2026 Education Series: The Human Side of Transportation Safety, August 3 and 4, 2026 

Presented by Dr. Ben Barton, Professor and Department Chair, Department of Psychology and Communication, University of Idaho (PDF)

August 3, 2026: Designing for Human Nature: How Psychology Can Improve Transportation Safety

• 5:30 pm Meet and Greet
• 6:00 – 8:00 pm Presentation
• COMPASS, 700 NE 2^nd Street, Meridian, First Floor Board Room
• Free!
• Intended Audience: All
• RSVP: [email protected] or 208/475-2226

Transportation systems are designed for people, and processes such as human perception, attention, and error are important to include in the design process. Drawing on research in transportation psychology and injury prevention, Dr. Barton will explore how understanding human behavior can help planners, engineers, and community leaders create transportation systems that better anticipate predictable human limitations, resulting in safer outcomes for all road users.

August 4, 2026: The Human Side of Transportation Safety: Behavioral Science for Planners and Engineers

• 9:00am – 11:00am
• COMPASS, 700 NE 2^nd Street, Meridian, First Floor Board Room
• Free!
• Intended Audience: Planning, transportation, and safety professionals, though all are welcome
• RSVP: [email protected] or 208/475-2226

This interactive presentation will examine how principles from psychology and human factors can strengthen transportation planning, engineering, and safety initiatives. Through practical examples and discussion, participants will learn how behavioral science can complement traditional engineering approaches to support data-driven decision making, improve system design, and advance methods for reducing fatalities and serious injuries.

2 AICP Certification Maintenance credits have been requested for this presentation.

Past Events:

You Have a Plan, Now What? Lessons Learned from Phoenix’s Transportation Journey – March 11 and 12

• Patrick Stone, Maricopa Association of Governments
• Presentation slides (March 11 PDF, March 12 PDF)

COMPASS 2026 Education Series: AI for Communities – February 25 and 26

• Dr. Tom Sanchez, Texas A&M University
• Presentation slides (PDF)

COMPASS 101 – January 27 and 29, 2026

To view previous years’ Education Series events, visit our Education Series Archives webpage.