Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

overpass picture The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which was signed into law on August 10, 2005, established the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) as a core Federal-aid program. The overall purpose of this program is to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads through the implementation of infrastructure-related highway safety improvements.

The specific provisions pertaining to the HSIP, are defined in Section 1401 of SAFETEA-LU, which amended Section 148 of Title 23, United States Code (23 USC 148) to incorporate these provisions. These requirements include the development of Strategic highway Safety Plans (SHSPs), in consultation with other key State and local highway safety stakeholders, and a number of reporting requirements.

As part of the HSIP, $220 million is set aside each fiscal year for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program (23 USC 130). These funds provide for the elimination of hazards and the installation of protective devices at public railway-highway crossings. Also as part of the HSIP, a new High Risk Rural Roads Program was established that provides funding for construction and operational improvements on rural major or minor collectors or rural local roads. Additional information on these programs can be found by clicking the links below.

To ensure that the HSIP is carried out in an organized, systematic manner where the greatest benefits are achieved, a formalized HSIP process has been established that consists of three major components: planning, implementation and evaluation. These requirements can be found under http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-30168.pdf [89.8 KB].