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HSIP

Left Nav - HSA Legislative Safety Programs

SHSP Emphasis Areas

Based on a review of State SHSPs, FHWA identified the eight SHSP emphasis areas common across most States. These emphasis areas are used in the HSIP online reporting tool for categorizing HSIP projects.  Figure 20 presents the number of HSIP projects categorized by SHSP emphasis area. For consistency and national reporting purposes, state-defined SHSP emphasis areas were assigned to these emphasis areas, where possible. 

Improvement Categories and Subcategories

Under the HSIP Reporting Guidance, each project should be assigned a general improvement category and a subcategory under that general category. While a single project may consist of multiple project types, FHWA suggests States assign each project to only one category. The category chosen should align with the primary purpose of the project. Figure 11 and Figure 12 show the distribution of the number of projects by general improvement category. Figure 13 and Figure 14 combined show the distribution of the average cost of projects by general improvement category.

Project Cost

In 2017, projects reporting $0 costs or projects reporting deobligated funds were excluded from analysis.  Costs ranged widely. Some projects were small in scope and cost, such as installing a pedestrian signal. Others were higher cost projects, such as resurfacing a highway or realigning a curve. Figure 5 shows the breakdown by project cost, grouped into general categories with breakpoints at $100,000, $500,000, and $1,000,000.

HSIP Projects Overview

States provide project specific information for all projects obligated with HSIP funds during the reporting period in their annual HSIP reports. The reporting period is defined by the State and can be calendar year, state fiscal year or federal fiscal year. For 2017, the States obligated $4.3B for 4,616 total projects. These obligations utilized funds apportioned during the 2017 fiscal year as well as HSIP funds available from previous years' apportionments.

Data-Driven Safety Decision Making

Beginning in 2016, the HSIP National Summary Report includes an evaluation of how states are using data-driven safety decision making to support their HSIP. This includes the States safety program administered under the HSIP and the methodologies states use to identify projects in each of these programs, as well as the amount of funds used for systemic improvements. On average, States obligated 40 percent of HSIP funds to address systemic improvements. The following sections and figures present information on State's safety programs and problem identification methodologies.

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):

Background

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a core Federal-aid highway program with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads through the implementation of highway safety improvement projects. The HSIP, like other Federal-aid highway programs, is a federally-funded, state administered program. The FHWA establishes the HSIP requirements via 23 CFR Part 924, and the States develop and administer a program to best meet their needs.

Executive Summary

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a core Federal-aid highway program with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction in fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. Under the Fixing America's Transportation System (FAST) Act, Congress authorized up to $2.4 billion per year for States to achieve this goal through the implementation of highway safety improvement projects. The States not only met this challenge, but far exceeded it obligating over $4 billion for over 4,600 highway safety improvement projects in 2017.