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FHWA Highway Safety Programs

HSIP Funding Approach

The FAST Act authorizes a single amount for each year for all the apportioned highway programs combined. That amount is apportioned among the States, and then each State's apportionment is divided among the individual apportioned programs.

The FAST Act (Section 1101) authorizes a total combined amount ($39.7 billion in FY 2016, $40.5 billion in FY 2017, $41.4 billion in FY 2018, $42.4 billion in FY 2019, and $43.4 billion in FY 2020) in contract authority to fund six formula programs (including certain set-asides within the programs described below):

  • National Highway Performance Program (NHPP);
  • Surface Transportation Block Grant Program (STBG);
  • Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP);
  • Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program (CMAQ);
  • Metropolitan Planning; and
  • The new National Highway Freight Program (NHFP) [2].

Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of funds across programs under the FAST Act.

Figure 1 illustrates the distribution of funds across programs under the FAST Act. HSIP apportionments are $2.5 billion, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program apportionments are $11.4 billion, CMAQ apportionments are $2.4 billion, National Freight apportionments are $1.1 billion, Metro Planning apportionments are $0.3 billion, and National Highway Performance Program apportionments are $22.8 billion.
Figure 1: FAST Act Annual Program Apportionments

HSIP receives 7% of the States apportionment remaining after allocations to NHFP, CMAQ and Metropolitan Planning, which amounts to approximately $2.5 billion each year. The following sums are set-aside from the State's HSIP apportionment:

  • Railway-highway crossings – $230 million [23 U.S.C. 130(e)]; and
  • 2% for State Planning and Research (SPR). [23 U.S.C. 505(a)]

In addition, if the High Risk Rural Roads Special rule applies to a State, then in the next fiscal year the State must obligate an amount at least equal to 200% of its FY 2009 HRRR set-aside for high risk rural roads. [23 U.S.C. 148(g)] Further, States that are subject to the 23 U.S.C. 154 and 164 penalties may also receive additional funding for HSIP projects.

HSIP funds, as defined for the remainder of this report, includes HSIP, HRRR and penalty transfer funds that are available to States for the advancement of highway safety improvement projects.