News

Recent News

• New Highway Safety Manual Workshop

  Who: Ga ITE presents a two-day training workshop opportunity for traffic professionals
  When: August 25 and 26, 2010
  Where: PBS&J conference room. 1600 River Edge Pkwy, Suite 600, Atlanta Ga, 30328
  Why: Transportation agencies will soon have a new safety analysis tool. The Highway Safety Manual provides information and tools to facilitate safety considerations for: system planning, project planning, construction, and operations/maintenance.
  Notes: Cost is $50 for members; $75 for non-members;
  

• The ITE Technical Committee is hosting the following webinar and inviting ITE and ASHE members to attend:

  Webinar: More, Better, Faster: Existing and Innovative Interchange Designs [Sponsored by ASCE Continuing Education and ASCE's Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI)]

  Presenter: Stephen B. Dearing, P.E., PTOE, Orchard, Hiltz & McCliment, Inc.
  PDH: 1.5
  Date: August 20, 2010
  Time: Noon - 1:30 P.M EST
  Venue: ARCADIS US Inc: 2849 Paces Ferry Rd, Suite 400 Atlanta, Georgia 30339
  

• A Day at the Lake: Saturday June 26, 2010

  All those that attended the ITE Day at the Lake had a great time at Lake Hartwell this past Saturday. Our hosts, Buddy Gratton, Keith Golden, and Joe Garland and their families were most gracious and we are in their debt. Many thanks to Moreland-Altobelli and Clark, Patterson, Lee for providing the BBQ and stew - yummy!

  Also, a big thank you to Winter Horbal for spearheading the event and putting together a fabulous day of boating, skiing, tubing, and eating.

• TN ITE Summer Meeting is scheduled for August 5-7 in Chattanooga

• Older Driver Safety Design Workshop

  Injury Prevention Program, Division of Emergency Preparedness, Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Safety Administration (FHWA) will offer the 2nd Older Driver Safety Design Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Georgia Traffic Engineers. The workshop is a one-day event scheduled for Wednesday, July 21, 2010 from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mark Doctor, a Safety & Geometric Design Engineer with FHWA will conduct the workshop.

  We encourage traffic engineers to register early. The registration deadline for the Older Driver Safety Design Workshop is June 30, 2010. Only 30 spaces will be available for the workshop.

  Also, to register, you may contact Shaliondel Benton by e-mail: shaliondelbenton@hotmail.com or Amy Edwards by e-mail: aedwards@gohs.ga.gov

• Free Webinar on International Pedestrian Safety

  CHAPEL HILL, NC - The Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) announces the next free Webinar in its Livable Communities Webinar Series:

  Pedestrian Safety From Around the World
  Wednesday, June 30, 2010
  2:00pm-3:00pm E.T.

  Presented by: Charlie Zegeer
  Director, Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center

  In this presentation, Charlie Zegeer will discuss pedestrian safety from an international perspective. From China to Dubai to New York City to India, Charlie will lead us on a quick tour of pedestrian safety design and treatments from around the globe.

  Beginning with pedestrian safety statistics at the global and regional level, the presentation will uncover relationships between design, engineering treatments, and pedestrian safety and establish the basic principles that guide and inform these relationships. Charlie will also present a selection of results from the International Scan on Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety and Mobility, which examined pedestrian safety treatments at a number of locations throughout the world. He will also describe a case study from Miami-Dade County, Florida, regarding safety benefits that can potentially result from a comprehensive pedestrian safety program.

• Atlanta Braves vs. Tampa Bay Rays (Tuesday, June 15, 2010 @ 7:15 P.M.), $4/ticket: Joint Event with WTS and ITE

  We had 78 ITE members, friends, and family signed up for the event.

• Meeting Transportation's 21st Century Challenges Web Briefing

  This Web briefing is a showcase of selected presentations from the 2010 ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit, Meeting Transportation's 21st Century Challenges held in Savannah, GA in March 2010. The presentations are representative of the Planning and Transportation Operations tracks. The Web briefing is being offered in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Transportation-Federal Highway Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

  The following topics will be presented:
  
  Revisiting Pedestrian Malls, Jessia R. Schmidt, Urban Designer/Planner II, Sam Schwartz Engineering, New York, NY, USA
  
  Abandoned Rail Lines Converted to Public Spaces, Morgan T. Whitcomb, Transportation Engineer, Sam Schwartz Engineering, New York, NY, USA
  
  Analysis of Alternative Level of Service Methodologies, Rachel E. Hiatt, Senior Transportation Planner, San Francisco County Transportation Authority, San Francisco, CA , USA

  When: Wednesday, June 9, 12:00 pm - 1:30pm (1.5 pdh)
  Where: Street Smarts Inc.
  3160 Main Street, Suite 100
  Duluth, GA. 30096
  Cost: $15 (please bring cash day of the event)
  Proceeds go to the Scholarship fund
  Contact Shannon Fain (shannonf@streetsmarts.us) to sign up or for more information. Lunch available at nearby Chocolate Perks.

