Safety
Photo by Anthony Le
Trails and active transportation networks can play a critical role in reducing serious injuries and fatalities for vulnerable road users by providing safe connections and routes that limit vehicle interactions and create rights-of-way that people are comfortable using. Communities across the country are recognizing the benefit of these tools and have been prioritizing trail and active transportation networks in their efforts to increase safety. The following programs provide funding opportunities where trail and active transportation projects are eligible as part of an effort to address safety issues.
Safe Streets and Roads for All
This new program provides funds for the development and implementation of Comprehensive Safety Action Plans to support local initiatives aimed at addressing serious injury and fatalities on roads and streets.
Highway Safety Improvement Program
With the passage of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there were new and significant changes to the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), which include increased overall funding, as well as a new reform for biking and pedestrian safety. This new policy mandates that certain states are now required to spend 15% or more of their HSIP funds to address safety improvement for vulnerable road users (e.g., pedestrians, bicyclists and wheelchair users) if 15% or more of the community’s annual crash fatalities are biking or pedestrian fatalities. This change will impact dozens of states and could account for hundreds of millions of dollars of HSIP funds dedicated to pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements. States that are not mandated can still spend funds on safety projects for pedestrians and bicyclists but are not required to do so.
The following states are required to abide by the new 15% spending mandate:
- Alaska
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Illinois
- Louisiana
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
Resources
HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (HSIP): https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/docs/hsip.pdf
Highway Safety Improvement Program Special Rules Guidance:
https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/hsip/rulemaking/docs/Section148_SpecialRule_Guidance.pdf
State DOT Best Practices in Implementing the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: https://www.railstotrails.org/media/1344248/dot_best_pracitice_ohio_case_study_112822.pdf
Computations for FY 2023 HSIP Funds Set-Aside for Vulnerable Road Users: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/bipartisan-infrastructure-law/comptables/table5p3.cfm
