Three members of the House of Representatives introduced a resolution this week recognizing the 50^th anniversary of the American Traffic Safety Services Association. The bi-partisan resolution was initiated by Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican representing Virginia’s 1^st District, and Road Safety Caucus Chairs Bruce Westerman,  a Republican representing Arkansas’ 4^th District, and Chris Pappas, a Democrat representing New Hampshire’s 1^st District.

On Wednesday, House Democrats unveiled a $760 billion proposal to fund infrastructure investments over the next five years. ATSSA commends moving the process of highway bill reauthorization forward and looks forward to working with the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on crafting the details of the plan on a bi-partisan basis. The framework outlines major investments, including those in surface transportation, rail and transit systems, airports, ports and harbors, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure, brownfields, and broadband.  Additionally, this proposal is estimated to create more than 10 million jobs.

ATSSA strives to keep roadway safety on the minds of stakeholders from legislators on Capitol Hill to officials with Departments of Transportation (DOTs) across the country. Therefore, the Association advocates for funds available through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a core federal aid program created to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads including non-state-owned roads and roads of tribal or Indian lands.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to encourage states to explore a road usage charge to help fund transportation projects. The bill submitted on Tuesday by the state’s 3rd District representative would reauthorize the Surface Transportation Systems Funding Alternatives (STSFA) program through 2025 and increase funding authorization, improve reporting requirements and provide special consideration for new projects that advance the knowledge of funding alternatives or collect revenue, according to the congressman’s office.

The FCC voted unanimously today to allocate a portion of the 5.9 GHz band to a 45 MHz sub-band that supports unlicensed uses like WiFi. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai and commissioners Michael O'Rielly, Brendan Carr, Jessica Rosenworcel, and Geoffrey Starks all were in favor of the redistribution during an open meeting at the group’s headquarters in Washington, D.C.