• 2009 MUTCD: Traffic Signals and Accessible Pedestrian Signals - Webinar

  Date: Wednesday, May 26, 12:00 p.m.-1:00 p.m. Eastern
  Credit: 1 PDH
  Instructors: Ronnie Bell, P.E. and Dr. Billie Louise Bentzen
  Site Fee: $50.00
  The briefing will focus on the significant revisions that have been made to the standards, guidance, and options that are included in the 2009 MUTCD regarding traffic control signals, including pedestrian signals and accessible pedestrian signals. At the conclusion of the course, participants should be able to identify the significant revisions that have been included in the 2009 MUTCD regarding traffic control signals.

  For complete details, click here.

• Fiber Optic Training Session

  The Technical Committee is sponsoring a half-day training opportunity to provide engineers and technicians the chance to "see, hear, and do". Sam Nelson, a representative from Corning Cable Systems, will provide a presentation and training on fiber optics. Included is hands-on training on fiber optic testing and fusion splicing equipment.

  What: ITE Georgia Section Technical Exchange - Fiber Optics and Equipment
  When: May 25th 10:00 am - 3:00 pm (4 pdh)
  Where: City of Dalton
  904 Civic Drive,
  Dalton, GA 30721
  Cost: Public Sector-$25, Private Sector-$30, includes lunch

  Contact Dwayne Tedder (Dwayne_Tedder@URSCorp.com) or Andrew Antweiler (aantweiler@roswellgov.com) to sign up or for more information.

• Good Urbanism 101 is back! - (view document)

  Join the Georgia Conservancy's Growth Management Program and Georgia Tech professors Richard Dagenhart, Doug Allen, and David Green for a six-class course focusing on the history, principles, and current practices about designing better cities and a better Atlanta. Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:30 p.m., April 15 - May 4, AGL Building, Centergy Building, Atlanta, GA.

  For the general public, $200 for the six sessions (a few scholarships are available).Continuing education credits are available for some professions with an extra $100 charge. AIA (Health, Safety, and Welfare and Sustainable Design) and AICP CEUs are being pursued. For Professional Engineers self reporting, the Georgia Conservancy will provide assistance. Visit the Good Urbanism 101 website for more information and to register online today!

• ITE Transportation Modeling Webinar

  You are invited to register to attend the ITE Transportation Modeling Webinar sponsored by the Georgia Section ITE Technical Committee. The webinar will identify various transportation model types; show the relationship between data collected and output of models; and explain how travel forecasts are used to compare to transportation capacity for a supply/demand analysis.

  Date & Time: Tuesday, May 4, 2010, Noon to 1:30 PM
  Location: Street Smarts, 3160 Main Street, Duluth, GA 30096
  Cost: $20.00 (includes $10.00 for the Scholarship Fund) cash at the door
  RSVP: randallp@streetsmarts.us (Randall Parker) 770-813-0882

  If you or your organziation would like to host a webinar or another training opportunity, please contact Patrece Keeter (pgkeeter@co.dekalb.ga.us) or Andrew Antweiler (aantweiler@roswellgov.com) for more information.

• Rails, Trails and Sails – Portsmouth Meeting Recap: April 11-14, 2010

  The Southern District ITE Annual Meeting in Portsmouth had a strong Technical Program and provided many opportunities to network and catch up with colleagues from around the Southeast. We visited with International President Paul Eng-Wong as well as the three candidates for International Vice President Rock Miller, Ray Davis and Troy Peeples.

  The Georgia Section was represented by David Low, Mike Holt, Todd Long, Jim Pohlman, Harry Strate, John Edwards, Kenny Voorhies, Shawn Pope, Bob Beebe, Howard Harris, Martin Bretherton, Scott Mohler and John Funny. Rick Day was there, but is now with the South Carolina contingent.

  Secretary-Treasurer

  Martin Bretherton edged out Cindy Pionke in the election for Southern District Secretary-Treasurer. Becky White and Tim White will move up one notch to Vice President and President respectively for calendar year 2011.

  Traffic Bowl

  The Georgia Tech Student Chapter did very well. The Georgia Tech Traffic Bowl team, comprised of Alek Pachowski, Matt Kittelson and Rama Chilukuri won the competition and collected the $3,000 first prize. The District contributed $1,500 for second and $700 for third. Also in the finals were North Carolina State and Virginia. Georgia Tech will go on to represent the District at the International ITE Annual Meeting in Vancouver. Clemson had won the Traffic Bowl for the last four years, thanks to Wayne Sarasua's excellent preparation of his team.

  Best Student Chapter Award

  With an outstanding Annual Report, the Georgia Tech Student Chapter won the Best Student Chapter Award. Clemson was runner up.

  Best Section Award

  The Best Section Awards in Group 2 (smaller sections) went to Alabama (winner) and South Carolina (runner up). In Group 1 (larger sections) North Carolina won the Best Section Award and Georgia was runner up.

  Hoose Award

  Stan Polanis with the City of Winston-Salem, North Carolina won the Hoose Award.

  Hensley Award

  The Traffic Bowl competition, the brainchild of James Foster (Mobile County), led to his receiving the Hensley award this year.

