ITE is seeking technical abstracts for the Joint ITE International and Great Lakes District Annual Meeting and Exhibition, to be held July 19–22, 2026, at the Huntington Place Convention Center in Detroit, Michigan. The 2026 Annual Meeting will feature a diverse program of sessions and discussions across eight major tracks, offering both practical solutions and cutting-edge strategies that advance the profession and create positive impacts on safety and mobility. 

Technical Program Content Development

The technical program will include sessions organized around the following tracks:

1. Safety: Implementing the Safe System Approach, conducting road safety audits, and designing for vulnerable road users.
2. Traffic Engineering: Advancing traffic signal operations, designing innovative intersection and interchanges, and implementing speed management techniques.
3. Planning: Promoting sustainable, equitable, and transparent planning; integrating trip and parking generation data; and strengthening planning-engineering connections.
4. Complete Streets: Designing inclusive networks, improving pedestrian and bicycle facilities, enhancing transit access, and creating healthy, multimodal communities.
5. Transportation Operations: Improving incident detection and response, managing planned and unplanned events, and deploying technology that supports Transportation Systems Management and Operations (TSMO).
6. Technology and Innovation: Leveraging data, analytics, AI, and ITS to enhance safety, operations, and services for all communities.
7. Cross-Cutting Topics: Addressing resilience, climate adaptation, accessibility, and other multidisciplinary challenges.
8. Professional Practice: Focusing on leadership, communication, collaboration, and workforce development.

The ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition is an unparalleled platform to share success stories, lessons learned, and forward-looking ideas with a global audience of transportation experts. Showcase your work, shape key conversations and demonstrate how better planning, design, and operations improve communities. 

Abstract Submission Formats

ITE is seeking abstracts that align with one of the following session formats for the 2026 ITE Annual Meeting and Exhibition:

1. Technical Presentation: Submit an abstract for an individual presentation on a relevant topic. Accepted presentations may be grouped with others to form a full technical session or, where appropriate, reallocated as poster presentations. 
2. Poster Presentation: Poster sessions highlight innovative projects, practical applications, and new research. They offer the same visibility and recognition as session presentations, while allowing for one-on-one dialogue with peers and leaders in the profession. Young members and students are especially encouraged to submit, as poster sessions are a powerful way to share fresh perspectives and emerging talent.
3. Full Technical Session*: Submit an abstract for a complete session with a full slate of presenters. Sessions may include traditional presentations, conversation circles, panel discussions, and mini-workshops designed to spark dialogue and exchange.
4. Workshop*: Propose a half-day or full-day workshop, typically held on Sunday afternoon and lasting four hours. Workshops are interactive and skill-focused, and, for the first time this year, may be integrated into the technical program to provide hands-on learning. 
5. Educators Workshop: The ITE Education Council will host an Educators’ Workshop on Wednesday, July 22 and Thursday, July 23, immediately following the Annual Meeting. We invite you to submit an abstract on a transportation education topic of interest. Accepted abstracts may be combined with others to create full sessions within the workshop program. Contact Colleen Agan for more information at cagan@ite.org.

*Note: Full Technical Sessions and Workshops require a more extensive abstract submission, including the title, description, moderator, panelists/instructors, and learning objectives.

How to Submit

1. Prepare your abstract and align it with one of the eight tracks above. 
2. If you already have an ITE account (current or former member, or past submitter), click Log In. 
3. If you are new to ITE, click Create Account to obtain credentials, then return to this page. 
4. Click "Submit" at the top of this page to begin.

Abstract Review

The review process is highly competitive, with many quality abstracts submitted by the deadline in recent years. Late submissions may be considered but are less likely to be included. Please submit your abstract by December 2, 2025.

All abstracts are reviewed by a panel of subject matter experts and ranked on a scale of 1 (not recommended) to 4 (highly recommended).

ITE staff makes the final selection and organization of all submitted abstracts.

Submitters will be notified on Monday, February 16, 2026. ITE requests acknowledgment of acceptance by Friday, March 6, 2026.

Questions?

Have questions about logging in? Email membership@ite.org

General questions about the submission process or the meeting? Email Kyla Elzinga at kelzinga@ite.org.

Questions about sponsorship or the exhibit hall? Email Pam Goodell at pgoodell@ite.org.