Latest updates
ATSS Foundation recognizes Shirley family for longtime support
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. ATSS Foundation Vice Chair Peter Johnston, left, presented the Foundation Ambassador Award to Ryan Shirley, center, on behalf of his family during The Foundation’s Annual Golf Classic Tournament on Feb. 17 in Phoenix. Georgia ATSSA Chapter President Rick Brockman nominated the Shirley family for the recognition. 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. The Shirley family, which owns and operates Safety Signal Co. in Georgia, has for 13 years run the Jim Shirley Memorial Golf Tournament and donated half of the proceeds to benefit The ATSS Foundation. The other half has gone to the Georgia Department of Transportation GDOT for scholarships. Safety Signal Co. was founded in Forest Park, Ga., in 1969 by Jim Shirley and Dave Bussey, who were brothers-in-law. The family has continued operating the business since then, with Jim’s widow—Dee Shirley—as the current owner. The company is now located in Union City, Ga. 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 GDOT, both of which offer college scholarships. “The Shirley family has started, managed, promoted and worked on the annual Jim Shirley Memorial Golf Tournament with this being the 13th year,” Brockman wrote in nominating the family. “They literally shut down their company for the day to make this event successful.” The ATSS Foundation Board approved the award in November and presented it to Ryan Shirley at The Foundation’s Annual Golf Classic Tournament held as part of ATSSA’s 53rd Annual Convention & Traffic Expo in Phoenix in February. “We are extremely grateful to all of the members of the Shirley family for their many years of support,” said Foundation Director Lori Diaz. “Their commitment to The Foundation through this event that honors Jim Shirley has made a difference in the lives of young adults pursuing their dreams after a devastating loss and in helping raise awareness of the importance of roadway safety.” The ATSS Foundation Board reviews nominations for the Ambassador Award three times a year—in March, July and November. Details on the criteria and a nomination form are available online. To date, four awards have been presented. The ATSS Foundation is the charitable arm of ATSSA.
ATSSA members make a difference on Capitol Hill
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. 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, pictured at left, with PPG in Greensboro, said he is sold on the process of delivering the roadway safety message directly to Congressional leaders. “It’s made a difference. Ben and I have seen the results,” he said. Specifically, they’ve seen “funding buckets” established for roadway safety—such as the Highway Safety Improvement Program HSIP, which started in fiscal 2006 with approximately $1.3 billion annually. It gradually increased over the years until the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act IIJA, brought it to about $3.2 billion annually, with another $2.8 billion annually directed to other safety projects. Capel, pictured center, is with Guardway Corp. in Charlotte. He said the work of ATSSA’s Government Relations Team in making contacts with legislators is critical to the success. He said those long-term connections are key to gaining influence with lawmakers. Kevin Lowe of PPG, pictured at right, joined Capel and Alsabrook in meetings with North Carolina legislators in 2022. ATSSA’s 2023 Legislative Briefing & Fly-In takes place over two days, April 18-19. This year’s event is the same week as National Work Zone Awareness Week, which runs April 17-21. April 18 – The Legislative Briefing prepares ATSSA members to make their case to federal legislators and includes speakers such as members of Congress and others involved in federal policymaking on issues. That day also includes a PAC Reception in the evening. It will be held at the Pendry hotel, 655 Water St., S.W., Washington, D.C. April 19 – On Capitol Hill Meeting Day, ATSSA members visit the Capitol Hill offices of their legislators. Registration for ATSSA members is free for the Legislative Briefing & Fly-In. Members are responsible for travel and lodging expenses. Register by April 3 for guaranteed meetings with legislators. Check for housing availability in ATSSA’s room block at the Pendry hotel. A $750 scholarship for the first 10 first-time attendees who register and attend the event is available.
