FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (April 5, 2023) – The recent tragedy near Baltimore, Md., where six roadway workers were killed when one vehicle apparently collided with another before crashing into their work zone demonstrates the tremendous risk workers face each day while seeking to earn a living.

“These six individuals went to work that day simply to do their part to provide safe highways for the motoring public. But they didn’t make it home to their families, who are now left to grieve as they face life without them,” said ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. “The roadway safety industry does its best to provide safe workspaces for its personnel and continually looks for new strategies to prevent such tragedies but the fact is, everyone plays a role in work zone safety and we need everyone to work with us.”

National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) was established more than two decades ago to increase attention to the need for motorists to exercise caution when approaching and passing through roadway work zones. In 2020, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 857 people were killed in work zones with another 44,240 injured, according to the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse.

This year’s 3M pledge wall raised $14,820 for The ATSS Foundation.

This was the seventh year 3M has operated the virtual wall fundraiser, which ran from the start of the year through the end of ATSSA’s Convention & Traffic Expo.

3M launched the event with an offer to match up to $5,000 in donations. When the tally fell just short of that figure—at $4,820—the company elected to provide the full match. Those funds plus 3M’s $5,000 sponsorship provided The Foundation with a total of $14,820.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced the 2023 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for Safe Streets and Roads for All grants is now open for applications.  The application to apply for this grant is available online via Grants.gov.

This is a $5 billion grant program focused on local vision zero projects that was created in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The grant is funded at $1 billion annually through Fiscal Year 2026.

The grant program is focused on helping local and regional governments achieve their vision zero goals and strategies.

The ATSS Foundation recently recognized the Shirley family of Georgia with the nonprofit’s Ambassador Award.

The Foundation Ambassador Award recognizes an individual or entity for extraordinary efforts in supporting The Foundation’s core purpose of promoting roadway safety through charitable giving and public awareness programs.

Georgia ATSSA Chapter President Rick Brockman nominated the family for the Foundation Ambassador Award in recognition of their years-long efforts in helping both The Foundation and the Georgia Department of Transportation, both of which offer college scholarships.

Carolinas ATSSA Chapter members Ben Capel and Dane Alsabrook, have been making a difference for roadway safety for years by taking their message directly to Capitol Hill legislators during ATSSA’s Legislative Briefing & Fly-In.

Join them in the nation’s capital this year and play a role in advocating for roadway safety through meetings with your senator, representative or a member of their staff.

Alsabrook, with PPG in Greensboro, N.C., said he is sold on the process of delivering the roadway safety message directly to Congressional leaders. And Capel, with Guardway Corp. in Charlotte, said long-term connections are key to gaining influence with lawmakers.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner expressed his condolences to the families who lost loved ones in last week’s tragic work zone incident in Baltimore County, Md., in which six people were killed.

“ATSSA is deeply saddened by yet another tragedy that resulted in the loss of essential workers within our industry.  More important than being workers, these individuals had families and loved ones they did not return home to. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of Sybil Lee Dimaggio, Carlos Orlando Villatoro Escobar, Jose Armando Escobar, Rolando Ruiz, Mahlon Simmons II and Mahlon Simmons III.”

The six workers were killed March 22 in Maryland while working to improve a roadway and ensure the safety of all road users. 

“This devastating event serves as a stark reminder of the importance of work zone safety and the risks faced by roadway construction workers every day. It is crucial that the industry and the driving public come together to prevent future tragedies like this one from occurring,” Tetschner said.

Inspired by the death of an Indiana traffic control flagger, Senators Mike Braun (R-IN) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) this week introduced a resolution to recognize National Work Zone Awareness Week, which takes place April 17-21.

Ben Fisher was struck and killed in 2019 while working for a traffic control company on Indiana State Road 13, according to a statement from Braun’s office. The statement also notes the increase in work zone fatalities nationwide since 2006 and the goal of increasing awareness of the hazards of work zones for drivers, workers and pedestrians, and the value of training.

“Far too many road workers and emergency servicemen are injured and killed each year by automobile drivers. Ensuring the safety of these essential men and women is a no-brainer, and I’m excited to join Sen. Blumenthal to introduce legislation that raises awareness about making America’s roads less hazardous for everyone,” Braun said in announcing the resolution.

ATSSA provided feedback to the Office of Management and Budget on Sunday regarding the proposed rules for Buy America requirements, asking for clarification on four specific issues and noting the importance of roadway safety infrastructure at a time when traffic fatalities are a major issue nationwide.

“ATSSA members are generally in favor of increasing the capacity to procure domestically-sourced construction materials and manufactured products for use on surface transportation projects,” ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner wrote to Deputy Controller Deidre A. Harrison. “However, ATSSA members are deeply concerned with the breadth and scope of the [Notice of Proposed Rulemaking] and the impact it could have on the timely and cost-effective delivery of much-needed roadway safety infrastructure improvements.”

The letter is in response to the NPRM on Guidance for Grants and Agreements – 2 CFR Parts 184 and 200 (Docket No. 2023-02617), which was published Feb. 9. The letter notes that ATSSA members manufacture, distribute and install roadway safety infrastructure devices such as guardrail and cable barrier, traffic signs and signals, pavement markings, work zone safety devices.

“It is important that any new Buy America requirements not have the unintended consequence of hindering the delivery of important roadway construction and roadway safety projects across the country,” Tetschner wrote.

ATSSA launches its Traffic Sign Technician (TST) training course this spring after investing years in development.

This course prepares public and private sector employees responsible for the installation, location and determination of appropriate roadway signing. It addresses the fundamentals of traffic signing and the role of the sign technician and covers several parts of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD), temporary traffic control for short-duration activities and basic sign installation techniques.

ATSSA Master Instructor Bill Birdwell spent time with the ATSSA Sign Committee in creating the course to be sure it met everyone’s standards, said ATSSA Training Program Manager Jessica Scheyder.

Thousands of roadway safety advocates filled the Phoenix Convention Center this week for ATSSA’s 53^rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, exploring the latest technology and equipment for protecting lives within work zones and on the nation’s roadways.

A record-setting number of people registered, with more than 3,700 for this year's event.

With nearly 50 education sessions to choose from, they gained both practical tips—such as how to negotiate contracts to limit liability—and enhanced their understanding of critical workplace safety and technology issues such as advances in communication between work zones and connected and autonomous vehicles (CAVs).

Keynote speaker Scott Wozniak, an organizational leadership expert from Atlanta, addressed a key workforce issue on Sunday when he offered insights for building a successful team by focusing on the essential element of employee engagement.

Check out some of the highlights of this week's event.