ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith told ATSSA members today that their diligence over the past 15 to 20 years played a significant role in the funding coming to roadway safety under the new infrastructure law.

“You all should pat yourselves on the back,” Smith said during an ATSSA Town Hall to discuss the impact of the bipartisan infrastructure bill that was signed into law on Monday. “This is a job well done.”

The $1.2 trillion measure is a historic investment in transportation funding and includes a 5-year, $304 billion investment in roads and bridges, Smith said. He noted that’s a 34% increase over current spending for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) and translates into $16.8 billion over five years for the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

Smith said he’s confident the HSIP funding will mean additional opportunities for ATSSA members.

The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) on Monday announced the release of  responses to three questions regarding testing of roadway safety hardware under the Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH), 2016.

The guidance is available online and includes all new and prior questions and answers dating to May 2018.

A joint AASHTO/FHWA technical working group developed the latest responses, which are created to help manufacturers, crash test laboratories and transportation agencies apply the guidelines to roadway safety devices.

The U.S. Court of Appeals will hear oral arguments on Jan. 25 in the case of multiple transportation organizations to block a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) order to redistribute a portion of the safety spectrum.

The Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America), the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) and the Amateur Radio Emergency Data Network (AREDN) appealed the FCC’s Nov. 18, 2020 order to reallocate a portion of the 5.9 GHz spectrum band to unlicensed uses including WiFi.

The FCC voted unanimously to reallocate more than half of the safety band. The new rules adopted by the FCC make the lower 45 megahertz (MHz) of the spectrum available for unlicensed uses and require Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) licensees to stop using that portion of the spectrum within a year.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner issued the following statement today after President Joe Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) into law.

“With the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) now signed into law, it is important to recognize the members of Congress that stepped up for our country and did the job we asked them to do.

“The IIJA is a bipartisan success story, which is something that has become a rare sight on Capitol Hill. However, despite this legislation having support on both sides of the aisle, other members of Congress have taken the opportunity to attack those that stood up and voted to pass this legislation. I specifically want to acknowledge 13 Republican members of the House of Representatives."

ATSSA will host a Town Hall next Thursday to discuss the infrastructure package recently approved by both houses of Congress.

The Town Hall will be led by ATSSA Vice President of Engagement Nate Smith and answer the question: What does it mean for ATSSA members?

The Senate approved the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in August and the House of Representatives approved it late Friday. President Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation soon.

The Federal Highway Administration is hosting a Nov. 22 webinar providing its “Proven Safety Countermeasures 2021 Update,” which will highlight two innovations that are part of the Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) program.

Register now for this free event in which the Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon and Crosswalk Visibility Enhancements will be highlighted. Nine new countermeasures will be introduced during the webinar along with a briefing on new features in the program’s website and implementation resources.

ATSSA kicked off its Worker Safety Webinar Series today with a session by Alex Kelly, founder and CEO of SALT + Company.

Calling her presentation “Road Safety 101,” Kelly discussed big picture issues related to the transportation industry and encouraged company owners to veer outside their lane—though not literally—to explore alternate avenues for partnerships.

Today’s session was the first of five Worker Safety Webinars and sponsored by the ATSSA Training Department and the new Roadway Safety Protection Council. The next four webinars will take place in 2022.

Seven states held statewide elections on Tuesday with two states--Maine and Texas--passing ballot initiatives that will provide bonding for infrastructure projects.

Voters approved a $100 million proposal for general obligation bonds for transportation infrastructure projects in Maine, with $85 million for highways and bridges, and $15 million for rail, aviation, ports and active transportation. 

In Texas, voters approved a legislatively referred constitutional amendment. The proposition authorizes counties to issue bonds or notes to raise funds for transportation and infrastructure in underdeveloped areas. 

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner released a statement today regarding the failure of the House of Representatives to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).

“The failure of the House of Representatives to do their jobs and pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is disappointing and dangerous. Unfortunately, having to release a statement like this is becoming the norm instead of the exception,” he said.

“Congress, specifically the House progressives and House Republican leadership, have decided to use this important historical investment in our nation’s roads, bridges and safety as political leverage. They are playing politics with every road user’s life, instead of protecting them. I would hope that they use the month of November to come to their senses and pass this bipartisan legislation and do the job they were voted into office to carry out.”

With the current surface transportation authorization set to expire over the weekend, Congress passed a short-term extension of the FAST Act, the current authorization, that will run until Dec. 3.

Earlier this afternoon the House appeared close to voting on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), the $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure package, but Democrats were unable to come to an agreement on a vote for a separate $1.75 trillion reconciliation package, the framework of which was released today.