ATSSA Signal July/August 2018

Innovation & New Programs American Traffic Safety Services Association 22 ATSSA advocates for roadway safety infrastructure during InfrastructureWeek 2018 ily might not return home safely tonight,” said Wentz. The overall goal of Infrastructure Week is to urge policymakers to lead on invest- ing in transportation projects and advo- cating for federal infrastructure funding in Washington, D.C. For ATSSA an added goal is to advocate for long-term solven- cy for the Highway Trust Fund (HTF). “We call on Congress and the administra- tion to significantly increase federal in- vestments in road and bridge projects, to make the Highway Trust Fund solvent, and to ensure that safety infrastructure plays a central role. And, we ask that a mere ten cents on the dollar be dedicat- ed to safety to make sure that we and our families all come home safely each night,” said Wentz, referring to ATSSA’s request that 10 percent of all federal road and bridge funding goes to safety infrastructure projects. ATSSA’s President & CEO Roger Wentz spoke at a press conference hosted by the Highway Materials Group (HMG) in support of increased investment in road- way safety infrastructure. The press conference was held as part of the sixth annual Infrastructure Week 2018—May 14–21—which promotes na- tional awareness and advocacy for pri- oritizing investment in America’s infrastructure. Members of Congress and ten other na- tional transportation construction as- sociations joined HMG and ATSSA to participate in the press conference, to discuss infrastructure investment across the nation. Wentz focused his remarks on the safety element of roadway infrastructure. “The number of people who die on our roadways annually is equal to about 74 fully loaded Boeing 747s crashing and resulting in the death of every single pas- senger,” said Wentz. During his remarks, Wentz spoke on the safety aspects of investing in surface transportation infrastructure projects, and how those investments will save lives. “We know that investing in America’s roads and bridges—specifically infra- structure safety projects—will save lives and reduce serious injuries. Our goal is to move Toward Zero Deaths, a point in time when any one single fatality on our roadways would draw national attention, because it would become a rare rather than common event. And if you think that zero cannot be accomplished, then ask yourself what member of your fam- ATSSA President & CEO Roger Wentz joined industry leaders and elected officials on Capitol Hill for a press conference during Infrastructure Week 2018.