Local Programs
Local highway agencies often do not have the resources needed to adequately address safety problems on the roads they maintain. The FHWA Local and Tribal Safety Program provides national leadership in identifying, developing, and delivering safety programs and products to local officials and tribal governments to improve highway safety on local and tribal roads.
Rural road safety is a particular concern, because the majority of highway fatalities take place on rural roads.
Rural Safety Innovation Program
A notice of solicitation for applications for funding to support qualified Rural Safety Innovation Program projects has been published in the Federal Register. Funding of $15 million is anticipated. This is part of a U. S. Department of Transportation Rural Safety Initiative.
The goal of the Rural Safety Innovation Program is to improve rural road safety by assisting rural communities in addressing highway safety problems and by providing rural communities the opportunity to compete for project funding. The program will encourage States and rural communities to develop creative, locally crafted solutions to roadway safety problems, document their efforts and outcomes, and share the results with other communities across the country. Rural roads account for approximately 40 percent of the vehicle miles traveled in the U.S., but almost 55 percent of fatalities. According to the latest data, 23,339 people were killed in rural crashes in 2006 and the fatality rate for rural crashes is more than twice the fatality rate in urban crashes.
Rural Safety Innovation Program: HTML - PDF
Rural Safety Innovation Program Questions & Answers
The USDOT/FHWA Rural Safety Innovation Program was announced and published as a Federal Register Notice on February 29, 2008. Questions and Answers have been developed to respond to the questions received since the announcement. Phase I Applications are due on April 14, 2008 as stated in the Notice. Selected applicants will be contacted in May and invited to submit detailed Proposals.
Rural Safety Innovation Program Q & As: HTML - PDF
For more information, please contact: Mr. John E. Dewar - Phone: (202) 366-2218 or Email: john.dewar2@dot.gov.
Guidance for Addressing Local Safety Issues
Here's where to find engineering guidance and community education tools to address local safety issues.
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A Road Safety Audit (RSA) is the formal safety performance examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent audit team. The FHWA works with State and local jurisdictions to integrate RSAs into the project development process for new roads and intersections, and also encourages RSAs on existing roads and intersections.
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Click here for links to the Office of Safety's local road safety partner organiations and agencies.
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