AASHTO Journal - Registration Open for 2024 AASHTO Annual Meeting

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials has officially opened the registration portal for its 2024 Annual Meeting in Philadelphia October 29 through November 1. To register, click here.

[Above image by AASHTO]

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 2024 Annual Meeting features programming on a variety of topics and will also serve as the forum for the announcement of the two top winners of the 2024 America’s Transportation Awards competition.

[Editor’s note: The video below highlights the Top 12 finalists and eventual winners of the 2023 America’s Transportation Award contest. To review the Top 12 finalists for the 2024 competition, click here.]

The 2024 President’s Transportation Awards will also be announced at AASHTO’s Annual Meeting – honoring individuals or teams at state DOTs that have performed exemplary service during the year; work that has made their communities better – along with four other key awards: The George S. Bartlett Award; the Thomas H. MacDonald Memorial Award; the Alfred E. Johnson Achievement Award; and the Francis B. Francois Award for Innovation. [To view the 2023 winners of all those awards, click here.]

AASHTO’s Annual Meeting will also host four “knowledge sessions” on key topics affecting state departments of transportation and the transportation industry as a whole:

Transforming Transportation: Leveraging BIM and Digital Delivery for Safety and Cost Savings, sponsored by Jacobs, will explore the power of digital delivery and Building Information Modeling (BIM) in revolutionizing transportation. We will discuss how these cutting-edge technologies are not only enhancing safety protocols but also driving significant cost efficiencies. Industry leaders will share how BIM and other advanced digital tools are redefining infrastructure planning, construction, and maintenance practices to mitigate risks, save lives, and streamline costs.
Beyond Blueprints: Addressing Mental Health and Substance Misuse in Construction Workforce Safety, sponsored by RS&H, will focus on the intersection of mental health, suicide prevention, and opioid use within the construction industry. Our esteemed panelists will delve into the unique challenges faced by construction workers and discuss strategies for promoting mental well-being, preventing suicides, and addressing opioid misuse. By examining these critical issues through the lens of workforce safety, we aim to foster a deeper understanding of the holistic approach needed to support the mental health of construction workers and create safer, healthier work environments.
Innovations in Aviation: Trends & Integration with State DOTs, sponsored by AECOM, will explore the latest innovations and trends in aviation and their integration with state DOT operations. Delve into current aviation operations and emerging technologies such as Uncrewed Aerial Systems and Advanced Air Mobility innovations. Discover how these advancements interrelate with integrated, multimodal state DOT operations. Join us for an interactive discussion on how these current and advanced technologies are poised to transform transportation.
The Real “How-to” on Translating Roadway Safety Ideas into Practice, sponsored by HDR, will offer a range of ideas to improve roadway safety – including proven, promising, and innovative safety countermeasures, methods, and approaches – that can “bend the curve” on traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Oftentimes, breaking through internal and external barriers to implement a new idea can be harder than deciding to adopt it. This session will explore several ways states have worked through organizational, funding, streamlining, and other non-technical issues to advance their safety activities.

In addition to those sessions, the AASHTO Board of Directors will meet to discuss the association’s priorities for 2025 at the Annual Meeting and elect new leadership.

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

AASHTO will also continue hosting “rapid fire” information sessions during the Expo Hall – interactive sessions that jump into meeting content and challenge participants to think differently – as well as a “collaborative workspace” that offers comfortable seats to foster networking with fellow attendees.