• April 20, 2020

    OSU ITE student chapter team wins first place in the ATSSA TCD Challenge

    Members of OSU’s ITE student chapter received first place in the Traffic Control Device (TCD) Challenge, a competition held by the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA). The winners were awarded at the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting last January. 

    ATSSA’s TCD Challenge, titled, “Connected and Autonomous Innovations for Improving Work Zone Safety,” invited engineering students from all over the country to design a traffic control solution using connected and/or autonomous technology. 

    According to the Federal Highway Administration, the amount of total work zone fatalities increased by 2% between 2016 and 2017, with speeding being a factor in 203 of the 799 work zone crashes that occurred in 2017. 

    “Being able to co-host this competition with TRB not only allows ATSSA to present a pressing issue within the industry and conjure potential solutions, it also provides us the opportunity to encourage young minds to get more involved within the roadway safety industry and look ahead to possible future innovations,” said Eric Perry, ATSSA director of Innovation & Technical Services, on the ATSSA blog.

    “This year, challenge winners addressed a serious concern within the industry and we hope their ideas resonate with all those involved with roadway safety,” Perry said on the blog.

    The OSU team included Travis Larson, a 2nd year M.S. student; Amy Wyman, a 1st year Ph.D. student; and Joe Neils and Cameron Bennett, both undergraduate students in OSU’s Civil and Construction Engineering Program. 

    Their entry, titled, “Connected Temporary Traffic Control Devices,” earned them not only first place, but also a chance to join the other top three finalists in New Orleans, where they presented their work at ATSSA’s 50th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo at the end of last January, along with a cash prize of $1,500 and a plaque commemorating their achievement. 

    Congratulations to the OSU team for this amazing achievement!