Advocacy

Legislative advocacy for the roadway safety industry

ATSSA’s Government Relations Team is here to help the roadway safety industry educate decision-makers on the state and federal level, to advocate for roadway safety infrastructure policies and funding. Learn more about ATSSA’s grassroots advocacy to advance policies that move us Toward Zero Deaths on our nation’s roadways and how you can get involved.


Cutting the gas tax is a COST we can't afford. Learn more now.


Get Involved

GET INVOLVED

Join us in promoting state and
federal level policies that make
our roads safer.

Political Action Committee

POLITICAL ACTION COMMITTEE

The PAC provides support to policy makers on Capitol Hill that support roadway safety.

Federal Advocacy

FEDERAL

Passionately advocating for
roadway safety infrastructure on
Capitol Hill.

ATSSA FlyIn

ATSSA FLY-IN

Bringing together ATSSA members from across the country in a united voice for roadway safety.

State Advocacy

STATE

Connecting ATSSA chapters with
state-level grass roots efforts
across the country.

Toward Zero Deaths

TOWARD ZERO DEATHS

TZD is a national strategy on highway safety that advocates for eliminating injury & death on roadways.

Advocacy news & blogs

Pam

ATSSA submits comments on Buy America manufacturing products waiver

Association ‘strongly urges’ continuation of public interest waiver

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner this week submitted comments to the Federal Register on the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Review of its General Applicability Waiver of Buy America Requirements for Manufactured Products.

“ATSSA strongly urges FHWA to continue the current public interest waiver for manufactured products that do not contain iron or steel,” ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner said in the ATSSA submission. “Especially with the challenge of increasing traffic fatalities in recent years, it is not an appropriate time to potentially hamstring the ability to deploy life-saving devices and countermeasures on U.S. roadways when the [U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)] and state and local agencies are aggressively moving to combat these fatalities.

“If, however, FHWA proposes to alter the current waiver, ATSSA strongly encourages FHWA to continue to exempt transportation products that are incorporated into highway safety improvement projects as defined in 23 U.S.C. 148, regardless of federal program funding source.”

Tetschner noted in the submission addressed to FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt that ATSSA members generally favor increasing capacity to procure domestically-sourced construction materials and manufactured products for use on surface transportation projects.

He noted that traffic fatalities are at an unacceptable level nationwide and that the USDOT National Roadway Safety Strategy recognizes that. He also acknowledged that USDOT, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and FHWA are committed to combatting traffic fatalities and moving Toward Zero Deaths.

“It is critical that any action related to current waivers of Buy America requirements not have the unintended consequence of hindering the delivery of important roadway safety projects across the country,” Tetschner wrote in the submission.

ATSSA’s comments included results of a fall 2022 survey of ATSSA members, which found the following.

  • 72% would not expect to be able to domestically source materials or products to meet the new Buy America requirements
  • 86% stated that the cost of safety devices and projects will increase under the proposed rule - with some projecting cost increases of as much as 50 percent
  • 66% stated that there will either be work interruptions, project completion challenges and delays, liquidated damages, or all three under the proposed rule
  • 85% of respondents are concerned with the potential for a burdensome or confusingcertification process.

 

“ATSSA members understand it is in the public’s interest to improve roadway safety and urge FHWA to maintain the manufactured products waiver of Buy America requirements,” Tetschner stated in the conclusion of the comments submitted to the Federal Register.

 

Previous Article House Transportation & Infrastructure Chair addresses ATSSA Legislative Briefing & Fly-In
Next Article ATSSA CEO urges FHWA to update MUTCD by May 15
Print
6162 Rate this article:
No rating
Please login or register to post comments.