AASHTO Journal - New COVID-19 Protocols for AASHTO Annual Meeting

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recently implemented several COVID-19 protection protocols for its 2021 Annual Meeting, which it is holding October 26-29 in San Diego.

[To register for AASHTO’s Annual Meeting, click here.]

AASHTO said all attendees and staff must provide proof of a COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours prior to arrival in San Diego.

All meeting attendees will also be required to wear a mask or an approved quality face covering for the duration of the meeting, regardless of vaccination status, though masks can be removed temporarily when eating or drinking and conference speakers may remove their masks when making presentations, AASHTO noted.

The organization added it would also provide a “safety packet” for meeting attendees that includes disposable filtered masks, travel size hand sanitizer, and disinfecting wipes.

AASHTO’s Annual Meeting brings together experts from the public and private sector to share the latest in industry policy and innovation. Attendees get the opportunity to network with fellow transportation professionals and contribute to discussions on a wide range of issues facing the industry today and tomorrow.

The 2021 meeting features programming on a variety of topics, including safety strategies to reduce roadway fatalities, post-pandemic planning for state departments of transportation and the broader industry, advancing equity by reconnecting communities, and leveraging right of way opportunities, among others.

In addition to those sessions, the AASHTO Board of Directors will meet to discuss the association’s priorities for 2022.

Attendees also get the opportunity to attend the meeting’s trade fair, which exhibits a wide range of products and services from a variety of vendors that specialize in supporting the critical work of state DOTs.

New for 2021: The exhibit hall will feature “rapid fire” sessions – interactive sessions that jump into meeting content and challenge participants to think differently – and a “collaborative workspace” that offers comfortable seats to foster networking with fellow attendees.

To register for AASHTO’s 2021 Annual Meeting, click here.