2018 Traffic Safety Conference | August 8—10, 2018
Sugar Land Marriott Town Square
16090 City Walk
Sugar Land, Texas 77479

Thank you to everyone who attended this year’s conference. We will be posting presentations and participant lists on this page shortly.

From Plan to Action — Help make the SHSP a Reality

Join us in Sugar Land to start turning the strategies and countermeasures in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan into action.  The conference sessions will focus on successful safety program and project implementation, effective practices for overcoming challenges and finding resources. We will concentrate on high priority safety issues in Texas: Distraction, Speeding, Pedestrians, Impairment, Lane and Roadway Departures and Older Road Users. The agenda and discussions will be based on the action-oriented implementation plans developed by the Emphasis Area Teams.

earHelp us by taking the action plans to another level by interacting with other participants, sharing your knowledge and experiences, and developing creative and effective implementation strategies.

Keynote Luncheon Speaker – Deborah A.P. Hersman, President & CEO, National Safety Council

Deborah Hersman is a recognized safety leader. She is the president and CEO of the National Safety Council, with a vision of eliminating preventable deaths in our lifetime at work, in our homes and communities, and on the road.

Ms. Hersman is current Chairwoman for the Road to Zero Coalition led by the National Safety Council, The U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The Coalition aims to end roadway fatalities by 2050. She has served on the Department of Transportation Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation and regularly testifies on automated technology implementation that can save lives and eliminate preventable fatalities.

Prior to joining NSC, she served as chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, was a senior advisor to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and a congressional staffer. She holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in political science and international studies from Virginia Tech and a Master’s of Science degree in conflict analysis and resolution from George Mason University.

 

Pre-Conference Workshops

Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian
Lauren Blackburn, AICP
Senior Project Manager

This workshop will introduce the Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian program and available resources, including the FHWA Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations. The instructor will provide an in-depth overview of the guide and the STEP countermeasures. Participants will work in small groups to review sample sites and roadway conditions to identify countermeasure options.

Focus on Reducing Impaired Driving Among Youth (F.R.I.D.A.Y. Program)
Mark Busbee
Program Manager
FRIDAY Program

This workshop includes five different sessions on alcohol and drug abuse prevention training. The sessions are Youth and Alcohol, Drugs and Youth, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault, Impaired Driving, and a section on Prevention. The presentation is often given to school and college officers and those who work with students, though those who work outside of schools find it useful, too. TCOLE credits also will be available. View brochure.

Early Adopter Success: Experiences Integrating STEP and DDACTS
Lance Arnold, Chief, Weatherford PD
Anthony Boone, Asst. Chief, Longview PD
Sgt. Darin Lair, Crime Analysis, Longview PD
Jadonna Manion, Analyst, Longview PD

Changes to the Selective Traffic Enforcement Program (STEP) for FY 2019 have shifted the focus of enforcement operations from areas of low compliance to areas with disproportionate levels of fatal and serious injury crashes. This data-driven enforcement style is designed to be an operational component of the nationally recognized and NHTSA-endorsed Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety (DDACTS) philosophy, which encourages agencies to modify its traffic-enforcement models to impact both crashes and crime. In the past three years, more than 20 law enforcement agencies in Texas have begun working toward implementing the DDACTS model with training provided through a grant with the Texas Department of Transportation. The Longview and Weatherford police departments are two of the early adopters. Hear representatives from each department speak about their journey to implement DDACTS and how they plan to augment their efforts with STEP enforcement.

Conference Overview

Wednesday, August 8, 2018
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Pedestrian Safety Workshop
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Impaired Driving Workshop
1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Law Enforcement’s Role in Safety Countermeasures Workshop
2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Exhibitor Set-up
1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. | Conference Registration Desk Open
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. | Welcome/Exhibitors Reception

Thursday, August 9, 2018

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Registration Desk Open
7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. | Exhibitor Showcase
9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. | Opening Welcome Session
10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. | Break
10:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. | 4 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
11:45 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. | Conference Luncheon
1:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. | Break
1:45 p.m. – 3:15 p.m. | 4 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
3:15 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. | Break
3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. | 3 Concurrent Breakout Sessions

Friday, August 10, 2018

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m. | Continental Breakfast
7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Registration Desk Open
7:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | Exhibitor Showcase
9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. | 3 Concurrent Breakout Sessions
10:30 a.m. – 10:45 a.m. | Break
10:45 a.m. – Noon | Plenary Session/ Report Out/ Conference Close

Presentation and Discussion Circle Sessions

Roadway and Lane Departures

A Data-Driven Approach to Stopping Roadway Departure Crashes
        Karen Dixon, Ph.D., P.E.
        Senior Research Engineer, Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas Curves
        Darren McDaniel
        Texas Department of Transportation
District-wide program to reduce run-off-road crashes
        Rebecca L Wells
        Director of Transportation Operations
        Atlanta District – Texas Department Of Transportation

