Skip to main content

ARTBA announces winners of its student video contest

The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced the winners of its annual student video contest. A group of 18 high school students from North Carolina and three graduate and post-graduate students from New England were named winners. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest challenges grade school and post-secondary students to develop a brief video that explores issues relating to America’s transportation network. Students were asked to addres
September 19, 2012 Read time: 3 mins
The American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) has announced the winners of its annual student video contest. A group of 18 high school students from North Carolina and three graduate and undergraduate students from New England were named winners. Sponsored by ARTBA’s Research and Education Division (RED), the contest challenges grade school and post-secondary students to develop a brief video that explores issues relating to America’s transportation network. Students were asked to address how transportation infrastructure is built and paid for, the impacts of traffic congestion, transportation and urban development plans and public perception of transportation development. Submissions were reviewed by a panel of five ARTBA members.

Category One – Elementary, Middle or High School Students:

“How to Solve Congestion”

Members of the 2012 Summer High School Transportation Institute at
North Carolina A&T State University

Eighteen high school students participating in North Carolina A&T State University’s 2012 “Summer High School Transportation Institute” and led by Deborah Underwood, created an entertaining and upbeat, two-and-half minute video which provided a simple, yet compelling description of the mobility challenges facing drivers on the nation’s roadways. It offered real-world solutions for relieving congestion, such as high occupancy toll lanes, traffic updates via text message and accelerated bridge construction. The group presented the information using multi-modal visuals and interviews with student actors.Category Two – Post-Secondary, College or Graduate Students:

“Modernising Transportation Technology”

David Champoux, graduate student, MA and PhD in transportation engineering, University of Massachusetts-Amherst; Joseph Smith, undergraduate, BA in media communications, University of Southern Maine; and Adrian Wong-Ken, undergraduate, BA in media communications, University of Southern Maine.


One graduate student and two college students from New England created an informative, three-and-half minute video that looked at the congestion caused by outdated traffic signal systems, and presented some innovative ways to make commutes more efficient by integrating existing technology into transportation frameworks. The team interviewed a transportation engineer and public official in the technology-focused video, and profiled specific projects in which the new traffic signal technology was implemented.Honorable Mention in Category Two – Post-Secondary, College or Graduate Students:

“Paying Our Way”

Jamesa Marshall, graduate student, MA in civil engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison


Marshall created a charming, illustrated video which provided an in-depth but straightforward description of an alternative financing pilot project conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation, in which 299 motorists volunteered to pay what is called a vehicle miles traveled tax, or “VMT” rather than a gas tax at the pump. It addressed the benefits and challenges to nation-wide implementation of such a program using creative drawings and narration.

The year 2012 marks ARTBA’s 110th anniversary of serving as the “consensus voice” of the US transportation design and construction industry.

Related Content

  • 9th EAPA Symposium - 2015 in Istanbul
    August 20, 2015
    European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA), whose aim is to be the trusted voice of the European asphalt paving industry, organised its ninth Symposium in Turkey – Istanbul on 4 June 2015 with more than 110 participants from all Europe - Gülay Malkoc writes.
  • Success of ICOET 2011 event for sustainable roads
    February 23, 2012
    The ICOET 2011 event proved a success for sustainable transportation – *Leonard Sielecki
  • Success of ICOET 2011 event for sustainable roads
    April 12, 2012
    The ICOET 2011 event proved a success for sustainable transportation – *Leonard Sielecki With over 500 delegates from 21 countries, the recent 2011 International Conference on Ecology and Transportation (ICOET) held in Seattle, Washington, USA proved a success. Organised and co-sponsored by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE) at North Carolina State University, and co-hosted by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDoT), the five-day conference ran from August 21st-25th
  • Roads for Regional Enhancement
    November 1, 2012
    IRF once more broke ground by gathering over 600 regional transport officials for the world's first comprehensive review of sustainable transport solutions in the context of the Andean Region. Lima, Peru, an important regional crossroads for trade and a hub for engineering know-how, offered an ideal backdrop for the Congress. The event offered a comprehensive panorama of design, construction, and maintenance solutions adapted to the region's exceptionally complex topography. Geological and climatic conside