Safer Roads Save Lives
Safer Roads Save Lives Transportation Authorization Update On May 8, the conference committee for the transportation authorization held its first public meeting to give members of Congress a chance to outline their priorities. The meeting, which was approximately three hours long, mostly centered on an agreement that a final bill must be crafted and enacted as quickly as possible. Congressional staff has also begun to work behind the scenes to trade notes and ideas on how to finalize the highway bill. The conference committee elected Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), the Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, to be the conference committee chair. She noted during her remarks that the conference committee must finalize its work by early June to allow time to enact the bill into law before the current SAFETEA-LU extension expires on June 30. ATSSA staff is continuing to advocate for roadway safety infrastructure as the process moves along. ATSSA is utilizing a one page document to highlight the association's top priorities for the conference committee. Click here to read the document.
Sign Retroreflectivity Rule Released On May 14, the Federal Highway Administration publicly released its revised rule eliminating the deadlines for state and local governments to upgrade their traffic signs to meet minimum levels of retroreflectivity. Although the retroreflectivity standards themselves still remain, the deadlines for the physical upgrades have been eliminated. State and local governments still must have an implementation plan or method in place by 2 years after the public release of the rule. This means that by mid-May 2014, these plans must be in place. To read more about this rule, please click here.
ATSSA Signs TCC Letter to Conference Committee ATSSA, along with our partners in the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), sent a letter to all members of the conference committee on May 7. The letter outlines the TCC's priorities including preserving the Highway
Volume 6, No. 18 May 14, 2012
Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and including the increased funding level supported by both the House and the Senate. Click here to read the letter.
2011 Roadway Fatalities at New Projected Low The U.S. Department of Transportation released its preliminary data for traffic fatalities in 2011. In 2011, an estimated 32,310 people killed on America's roads, which again is the lowest number since 1949. This estimated number shows a 1.7 percent decline from the 2010 data. The final fatality data will not be available until later in the year; however, these projections are a good sign that roadway deaths continue to be on the decline. For more information, please click here.
ATSSA Signs Letter Opposing Travel Ban ATSSA signed a letter from the American Society of Associate Executives (ASAE) which was sent to all members of Congress on May 7. The letter opposes restrictions on government employees' attendance at conference, meetings and conventions. ATSSA joined more than 2,000 organizations that signed on to this letter in opposition. If enacted, these restrictions would possibly inhibit DOT staff from participating in many of ATSSA's meetings, chapters and committees. ATSSA and our partners will continue to help educate and advocate on this issue. Click here to read ASAE's letter to Congress.
ATSSA's Legislative Briefing and Fly-In On April 25-26, 78 ATSSA members from 23 states traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for roadway safety infrastructure and the transportation authorization. During their meetings on Capitol Hill, 115 different Congressional offices held meetings with ATSSA members. This is a tremendous one-day push for the entire industry. Throughout their meetings, ATSSA members discussed the association's top priorities for the conference committee, including robust funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program. In addition, ATSSA members gave out small, retroreflective signs which said Toward Zero Deaths in an effort to highlight the need to continually reduce roadway fatalities in this country. These signs were graciously provided by 3M after they were the first ATSSA member to respond to a call for donations. ATSSA's GR team thanks 3M for their support and congressional gift contribution. On the briefing day, April 25, attendees heard from Reps. Lou Barletta (RPa.), Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) policy aide, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Transportation Beth Osborne and a panel of congressional transportation staffers. The jam-packed day provided ATSSA members with vital information about the status of the transportation bill, and allowed many members individual face time with these high-level decision-makers. In the evening of April 25, 14 ATSSA members joined ATSSA staff and Rep. Lou Barletta for a fundraiser to benefit his congressional campaign. This event, hosted by ATSSA PAC, was a tremendous opportunity for members to have an intimate conversation with the Congressman about the transportation bill and roadway safety. Rep. Barletta is a former road striper, so he fully understands the challenges facing our industry. On behalf of ATSSA, I would like to thank all of the attendees that made it to the ATSSA Fly-In this year. We appreciate your commitment to ATSSA and your support in helping to enact a highway bill in 2012. If you have never
attended please start to think about attending next year. We need your support!
