway safety. This letter demonstrates a unified industry committing substantial resources and support for Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X). This approach should dispel any notion that the industry will not deploy V2X or that the Safety Spectrum will not be used,” Tetschner wrote. Read more
FCC extends deadline for replies to comments on 5.9 GHz band proposal FCC extends deadline for replies to comments on 5.9 GHz band proposal Pam / Tuesday, March 31, 2020 0 9246 Article rating: No rating The Federal Communications Commission’s Office of Engineering and Technology granted a 21-day extension of the deadline for submitting replies to comments regarding a proposed rule change regarding the 5.9 GHz band, also commonly referred to as the "safety spectrum." The new deadline of April 27 resulted from the extensive comments submitted and disruptions caused by COVID-19. Read more
ATSSA continues work on traffic signals membership segment ATSSA continues work on traffic signals membership segment Pam / Friday, January 17, 2020 0 7428 Article rating: 4.0 Work continues on incorporating traffic signals into the Association’s activities to advance roadway safety. In 2019, ATSSA formed a Traffic Signals Committee and new membership category during its Midyear Meeting to ensure that the Association is representing all sectors of the roadway safety infrastructure industry and areas related to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). It also will allow ATSSA to move forward with new partnerships with traffic signal installers and manufacturers. Read more
Automation collaboration: Roadway safety infrastructure and automotive industry connections will pave the way to self-driving vehicles Automation collaboration: Roadway safety infrastructure and automotive industry connections will pave the way to self-driving vehicles Anonym / Wednesday, July 10, 2019 0 16347 Article rating: 4.0 In recent years, there has been an uptick in collaboration between entities within the roadway safety infrastructure and automotive industries as Connected and Autonomous Vehicle (CAV) technologies progress and enter U.S. roadways. In a sweeping effort to ensure traffic control devices and roadway infrastructure effectively support the Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) of CAVs, manufacturers and groups like the Automotive Safety Council, 3M, SAE International, and ATSSA are working together to uncover the gaps in information and needs to help these vehicles perform at an optimum level. Read more