Work zone safety and awareness more critical than ever
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. 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. ATSSA’s Chesapeake Chapter President issued a statement regarding the deaths of the roadway workers. “We are saddened to hear of the passing of the six roadway workers last week. It’s a reminder that our efforts in work zone safety are so important and we must double our efforts moving forward. On behalf of the Chesapeake ATSSA Chapter we send our thoughts and prayers to the families affected by this tragedy,” said Chapter President David May. The Maryland Transportation Builders and Materials Association MTBMA has organized a moment of silence for noon today. “We request all member companies to inform their staff, both in the field and in the office, to join us in this solemn tribute by taking a moment of silence. We hope that this small gesture will help us remember the lives lost and extend our deepest sympathies to their families and loved ones. We ask all of our transportation community to join in solidarity with agency partners, MDOT, and the entire transportation community to observe this important moment of silence,” MTBMA said in its announcement. It is with the safety of roadway workers, motorists, their passengers and pedestrians in mind that National Work Zone Awareness Week NWZAW has been held annually since 2000. ATSSA partners with organizations such as the Federal Highway Administration FHWA, the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials AASHTO, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association ARTBA and state departments of transportation DOTs to increase public awareness about the importance of safe driving practices in work zones. This year’s NWZAW campaign occurs April 17-21 with specific events happening daily. The week concludes with a Moment of Silence on April 21 to remember all those who have lost their lives in work zones. Senators Mike Braun R-IN and Richard Blumenthal D-CT earlier this month introduced a resolution to recognize NWZAW and the importance of safe driving in work zones. ATSSA recently joined 13 other roadway safety groups supporting this resolution, which was inspired by the death of an Indiana traffic control flagger in a work zone. This collaboration amplifies ATSSA’s dedication to moving our country Toward Zero Deaths on our roadways. The Senates resolution notes that 857 work zone fatalities occurred in 2020, the most recent year for which U.S. Department of Transportation USDOT statistics are available. Fifty-one of the pedestrians were construction, utility or roadway workers. In addition, 44,240 people suffered injuries in work zone crashes in 2020, the resolution states. “ATSSA will continue working closely with federal, state and local authorities, as well as industry partners, to enhance work zone safety measures and raise awareness about the importance of safe driving practices in these areas,” Tetschner said. “It is crucial that we all come together to prevent future tragedies like this one from occurring. ATSSA’s core purpose is to advance roadway safety and we are committed to a world with zero work zone fatalities. We will not rest until we achieve that goal.”
Upcoming Events
Midyear Meeting 2025
Join us Aug. 19-22, 2025, in Milwaukee, Wis., for the Midyear Meeting. ATSSA members hold committee & council meetings, discuss industry issues & advance roadway safety.
2026 Convention & Traffic Expo
Where Roadway Safety + Innovation Intersect. ATSSA’s 56th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo is Feb. 20-24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Join key roadway safety and transportation professionals at this premier event.
Visit ATSSA at booth #EH2316 during Utility Expo 2025 in Louisville.
TOOLS & RESOURCES
Easily find content, tools or products in the Resource Library. Search industry, legal and volunteer resources; products, toolkits and publications for industry professionals, past webinars and more. Get the ATSSA Worker Protection Toolkit for resources on incident response and prevention.
ATSSA Community
As a member of ATSSA, you become part of a vibrant community made up of thousands of roadway safety infrastructure professionals. Explore ways of connecting with your professional community through chapters and volunteer leadership and access quick links to the most popular member resources.
Innovation and Technical Services
ATSSA is dedicated to being a reliable and accurate source of innovative technology information for all members. As the industry moves towards an automated and more technologically advanced future, prepare and learn from best practices and resources related to traffic safety topics and technical services.
North America’s top roadway safety event
Join thousands of roadway safety and transportation professionals at ATSSA’s 56th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, Feb. 20-24, 2026, in Houston, Texas. Connect with industry leaders, explore the latest safety solutions and drive innovation.
ATSSA's core purpose is to advance roadway safety. ATSSA members embrace the goal of eliminating roadway fatalities through the design, manufacture and installation of road safety and traffic control devices. For more than 50 years, ATSSA’s training has been recognized as the highest quality roadway safety training program available. Get top training for your team.