Follow ATSSA on Twitter For the latest news and information from Capitol Hill and Washington, D.C., follow ATSSA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateSmith.
American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) 209 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 Phone: 202-454-5246 Fax: 202-454-5295 www.ATSSA.com
Sign Retroreflectivity Rule Released On May 14, the Federal Highway Administration publicly released its revised rule eliminating the deadlines for state and local governments to upgrade their traffic signs to meet minimum levels of retroreflectivity. Although the retroreflectivity standards themselves still remain, the deadlines for the physical upgrades have been eliminated. State and local governments still must have an implementation plan or method in place by 2 years after the public release of the rule. This means that by mid-May 2014, these plans must be in place. To read more about this rule, please click here.
ATSSA Signs TCC Letter to Conference Committee ATSSA, along with our partners in the Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC), sent a letter to all members of the conference committee on May 7. The letter outlines the TCC's priorities including preserving the Highway
Volume 6, No. 18 May 14, 2012
Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and including the increased funding level supported by both the House and the Senate. Click here to read the letter.
2011 Roadway Fatalities at New Projected Low The U.S. Department of Transportation released its preliminary data for traffic fatalities in 2011. In 2011, an estimated 32,310 people killed on America's roads, which again is the lowest number since 1949. This estimated number shows a 1.7 percent decline from the 2010 data. The final fatality data will not be available until later in the year; however, these projections are a good sign that roadway deaths continue to be on the decline. For more information, please click here.
ATSSA Signs Letter Opposing Travel Ban ATSSA signed a letter from the American Society of Associate Executives (ASAE) which was sent to all members of Congress on May 7. The letter opposes restrictions on government employees' attendance at conference, meetings and conventions. ATSSA joined more than 2,000 organizations that signed on to this letter in opposition. If enacted, these restrictions would possibly inhibit DOT staff from participating in many of ATSSA's meetings, chapters and committees. ATSSA and our partners will continue to help educate and advocate on this issue. Click here to read ASAE's letter to Congress.
ATSSA's Legislative Briefing and Fly-In On April 25-26, 78 ATSSA members from 23 states traveled to Washington, D.C. to advocate for roadway safety infrastructure and the transportation authorization. During their meetings on Capitol Hill, 115 different Congressional offices held meetings with ATSSA members. This is a tremendous one-day push for the entire industry. Throughout their meetings, ATSSA members discussed the association's top priorities for the conference committee, including robust funding for the Highway Safety Improvement Program. In addition, ATSSA members gave out small, retroreflective signs which said Toward Zero Deaths in an effort to highlight the need to continually reduce roadway fatalities in this country. These signs were graciously provided by 3M after they were the first ATSSA member to respond to a call for donations. ATSSA's GR team thanks 3M for their support and congressional gift contribution. On the briefing day, April 25, attendees heard from Reps. Lou Barletta (RPa.), Jason Altmire (D-Pa.), Richard Hanna (R-N.Y.), Speaker John Boehner's (R-Ohio) policy aide, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Transportation Beth Osborne and a panel of congressional transportation staffers. The jam-packed day provided ATSSA members with vital information about the status of the transportation bill, and allowed many members individual face time with these high-level decision-makers. In the evening of April 25, 14 ATSSA members joined ATSSA staff and Rep. Lou Barletta for a fundraiser to benefit his congressional campaign. This event, hosted by ATSSA PAC, was a tremendous opportunity for members to have an intimate conversation with the Congressman about the transportation bill and roadway safety. Rep. Barletta is a former road striper, so he fully understands the challenges facing our industry. On behalf of ATSSA, I would like to thank all of the attendees that made it to the ATSSA Fly-In this year. We appreciate your commitment to ATSSA and your support in helping to enact a highway bill in 2012. If you have never
attended please start to think about attending next year. We need your support!
Follow ATSSA on Twitter For the latest news and information from Capitol Hill and Washington, D.C., follow ATSSA on Twitter at www.twitter.com/NateSmith.
American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) 209 Pennsylvania Avenue, S.E. Washington, D.C. 20003 Phone: 202-454-5246 Fax: 202-454-5295 www.ATSSA.com
