Tennessee Transportation Assistance Program

go orange day is today.

supporting highway workers by wearing orange.
driving safely in construction zones.

national work zone awareness week.

Tennessee Highway Safety Office myTDOT NHTSA

Balancing competing interests within constrained roadway spaces is a persistent challenge for engineers and planners.

Join us on Zoom May 19th for the workshop titled "Beyond the Peak: An All-day Operations Framework for Corridor Evaluation" to explore the NCHRP Report 1036 on Roadway Cross Section Reallocation. This is a framework for decision-making that promotes transparency and helps support community priorities. This resource quantifies the impacts of street cross section changes on safety, environment, economy, and quality of life.

Instructor: Conor Semler
Conor Semler is a national leader in complete streets design and a contributor to NACTO and FHWA design guides. He specializes in leveraging technical research to create safer, more efficient transportation facilities for healthy communities.

Session Details:
· Date: May 19, 2026
· Time: 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM EST
· Location: Online via Zoom
· Cost: Free

Register here: https://tennessee.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_17rvarBzT2e_f09akqc4vw

Upcoming FREE online workshop on March 31st: "Saved by a Traffic Engineer: Advancing Multimodal Safety through Research and Practical Use of the MUTCD and other Design Guidance"

If you are a practitioner involved with transportation safety we highly reccomend you attend this free online workshop taught by Peter Koonce, a licensed transportation engineer from Portland, Oregon.

Learn more about this opportunity and register at tiny.utk.edu/ttap-march31

Interested in learning about future opportunities like this? Sign up to recieve our newsletter: tiny.utk.edu/ttap-newsletter

As we kick off 2026, we recognize that the recent winter weather has brought added challenges for many. We hope you’re staying safe and that routines are returning to normal.

To ensure our programs and resources align with your needs, we invite you to take a few minutes to complete the 2026 TTAP Needs Assessment Survey. Your insights on topics of interest, training priorities, and communication preferences will directly inform our training calendar and outreach efforts for the year ahead.

Take the survey here: https://utk.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_dgMX5Ya8EG4riBw?sgroup=main

The survey will remain open until Friday, February 20. We encourage you to share your feedback soon.

Thank you in advance for helping us better serve your needs!

Sincerely,
The TTAP Team

Happy holidays and safe travels from TTAP!

Important scholarship information for rail students!

Axiom Rail Services is offering their Rail Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship - a $1,500 award to help students pursuing careers in:
✔️ Railroad Safety
✔️ Railroad Sciences
✔️ Railroad Transportation
✔️ Railroad Logistics

If you’re passionate about the rail industry, have a 3.0 GPA or higher, and want your story featured, this is your chance!

Learn more and apply today at www.axiomrailservices.com/about-1

Upcoming Traffic Signal Academy free webinar NEXT MONDAY:

Leveraging Big Data and Data Analytics in Signal Optimization: A Case Study with MnDOT
📅 Monday, September 29, 2025
🕚 11AM – 12PM EST

This presentation will highlight the 2025 MnDOT South Metro Signal Optimization Project, demonstrating how probe-based signal performance measures (PBSPMs) and automated traffic signal performance measures (ATSPMs) can enhance efficiency, reduce congestion, and support data-driven decision-making in arterial operations.

Presenter: Justin Effinger, PE, PTOE – Traffic engineering leader with extensive experience in advanced signal operations and intelligent transportation systems.

👉 Register for free at ttap.utk.edu/course/leveraging-big-data-and-data-analytics-in-signal-optimization-a-case-study-with-mndot/

Airton Kohls, TTAP Training Coordinator and Traffic Signal Academy lead, has been awarded AI TechX seed funding for a project aimed at improving pedestrian safety at signalized intersections. In partnership with the City of Knoxville and Cubic, the team will use AI and sensor technology to make streets around UT’s campus safer for everyone.

Read more about the project and funding here: ttap.utk.edu/kohls-ai-techx-award/

The Traffic Signal Academy is coming to Nashville on September 15.

This will be a brief introduction to the history of traffic signals will illustrate the evolution of intersection traffic control through the years. The process of justifying the installation of a traffic signal will be discussed, exemplified and supported by a thorough explanation of the current MUTCD Warrant analysis. Additional information on Part 4 of the MUTCD will be presented, focusing on the design and positioning of signal indications and illustrated with examples and tables. MUTCD provisions, such as the optional use of “flashing yellow arrow” for permissive only or protected-permissive modes will be discussed. Guidance to design pedestrian control features will also be provided. An afternoon session on traffic signal terminology will include the definition of phase, a detailed explanation of the standard NEMA ring-and-barrier diagrams, and the treatment of left-turn phases being followed by a presentation on operational characteristics of traffic signals.

Register here: ttap.utk.edu/course/traffic-signal-academy-mutcd-and-signalized-intersection/

FREE webinar next Tuesday (September 2nd) from 9:30am to 12:30pm EST.

This webinar focuses on processes for incorporating safety into all aspects of local and rural road projects, and on making safety a priority through inclusion in the traditional decision-making process—365 days a year. The course stresses the importance of road safety and illustrates how it can be integrated into local transportation project development at all stages: planning, design, construction, implementation, operations, and maintenance. Through practical exercises and facilitator-led discussions, the emphasis is on operations and maintenance to reflect the predominant, day-to-day responsibilities of local transportation agencies. The benefits and potential cost savings of safety initiatives are shown using examples from local agencies.

After completing this module, participants will be able to:

Describe practical and low-cost countermeasures to improve safety, both on existing roads and during the design stage.
Identify effective ways of encouraging communities to make their roads safer.
Create an action list for implementing at least one safety improvement at their local agency.

RSVP here: https://ttap.utk.edu/course/road-safety-365-part-ii/

FREE Webinar tomorrow from 9:30am to 12:30pm EST.

This webinar focuses on processes for incorporating safety into all aspects of local and rural road projects, and on making safety a priority through inclusion in the traditional decision-making process—365 days a year. The course stresses the importance of road safety and illustrates how it can be integrated into local transportation project development at all stages: planning, design, construction, implementation, operations, and maintenance. Through practical exercises and facilitator-led discussions, the emphasis is on operations and maintenance to reflect the predominant, day-to-day responsibilities of local transportation agencies. The benefits and potential cost savings of safety initiatives are shown using examples from local agencies.

After completing this module, participants will be able to:

Explain the need for making roads safer.
Separate safety myths from reality.
Demonstrate how to “read the road.

RSVP here: ttap.utk.edu/course/road-safety-365-part-i/