At a time of year when construction crews are busy improving roads and highways, it’s hard to imagine there was ever a time when traffic cones did not exist. These colorful safety markers are used to divide and merge lane zones, provide direction around short-duration road maintenance and utility work, and warn drivers of unseen hazards like potholes and raised manhole covers. They can also be spotted in parking lots, on athletic fields, and even indoors where extra caution is needed.

Memorial Day is the “unofficial” start of summer – and the kickoff of the busy season when it comes to construction work. This time of year, construction productivity increases in cities and towns across the country, with crews taking advantage of warmer weather and more hours of daylight.

Summer is a busy time for many of our customers. It’s also the season when landscapers, road crews and construction workers get an early start on the day in order to beat the heat. At Traffic Safety Direct, we understand the needs of our customers and we are happy to announce our extended summer hours.

With the arrival of spring and the expansion of COVID-19 vaccinations, more and more people are feeling the urge to spend time with family, friends and colleagues. Last year, outdoor dining offered the opportunity for folks to get out of the house and enjoy a meal. With indoor dining capacity limits still in place due to the ongoing pandemic, restaurants are once again offering outdoor options. In many cases they have upped their game, expanding their spaces to accommodate increased capacity and constructing permanent or semi-permanent structures – complete with elegant décor, lighting and plenty of heaters or fire pits.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a global crisis that has affected every aspect of daily life. Not only has it taken a devastating toll on our personal lives, but it has had a dramatic impact on businesses and the economy. Even as things are slowly beginning to improve, new challenges continue to make it difficult for businesses to plan and move forward with predictability and confidence. Unexpected events, like the severe winter storms in Texas and the stranding of a giant cargo ship in the Suez Canal, have led to major disruptions in the supply chain. As this affects the flow of raw materials and finished goods, it is leading to shortages of both – here in the U.S. and around the world.

From utility and heavy construction to landscaping and tree maintenance, ground protection mats are essential to protecting surfaces on spring job sites – whether it’s to provide a temporary roadway at a works site or to protect turf from damage in adverse weather conditions.

Winter weather can wreak havoc on paved surfaces like parking lots. The dramatic fluctuations in temperature between hot and cold can leave cracks and dangerous potholes in its wake. Damage caused by winter weather and snowplowing operations also can result in an increased number of downed or damaged traffic signs.

While these issues are a natural part of the weathering process, it’s important to take care of them sooner rather than later. With spring just around the corner, now is the time to tackle your parking lot maintenance to keep your facility safe, operational and looking its best.

In the 10 years since the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued new regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), accessibility for people with disabilities has become the norm in cities and towns across the country. Providing ease of access to the disabled in public spaces is the responsibility of state and local governments as well as businesses and organizations, large and small.

One of the most visible signs of the impact of the ADA’s guidelines is the increased  number of handicap parking spots found in commercial and public parking areas. Adding accessible parking is one step government agencies, businesses and privately run facilities can take to ensure people with disabilities are able to work and participate in programs, services or activities, both indoors and out.

Commercial parking lots and garages must be accessible to everyone. The Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA, was created to ensure that public places across the country are accessible for people with disabilities.

ADA compliance is essential for every property manager, and includes making sure public parking lots meet the guidelines set by the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. Creating an ADA compliant parking lot is crucial for providing ample access to every individual, and it requires proper sizing, placement and marking of parking spaces reserved for those who need them.

Traffic Safety Direct is now offering our customers the convenience of having online orders delivered by truck! We recently introduced a less than truckload (LTL) heavy-freight shipping option on our website. This will allow you to purchase large products – which previously could only be picked up at our site – and ship them via LTL freight, as well as to combine multiple orders into a single, convenient delivery.