Distraction

Cutting Edge Distracted Driving Enforcement
        Detective Patrick Oborski
        Austin Police Department
San Antonio’s Safest Driver Contest: Using Technology & Competition to Support Vision Zero
        Art Reinhardt, PE, CFM
        Assistant Director, Transportation & Capital Improvements
        City of San Antonio
Employers and the Importance They Play in Addressing Fatalities and Injuries on our Roadways
        Lisa R. Robinson, CFLE
        Senior Program Manager
        National Safety Council

Pedestrians

Austin’s Approach to Address Pedestrian Safety
        Joel Meyer
        Pedestrian Coordinator
        Austin Transportation Department
Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations
        Lauren Blackburn, AICP
        VHB – Senior Project Manager
Walk. Bike. Safe. – A Data-Driven Approach to Addressing Pedestrian Safety
        Neal A. Johnson and Joan G. Hudson
        Texas A&M Transportation Institute

Intersections

Intersection Safety: Implementation Success Stories
        Brian Chandler, PE, PTOE, PMP
        DKS Associates
Roundabouts and Intersection Safety
        John Denholm III, PE, PTOE
        Senior Project Manager
        Lee Engineering
Intersection Safety Improvement Program in Austin, Texas – A Success Story
        Upal Barua, M.Sc., P.Eng., P.E.
        Program Manager & Lead Traffic Safety Engineer,
        Austin Transportation Department,
        City of Austin, Texas.

Speeding

Managing Speeds to Improve Traffic Safety for All Users
        Brian Chandler, PE, PTOE, PMP
        DKS Associates
Achieving Desired Operating Speeds Using Context Sensitive Solutions: A Case Study on an Urban Farm-to-Market Road
        Gary W. Schatz, P.E., PTOE, PTP
        Transportation Engineering Consultant
        City of Bryan

Impaired Driving

Making Change Happen With Strategies That Work
        Nicole Holt
        CEO
        Texans Standing Tall
San Antonio’s Social Host Ordinance
        Vickie Adams
        Coalition Director
        San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
TABC efforts to address impaired driving
        Mindy Carrol
        Director of Education and Prevention
        Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission

Older Users

A Perspective on Safety and Mobility for Older Persons
        Sandi Rosenbloom
        University of Texas
Older and Younger Driver Training Preferences for Automated Driving Systems
Michael Manser, Ph.D.
Senior Research Scientist
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Keeping the Keys
Kara Thorp
Public Affairs Specialist
AAA Texas & New Mexico

 

Download the full conference program.

Registration Information

Online registration will be available until 5:00 pm CST, Wednesday, August 1, 2018. After this date, please plan to register on-site at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.

Pre-registration is recommended and will help us in planning and preparing a better conference. If you pre-register, your name tag and program packet will be ready when you arrive at the hotel. The fee is $200 through Friday, June 8, 2018. A $50 late fee will be added to registrations received after June 8, 2018.

You are encouraged to register online. Please make check or money order (U.S. currency drawn on a U.S. bank) payable to TTI-Safety18. Event Management & Planning (EM&P) also accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express credit cards. If paying by check or money order, you register online and then mail your payment to EM&P. EM&P cannot invoice; therefore, payment of the conference registration fee must be received prior to admission to the conference. NO PURCHASE ORDERS ACCEPTED.

For payment processing purposes, the vendor identification number for TTI EM&P is 37277277275000. The federal identification number is 74-2270624.

Conference registration will be available at the hotel immediately prior to the conference. On-site registration fee of $300 will be in effect during that time. Check, money order, exact cash, and credit card payments will be accepted on-site.

Cancellations

Only cancellations received in writing by EM&P by 5:00 pm, July 8, 2018 will be refunded, less a $50 handling fee. No refunds will be made after July 8, 2018.

Exhibitor Registration

If you would like more information about exhibiting at this conference, please visit the exhibitor web page.

Hotel Reservations

The Sugar Land Marriott Town Square is holding a block of rooms for our use at a special group rate – $121 per night. We encourage everyone needing a room to call or reserve your room online immediately since we anticipate the rooms will be booked quickly.

Reservations will be made, modified or canceled by individuals calling the hotel directly at (281) 275-8400 or by calling Central Reservations at (800) 228-9290. Individuals must identify themselves as being with the group, referring to the group name, and the Group Code. The Group Code name is TTI Traffic Safety Conference.

Reservations should be made by Tuesday, July 24, 2018 at 5:00pm. After this date, rooms are subject to availability and may be at a higher rate.

Make your reservations online.

Parking

The Sugar Land Marriott Town Square provides free surface parking. Valet parking will be an $8.00 daily charge and $23.00 for overnight.

City Information

For more information about the city of Sugar Land, please visit the city of Sugar Land’s website.

For More Information

Program Contents

Christie Havemann
Administrative Coordinator
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 317-2513
[email protected]

Registration & Exhibits

Event Management & Planning
Texas A&M Transportation Institute
Texas A&M University System
3135 TAMU
College Station, TX 77843-3135
ph. (979) 317-2222
[email protected]