  Thomas Award

  Dyan Damron, in Neel-Schaeffer's Nashville office, who has worked tirelessly with the student chapters in the District, received the Joe Thomas Young Member Award.

  Exnicios Award

  The John Exnicios Government Service Award went to Steve Strength, with Louisiana DOTD.

  Educator Award

  Dan Turner of the University of Alabama received the Transportation Educator of the Year Award. Dan has just retired. The University of Alabama just added the newest student chapter of ITE.

  President's Special Recognition Award

  Richard Atkins received a special President's Award from Jim Westmoreland for his work in the Leadership Development Program.

• Georgia Section ITE Mentoring Program Flyer

  A six month program pairing young members with experienced mentors. Presentations and discussion about career-building topics such as:

  • Politics and relationships
  • Dealing with the media
  • Charting a career path Basic financial management
  • Business etiquette
  • Presentation skills
  • Leadership development
  • Networking
  • Gender, cultural, and age issues and opportunities

  Application to download

• Inaugural ITE GA Coastal Chapter

  When: Friday, April 23 - 11:30 a.m.
  Where: Johnny Harris Restaurant, 1651 East Victory Drive, Savannah, GA
  Who: Open to all members and prospective members of ITE
  What: Installation of an adaptive traffic signal system, Glen Bollinger - Traffic Eng. Columbia County
  Email Patricia Rhodaback with City of Savannah (prhodaback@savannahga.gov) to RSVP for lunch and the program. (For details and menu options, check our the GA Section ITE website).
  

• Thursday, April 15, 2010 at 5:30 PM - Sweetwater Beer Tasting:

  Show up around 5:30 PM and plan to meet for the 6:00 PM tour. Even if you are not interested in the tour, try meeting at the tour location so we can see who all is at the event. Once the tour is over we can all meet back up and hang out until closing time (7:30 PM). Cost is $8 if you want the SweetWater glass and $6 if you do not want the souvenir glass. The location of the SweetWater Brewing Company is 195 Ottley Dr. NE Atlanta, GA 30324.

• Two new jobs posted by Wolverton & Associates in the Job Center

• Young Members Activity
  What: Hike the Mountain
  Where: Stone Mountain Park - bottom of the mountain
  When: Saturday, March 27, 2010, 10:00 AM.
  Who: ITE young members (and those who feel young for this event) and friends and/or family.
  
  E-mail Winter Horbal (wghorbal@foresitegroupinc.com) if you are interested in carpooling or meeting at the park so she can have an estimate of how many people to be looking for on Saturday. It will also be beneficial to know who is interested just in case they have to reschedule due to weather.

• International ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit will be March 14-17 in Savannah, GA.

• Technical Session: Updates to the MUTCD
  Focusing on Signals, Signs, Markings
  Date: March 23, 2010
  Time: 2pm-5pm
  Location: DeKalb County Transportation
  1950 West Exchange Place, Room 118C
  Fire Dept Headquarters
  Tucker, GA 30084
  Cost $10
  Earn: Professional Development Hours
  RSVP: Space is limited. Please reserve your spot by contacting Elaine Turman at (770) 492-5219 or returman@co.dekalb.ga.us
  Our local National Committee Members (John Hibbard, Larry Overn, and Marion Waters) will be highlighting changes to the MUTCD in the signals, signs, and markings chapters. In addition, a panel discussion will give additional insight related to the changes with an opportunity for discussion from the participants. Sponsored by: ITE Technical Committee, Patrece Keeter, Chair

• Affliates, please register your dues payment on-line here

• March Newsletter - now posted

• Governor's Legislation - Transportation Investment Act of 2010 - Talking Points Sheet

• International ITE Technical Conference and Exhibit will be March 14-17 in Savannah, GA.

• ITE 2009 Annual Report posted

• The ITE Young Members/Activities Committee is having their 1st Event of 2010 - Come out and bowl or just come out and enjoy a good time amongst friends.

  When: Monday, March 1, 2010 @ 6:30 PM

  Where: AMF 300 Atlanta located at 2175 Savoy Dr., Atlanta, GA 30341

  How Much: Monday Bowl Your Brains Out - All you can Bowl $20 (includes shoe rental). $3 Domestic Drafts and Well Drink specials for those interested. Feel free to bring a friend or co-worker to join in on the fun! Please send Tim Brandstetter or Winter Horbal an e-mail to let us know you (and others) are coming to bowl by February 25th, 2010 so we can get a good head count for the big event. We are looking forward to seeing you on March 1st, 2010!

• Martin Bretherton has been nominated as a candidate for Secretary-Treasurer of the Southern District ITE in 2011. (Bio)

• The Marketing Committee is looking for volunteers to help with some initiatives this year. Contact Shannon Fain at shannonf@streetsmarts.us for more information.

• 2010 Summer Seminar is July 18-21

• The November '09 newsletter has been posted (Here) Check it out!

• Georgia Section ITE has shirts you can order with the new logo (Here)

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Webmaster: Shawn Pope