ATSSA The Signal Nov/Dec 2019

American Traffic Safety Services Association 10 Government Relations Pennsylvania holds first Advocacy Day Advancing roadway safety at the Pennsylvania State Capitol Making voices heard to save lives on our nation’s roadways. That goal brought 25 ATSSA members from across Penn- sylvania together for an advocacy day at the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harris- burg, Pennsylvania last spring/summer. Each year, ATSSA chapters across the countryhost stateadvocacydays tospeak about legislation that ensures investment in roadway safety infrastructure devices and that supports roadway workers. For the Pennsylvania Advocacy Day, members spoke with state legislators in 50 meetings on the need for increased funding for roadway safety infrastruc- ture across the state and urged legisla- tors to support the PAMobility Study, an initiative with the Pennsylvania Depart- ment of Transportation (PennDOT) to address the area’s mobility challenges and exploring transportation funding sources. Additionally, ATSSA members thanked legislators for the passage of SB 172, which enacted a program to place speed cameras in work zones. “As representatives of ATSSA, it is our responsibility to get in front of those offi- cials andmake our voices’ heard. If we sit backanddonothing, the legislationneces- sary to make impacts on our roadways and the safety of those roadwayswill not bemade a priority,” said JustinaWentling, senior engineer project manager for the Pennsylvania TurnpikeCommission, who participated in the advocacy day. JayHunter, vicepresident ofHorizonSignal Technologies and a member of ATSSA’s Safety and Public Awareness (SPA) and Government Relations committees, spoke about the importance of sharing exper- tise and our experiences with legislators on issues that impact roadway safety. (From left to right) Doug Dolinar, Dan Lorine, Joy Gallagher, and Ashley Matyas meet with Rep. Meghan Schroeder to discuss current transportation legislation in Pennsylvania. Justina Wentling and Ryan Cramer met with Sen. Pat Stefano (center) to emphasis the importance of legislation that would impact our roadways and the safety of those who travel them.