Initiative will rebuild and reinforce America’s roads, crosswalks, and intersections

Contact: FHWA.PressOffice@dot.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has delivered complete nationwide participation from all state partners for the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Safe Arterials for Everyone through Reliable Operations and Distraction-Reducing Strategies (SAFE ROADS) initiative. SAFE ROADS was launched to reduce roadway fatalities and emphasizes the Trump Administration’s effort to get back to basics. 

In response to a July 1 letter from Secretary Duffy, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have identified 4,300 specific high-traffic roads and intersections across both urban and rural areas for improvement by the end of Fiscal Year 2026. Over half of all U.S. roadway deaths occurred on non-freeway main roads in 2023.

“Our SAFE ROADS initiative is about putting the well-being of you and your family first,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “I’m grateful for our state and local partners for putting politics aside and identifying critical investments that will keep drivers and pedestrians safe.”

“Under Secretary Duffy’s leadership, the Department is empowering states to take control of safety on their roads,” said Federal Highway Administrator Sean McMaster. “Full participation underscores that our partners are implementing our core mission of driver and pedestrian safety.”

Projects submitted by states include intersection improvements in Georgia, pavement resurfacing and widening in Oklahoma, signal and interchange upgrades in New Hampshire, and other safety countermeasures supported by the FHWA. Brief descriptions of state priority projects identified as part of the SAFE ROADS initiative can be found here.

Additional Information on SAFE ROADS:

Strategies employed by the states include reducing signage clutter, controlling outdoor advertising, strengthening compliance with traffic control device standards, expediting adoption of the MUTCD, vegetation control and debris removal, and applying a whole-of-right-of-way safety approach to mitigate visual distractions and obstructions.

Most of the proposed improvements incorporate one or more of FHWA’s Proven Safety Countermeasures, and many states used FHWA Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) data and processes to identify high-risk locations.

For more information on the SAFE ROADS initiative, please visit https://highways.dot.gov/safety/safe-roads/.

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