The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) today welcomed the Senate's proposal to extend expiring surface transportation programs through Dec. 11 as part of a bipartisan stopgap spending bill.

The extension would avert a September funding cliff and give lawmakers time to advance a full successor to the 2021 infrastructure law, potentially during the lame-duck session after the Nov. 3 midterms.

ATSSA views the extension as a necessary measure that protects continuity for the roadway safety infrastructure programs its members deliver every day. At the same time, it recognizes that it is not a substitute for the stable, predictable, multi-year funding that safety projects require.

"We appreciate a short-term extension because it keeps critical roadway safety programs from lapsing and gives states and contractors the certainty they need to keep workers and drivers safe," said Stacy Tetschner, President & CEO of ATSSA. "But an extension is a bridge, not a destination. We hope the Senate and the House can use this window to finish the job and pass a robust, long-term reauthorization that sustains and builds on the nation's investment in roadway safety."

Roadway safety infrastructure includes pavement markings, signs, guardrail, work zone traffic control, and other proven countermeasures which depend on reliable federal funding. Short-term extensions and funding uncertainty can stall projects and delay improvements that are critical to reducing deaths and serious injuries on the nation's roads.

ATSSA urges the Senate to pass the package this week and both chambers to move swiftly on long-term reauthorization.