Tune in to Road Dog News at 2 p.m. ET on Friday to hear ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner.

Tetschner will be discussing roadway safety issues on the Road Dog Trucking radio station.

The program airs on SiriusXM Channel 146. Road Dog News is hosted by Dan Ronan. Ronan is an associate news editor for Transport Topics as well as a part-time news anchor for Road Dog News.

The Senate today passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). The $1.2 trillion plan includes the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act (STRA) that passed through the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee earlier this year.

“ATSSA applauds the passage of this historic investment in roads, bridges and safety,” ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner said. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will allow ATSSA members to undertake even more lifesaving work on America’s roadways. We are encouraged by the work done in a bipartisan manner in the Senate and strongly urge the House to follow their lead in implementing a robust, long-term and safety-focused infrastructure plan.”

The House will need to also pass the infrastructure plan for it to go into effect. However, members on both sides of the aisle have expressed a weariness toward the Senate version. It is unclear what the plan forward is on the legislation.

In Iowa, arrow boards—a ubiquitous piece of equipment in many work zones—are serving as a testing ground for data-sharing protocols that transportation officials hope will help reduce crashes and fatalities in work zones by providing road users with real-time information of lane closures.

Read about the evolution of smart arrow boards, gain insights from the team at the Institute for Transportation (InTrans) at Iowa State University and learn the role ATSSA member Jeff Koudelka of Iowa Plains Signing Inc. played in the rollout of the roadway safety devices in the Summer 2021 issue of Roadway Safety magazine, available online today.

ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner today sent a letter to the heads of state Departments of Transportation requesting assistance in light of the current shortage of base resin.

Two major manufacturers of base resin are currently unable to provide the substance used in High Friction Surface Treatment applications due to circumstances beyond their control, Tetschner explains in the letter. He notes that the issue is related to February’s extreme weather events in the Midwest and Texas.

“With US-based materials supply limited, increased costs over the last several months, and a significant delay in shipping overseas materials to the United States, it is likely that some already agreed upon supply contract deadlines will be impacted,” Tetschner states in today’s letter to DOT secretaries across the country.

Take part in ATSSA’s 2021 Legislative Briefing & Virtual Fly-In from the comfort and safety of home. The April 21-22 event is free for members and will be completely online making access to Capitol Hill policymakers convenient and effective.

Last year’s virtual event proved popular with ATSSA members and provided a great way to interact with legislators without the need for travel. Participants drove their message to Capitol Hill and enjoyed direct interactions with members of Congress and congressional staff involved in funding and policy decisions.

ATSSA’s Legislative Briefing & Fly-In equips members to present key roadway safety infrastructure industry issues directly to political leaders and this year’s issues are key for the industry. The FAST Act, or Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act, was a hot topic last year as ATSSA members advocated successfully for a one-year extension but a new deadline is looming.

ATSSA recently held elections for its Board of Directors and Operating Committee during which seven people were elected by the membership to serve a two-year term, effective Feb. 15.

“The ATSSA Board of Directors congratulates its new directors and Operating Committee members and extends its sincere appreciation to all the candidates for their willingness to serve the Association,” said Board Chair Greg Driskell. “We would also like to sincerely thank Kevin Shelton of C-Hawkk Traffic Control, outgoing Chapter President Council Representative and director ex-officio, for all his time and work on the Board.”

ATSSA now offers a free subscription to the ATSSA Blog. Simply fill out the form here on the ATSSA Blog page and start receiving regular updates on news about the industry, Association and activities on Capitol Hill.

Subscribers also automatically get alerts on breaking news.

That's ATSSA news delivered to your inbox.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb. 18, 2021) – Two exhibitors at ATSSA’s 51st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo received Innovation Awards today in recognition of new products  that contribute to the industry’s mission of advancing roadway safety and working Toward Zero Deaths.

The new products from 2020 were evaluated by a panel of judges made up of Department of Transportation personnel. Judges reviewed nine items from companies across the country as part of the New Products Rollout.

ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo was held online and ran over two weeks, from Feb. 8 through today.

FREDERICKSBURG, Va. (Feb.17, 2021) – The American Traffic Safety Services Association is pleased to announce winners of the Industry Achievement Award, the Mark of Excellence Award and the National Safety Award.

The awards were given as part of the 51st^th Annual Convention & Traffic Expo, held online Feb. 8-12 & 16-18. The Industry Achievement Award and the Mark of Excellence Award were announced on Feb. 16. The National Safety Award was announced today.

Automated vehicles will be mainstream in the next decade, members of an Innovation Panel predicted today during the first general session of ATSSA’s 51^st Annual Convention & Traffic Expo.

Timothy Drake, vice president of public policy and regulatory affairs at ITS America, said he expected trucking fleets and public transportation would be the first to take that step and be in place in the 2030s. With that in mind, he said planning needs to take place now within jurisdictions across the country and state departments of transportation (DOTs).

Nazila Roofigari-Esfahan, an assistant professor at Virginia Tech, agreed with Drake but said she hoped it wouldn’t take place before people are ready for it. She said both infrastructure and individuals need to be prepared for that shift in transportation.

The Innovation Panel was one part of today’s general session at ATSSA’s 2021 Convention & Traffic Expo. The session kicked off with a welcome from Board Chair Greg Driskell and the State of the Association Report by ATSSA President & CEO Stacy Tetschner. That was followed by a State of the Industry panel and announcement of two industry awards.