UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — On Dec. 11-13, transportation professionals from around the country gathered at the Penn Stater Hotel & Conference Center for the 30th anniversary of the Thomas D. Larson Pennsylvania Transportation Institute’s biggest event, the Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference (TESC).
The TESC is the largest annual gathering of transportation professionals from across Pennsylvania, the mid-Atlantic region and nationwide. The program’s format and focus on discussion allows speakers to freely share their expertise with attendees.
“I have been attending the TESC for over 25 years and it’s the one I look the most forward to,” said Jenn Walsh, traffic and planning section manager associate at design and engineering firm HDR Inc. “It is the best conference in Pennsylvania to attend from the level of technical sessions, networking opportunities and the ability to enjoy fun events with our transportation colleagues.”
Over the last 30 years, TESC has gathered transportation industry members, including many from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), to network, discuss what they have learned over their careers, and brainstorm how innovations in transportation engineering and safety will shape the future of their work.
Eileen Collins, a senior project manager at traffic engineering firm Drive Engineering, said she has been able to watch the TESC develop into what it is today, all the way from its initial inception.
“I was involved with the planning and organization of the very first conference in 1994, which was a culmination of discussions and partnership with PennDOT’s Bureau of Highway Safety and Penn State,” Collins said. “It was quite a novel idea at the time, and we were not sure if we could pull off enough sessions, speakers and content.”
TESC 2024 was more than just the 30th anniversary; it was the biggest conference yet in terms of attendance. According to conference coordinator Mark Bamat, engineering project manager at the Larson Transportation Institute, 785 transportation professionals attended this year’s conference.
“It’s mind blowing to have watched this conference grow from around 265 attendees from its first iteration to over 700 attendees over the last 30 years,” Bamat said.
During the three-day event, speakers shared their knowledge through a variety of presentations and panels. Some of the major conference topics included the future of electric vehicles in Pennsylvania; how artificial intelligence is evolving intelligent transportation systems; innovations in safety, mobility, and connectivity in traffic systems; and technological innovations in the transportation industry.
The conference also included showcases and networking opportunities for students and career overview question-and-answer sessions.
TESC is an outreach program of the Larson Transportation Institute. To review this year’s full agenda, including all speakers and events, visit the TESC page.