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2026 VASITE Annual Meeting and Technical Conference

Name: 2026 VASITE Annual Meeting and Technical Conference
Start: 2026-06-01T15:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-06-03T12:00:00-04:00

We would like to thank everyone who attended the Annual VASITE Meeting and Technical Conference held on June 1–3, 2026 at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront in Virginia Beach!

Submit an Abstract

Fill out the form below to submit an abstract. Abstracts are due by April 30, 2026.

Who’s Attending

We’re looking forward to seeing the following people at the conference this year.

To opt out of appearing in this list, check the “Hide my attendee data from public view” button when registering. If you have already registered, contact the webmaster to be removed.

Presentations

A PDF version of the agenda can be found here.

Click here for PDH information

3:00 PM – 5:00 PM
VASITE Board Meeting

5:00 PM – 7:00 PM
Welcome Reception/Registration

7:30 AM – 8:30 AM
Breakfast, Registration, and Coffee

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM
Welcome and Opening Remarks

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Technical Session 1
Moderator: Emily Moser (Kimley-Horn)

1A. Applying Human Factors Principles to Transportation Projects
Bryan Katz and Erin Kissner (ToXcel)

1B. VDOT Pedestrian Crossing Prioritization Tool
Robert Cochrane and Rob Vilak (VDOT)

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Networking and Snack Break

10:30 AM – 12:00 PM
Technical Session 2
Moderator: Claire Gavin (WSP)

2A. Beyond the Shelf: Advancing Multimodal STARS Solutions from Planning to Funding
Sachin Katkar (WSP) and Kathryn Benedict (VDOT)

2B. A Data-Driven Framework for Fatal Crash Reviews in VDOT’s Lynchburg District
Simran Arora and Shefali Gupta (Jacobs)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Lunch

1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Technical Session 3
Moderator: William Wentzien (Rinker Design Associates)

3A. Update on Statewide Safety Initiatives
Stephen Read (VDOT)

3B. VDOT TSMO Planning
Sanhita Lahiri (VDOT)

3C. Need for Speed – VDOT’s Turnkey Pilot Program
Nick Fleming (RK&K)

2:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Networking and Snack Break

3:00 PM – 4:15 PM
Technical Session 4
Moderator: Shankar Natarajan (Jacobs)

4A. Implementing a Big Demonstration Project in a Small City
Thomas Hartman (City of Harrisonburg) and Chuck Conran (VHB)

4B. Centralized Transit Signal Priority and Emergency Vehicle Preemption: A Unified System for Efficient Transit and Swift Emergency Response
Liam Goble-Garratt and Ashley Lickliter (Kimley-Horn), Enrique Burgos (City of Richmond)

4C. Fredericksburg Downtown One-Way to Two-Way Conversion Study
Thomas Ruff and Steve Schmidt (Timmons)

4:15 PM – 4:30 PM
Adjourn

5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Reception

6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Annual Banquet and Dinner

Awards

8:00 AM – 9:30 AM
Breakfast

9:00 AM VDOT Leadership Update
Kenneth H. King, Jr. (VDOT)

9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Technical Session 5
Moderator: Katrina Schmid (RK&K)

5A. The Implementation Landscape of Vision Zero: Impact, Feasibility, and Barriers
Marta Perez Vidal-Ribas (Virginia Tech)

5B. The Use of Immersive Virtual Technologies for Public Engagement: A State-of-Practice Review of U.S. State Departments of Transportation
Carreen de Cardenas (University of Virginia)

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM
Break

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Technical Session 6
Moderator: Katie Belt (ToXcel)

6A. LiDAR Applications in Traffic Signals: Detection, Actuation, and Time Extension
Anam Ardeshiri and Keith Riniker (Mead & Hunt)

6B. Data-Driven Safety Programs
Craig Schneider (VHB)

12:00 PM
Closing Remarks and Adjourn

Reserve a Hotel Room

The following room blocks are available. Prices do not include taxes and fees. Click the links below to reserve your rooms.

Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Book by May 8, 2026 to receive the conference rate. The group rate is valid for Wednesday and Thursday night. Even though the resort fee is listed on the Marriott’s website, it will not be charged if you book through the VASITE room block.

Conference Rate: $255

Public Sector Employees: $124

Credit Card Forms

If you are reserving the room using a corporate credit card or one that is not in your name, book your reservation and then contact the Marriott at nikki.brust@marriottvb.com with the following information to receive the necessary paperwork.

Guest name
Confirmation number and dates
What charges will be covered under the credit card (e.g. room/tax, room/tax/resort fee, all charges)

Room at the Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront

Frequently Asked Questions

The conference is located at the beautiful Marriott Virginia Beach Oceanfront. Registration will open at 3PM on Monday, June 1, 2026. The last technical session will end at noon, Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

No! Anyone is welcome to attend. VASITE members do receive discounted tickets, so we encourage anyone to Join VASITE if you are interested in continual participation.

The VASITE Annual Meeting is known for being a laid-back, beachy affair. Most attendees will be wearing business casual, though you are welcome to dress up if you would like.

The agenda will be available at a later date.

All attendees will receive an email following the conference with information on collecting PDH certificates. We are not currently offering CM certificates for AICPs. If you are interested in earning CM certificates, please let us know.

We understand that things come up at the last minute, but there are also costs that VASITE incurs with late cancellations. Here is our Refund Policy for annual meetings:

Tickets to the annual meeting can be refunded up to 30 days prior to the meeting for full credit. Between 29 days and 7 days prior to the annual meeting, 50% of the original ticket purchase price will be refunded. After that point, no refunds will be issued for tickets.

For this annual meeting:

Full refund prior to May 3
Refund of 50% between May 4 and May 25
No refunds after May 25

Instead of cancelling, you can transfer a registration for free. Even if you aren’t eligible for a refund, do contact us to let us know you won’t be coming and we may be able to give you credit if we have walk-up registrations.

Please contact the VASITE annual meeting committee to request a refund.

Yes, you can transfer your registration to anyone else for free. Please contact the VASITE annual meeting committee to request a transfer. One registration cannot be used by multiple people during the conference.

Contact the executive board or the annual meeting committee if you have any more questions.