By: Karen Scurry and Rosemarie Anderson, FHWA Office of Safety
More States are partnering with local agencies to address local road safety, which is critical to achieving our vision of zero fatalities on the nation’s roads. We can get to zero fatalities, one community at a time, through partnership with strategic stakeholders.
To help achieve this vision, the FHWA developed the Framework for Local Safety Policies and Programs, a guide States can use to establish a framework for developing or updating their local road safety programs or policies. The guide includes examples of policies and programs that can be adapted from other States to improve local road safety. The guide also provides considerations and examples in each the following areas: program administration, project identification and selection, local safety program and project funding, project delivery, and outreach and technical support.
Successful local road safety programs and policies require strong leadership support from State partners. State departments of transportation (DOT) are in a position to provide relevant guidance, training, and technical assistance to local agencies to ensure they are developing and delivering the best projects to save lives and prevent serious injuries on local roads. The Framework for Local Road Safety Programs and Policies demonstrates opportunities to update your local safety policies or programs. If you are just getting started, the guide outlines various approaches to consider as you develop your local road safety policies or programs. The guide also presents an array of approaches States have taken to incorporate local road safety in an overall State safety program. A single approach will not fit all situations, so find an approach that might work best in your State, discuss it among State and local partners, and adapt it to best meet your needs. Local agencies must also be willing to put in the work to identify local safety champions; coordinate with relevant safety stakeholders; and plan, develop, and implement local safety programs and projects.
We encourage you to review the framework for local road safety programs and policies and consider implementing the appropriate approaches that will improve safety on your local roads. Together, we can achieve our vision of zero fatalities on our nation’s roads—one community at a time.
For additional information about local road safety programs or policies, contact Karen Scurry, Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) program manager, at (202) 897-7168, Karen.scurry@dot.gov, or Rosemarie Anderson, local and rural roads program manager, at (202) 366-5007, Rosemarie.anderson@dot.gov.
