NAPA advocacy helps drive landmark work zone safety provisions in highway bill
The bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act could become one of the most significant work zone safety bills in years — and NAPA has been among the leading voices pushing Congress to act.
Following last month’s overwhelming bipartisan approval by the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, roadway safety advocates are pointing to the bill’s expanded worker protections, new education initiatives, and interagency coordination efforts as a major step forward for protecting both workers and drivers.
“Work zone safety has long been one of NAPA’s top priorities, so it’s encouraging to see so many meaningful work zone safety policies included in this bipartisan legislation,” said Mitch Baldwin, NAPA Director of Government Affairs. “We’re grateful to Chairman Sam Graves, Ranking Member Rick Larsen, and the entire House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for their commitment to making work zones safer for workers and motorists.”
The momentum behind those provisions was fueled in part by a broad NAPA-led coalition. Ahead of the markup, the Work Zone Safety Coalition sent a letter applauding the bill’s “clear-eyed, data-driven policy approach” and warning that a work zone crash occurs roughly every five minutes in America.
“The bipartisan BUILD America 250 Act has the potential to be the most meaningful piece of legislation for work zone safety in generations,” the coalition wrote.
NAPA advocated heavily throughout the markup process, engaging directly with committee staff and supporting several work zone safety-related provisions. During the markup, Rep. Rob Bresnahan (R-PA) highlighted the inclusion of the Preventing Roadside and Work Zone Deaths Act, legislation NAPA has strongly supported. NAPA amplified Bresnahan’s remarks, which Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-MI) and the House T&I Majority further shared.
“No one should feel unsafe at work, especially the construction workers who keep our communities in West Michigan and across the country running,” Rep. Scholten said. “I visited a work zone last summer in Byron Township and saw firsthand the urgent need to improve work zone safety regulations to protect workers, drivers, and pedestrians from avoidable accidents, and I’m proud to have secured several provisions in the BUILD America 250 Act that will do just that.”
Among the bill’s major work zone safety provisions are expanded eligibility for highway safety improvement programs focused on roadway workers, new grant opportunities for work zone safety education and teen driver awareness, and the creation of a federal interagency working group dedicated to roadway worker protection.
Work zone safety, one of NAPA’s top policy priorities, has long needed policy reform. More than half of highway contractors reported at least one crash in their highway work zones inthe past year, according to the Associated General Contractors.
While committee passage marked a major milestone, NAPA’s advocacy efforts are far from over as Congress continues to work on long-term surface transportation reauthorization ahead of the Sept. 30 deadline.
