USDOT report lists strategic objectives for work zone safety USDOT report lists strategic objectives for work zone safety Report adds to ATSSA Special Edition on Roadway Worker Protection Pam / Monday, November 13, 2023 0 2030 Article rating: 2.0 The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) published a summary report on “Identification of National Work Zone Safety Objectives and Activities.” The report includes 11 strategic objectives and notes work zone crash trends, providing another resource for ATSSA members. ATSSA recently published its “Roadway Worker Protection Special Edition,” a supplement to the Fall issue of Roadway Safety magazine, which included articles on building a workplace safety culture, insights on situational awareness and information about the teen driver education program, which addresses navigation through work zones, an ATSS Foundation program. Read more
Tetschner talks roadway safety on Transport Topics Radio on Saturday Tetschner talks roadway safety on Transport Topics Radio on Saturday Pam / Tuesday, October 10, 2023 0 3685 Article rating: No rating ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner will discuss behavioral issues for roadway safety as well as infrastructure on Saturday’s broadcast of Transport Topics Radio with Dan Ronan. The two-hour weekly program starts at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday with Tetschner’s segment scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Transport Topics Radio airs on SiriusXM Channel 146 on Saturdays at 1 and 11 p.m. and Sundays at noon and 9 p.m. Read more
ATSSA evaluates impacts from potential government shutdown ATSSA evaluates impacts from potential government shutdown Pam / Wednesday, September 27, 2023 0 4633 Article rating: No rating With Congress yet to pass the 12 appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government beyond the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30, a government shutdown is becoming a real possibility. While a federal shutdown is a rare occurrence, it can create uncertainty and have economic consequences. In the event of a federal government shutdown, essential functions funded with discretionary funds would continue but many of the federal employees providing these essential services would be doing so without pay until a funding resolution is reached. Programs funded through the use of mandatory spending – such as Social Security, Medicare and certain federal trust funds like the Highway Trust Fund (HTF) – would continue to function at the start of the new fiscal year. Read more
ATSSA Town Hall on Buy America guidelines set for Sept. 7 ATSSA Town Hall on Buy America guidelines set for Sept. 7 Virtual event will offer insights to help members prepare for enactment Pam / Wednesday, August 30, 2023 0 8363 Article rating: No rating Get ready for enactment of the new Build America, Buy America Act (BABA) guidelines by attending ATSSA’s free virtual Town Hall on Sept. 7. Speakers will address questions on the recently released guidance for the Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). The virtual Town Hall panel will include ATSSA Director of Federal Government Relations Cameron Greene and Kathy Ruffalo, president of Ruffalo & Associates, a Washington-based advocacy and consulting firm. Ruffalo has significant transportation and infrastructure experience at both the federal and state levels. Registration is now open. Read more
Final ‘Buy America’ guideline published, starting 60-day clock to enactment Final ‘Buy America’ guideline published, starting 60-day clock to enactment Pam / Thursday, August 24, 2023 0 9771 Article rating: No rating The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) on Wednesday published the final guideline for the Build America, Buy America Act, starting a 60-day countdown to its enactment. Included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), this expansion of the Buy America program led to the inclusion of a number of materials and products used and manufactured by ATSSA members. ATSSA’s Government Relations Team provides a summary of the most important sections of the 162-page guidance and will continue to update ATSSA members as more information becomes available. ATSSA also will be holding a virtual town hall on this topic on Sept. 7. Read more
Final guidance issued on ‘Buy America’ policy Final guidance issued on ‘Buy America’ policy Pam / Wednesday, August 16, 2023 0 6429 Article rating: 5.0 The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released the final guidance related to the Build America, Buy America Act provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). This final guidance includes comparisons to the initial guidance from OMB from April of 2022 and responses to comments submitted to the OMB Request for Information from earlier this year. The IIJA expanded current Buy America requirements for infrastructure projects, including the addition of construction materials as a covered category. The final OMB guidance directly responds to specific concerns raised by ATSSA. Read more
ATSSA & NCUTCD urge publication of MUTCD without delay ATSSA & NCUTCD urge publication of MUTCD without delay Committee votes today for publication without incorporating PROWAG Pam / Friday, August 11, 2023 0 6961 Article rating: 4.0 The National Committee on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (NCUTCD) passed a resolution today recommending the final rule on the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) not be delayed to address this week’s issuance of a final rule for pedestrian accessibility issues. The U.S. Access Board on Tuesday issued its final rule providing minimum guidelines for accessibility of pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, known as PROWAG. On May 2, ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner sent a letter to Federal Highway Administration Administrator Shailen P. Bhatt urging the FHWA to publish the updated Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) by the deadline set forth in the U.S. Code, which was May 15. ATSSA voted in favor of today’s resolution passed by the NCUTCD. Read more
Integrating wildlife patterns into roadway plans helps save lives Integrating wildlife patterns into roadway plans helps save lives Summer issue of Roadway Safety magazine explores this lifesaving strategy Pam / Wednesday, August 9, 2023 0 5400 Article rating: 4.8 With elk, mule deer and pronghorn antelope among the many animals trekking across Wyoming, the state’s Department of Transportation knows the importance of being attuned to their daily movements and seasonal migrations. That information is factored into new road projects to help save the lives of both humans and animals. The Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program included as part of the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA) is a new source of funding available to aid such mitigation efforts. The Summer issue of ATSSA’s Roadway Safety magazine, now available online, lays out the cost of human-animal collisions across the nation and examines the details of the program to help members understand how they can become involved. Check out this article and more in the latest issue of Roadway Safety magazine. Read more
Final rule issued for accessibility of pedestrian facilities in public right-of-way Final rule issued for accessibility of pedestrian facilities in public right-of-way Pam / Tuesday, August 8, 2023 0 4212 Article rating: 2.8 The Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) today issued its final rule providing minimum guidelines for accessibility of pedestrian facilities in the public right-of-way, known as PROWAG. These final guidelines have been long awaited, in particular by state and local governments that have sought them for more than 30 years. The final rule for PROWAG was published in the Federal Register and is effective Sept. 7. Once adopted, the guidelines “would ensure that facilities used by pedestrians, such as sidewalks and crosswalks, constructed or altered in the public right-of-way by federal, state, and local governments are readily accessible to and usable by pedestrians with disabilities,” according to the posting. Read more
TRIP releases updated state-by-state safety statistics TRIP releases updated state-by-state safety statistics Pam / Monday, July 24, 2023 0 11269 Article rating: No rating TRIP, a national transportation research nonprofit, has released updated statistics for its latest report on traffic fatalities and serious injury crashes nationwide. The new information provides the latest statistics for each state to accompany its June report, “Addressing America’s Traffic Safety Crisis: Examining the Causes of Increasing U.S. Traffic Fatalities and Identifying Solutions to Improve Road User Safety.” The updated information is available in the form of downloadable fact sheets for each state and includes information about each state’s surface transportation system and federal funding. Read more
4Dec2023 Make lasting connections at ATSSA’s Convention & Traffic Expo Monday, December 4, 2023 Read more