Preliminary Scope

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a key federal-aid initiative aimed at reducing fatalities and severe injuries on public roads. States choose and implement projects aligned with their Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) goals to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. While all states adhere to the required regulations, practices and evaluation methods vary. Recent federal highway authorizations have modified the HSIP. Typically, HSIP practitioners analyze state databases for fatal and injury crash data, identifying high crash locations for further analysis and implementation of appropriate safety improvements. These improvements can include various treatments such as capital projects, enforcement, education, planning, and research. Collaboration with stakeholders like Highway Safety Offices and Metropolitan Planning Organizations may be involved. Understanding other DOTs' project prioritization processes and funding sources allows states to optimize their HSIP allocations. A synthesis of program practices would demonstrate the effectiveness of DOTs in addressing safety priorities through HSIP, strategic planning, and program management aligned with SHSP and Highway Safety Office programs.

The objective of this synthesis is to document how state DOTs incorporate Highway Safety Office practices and associated funding into their processes, including program structure, planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting. The selection of countermeasures and projects is influenced by various factors such as the DOT's operational methods (e.g., district capital project development, organizational structure, capacity, contracting, planning, etc.).

Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to):

• Organizational structures of HSIPs and HSOs;
• HSIP and HSO evaluation metrics, tools, and influence on other project delivery methods;
• Incorporation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) special rules (Vulnerable Road User Assessment);
• HSIP planning and capital project selection process;
• Data sources used by HSIPs and Highway Safety Offices;
• HSIP management at HQ or District level;
• Safety management processes, particularly candidate project identification through network screening;
• Sub-program project selection processes: Safe Routes to School, Railroad at-grade crossings, High Risk Rural Road, and the new Vulnerable Road User plan;
• Management of HSOs (NHTSA funding);
• Public involvement and transparency in HSIP and HSO programs regarding the planning and project selection process;
• Dashboards and publicly shared data; and
• Data collection practices, including innovative data sources such as crowd-sourced and Artificial Intelligence analyses.

Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be addressed.

Information Sources (Partial)

• Two active NCHRP syntheses: NCHRP 20-05/54-08: “Practices for Integrating Performance-Based Plans with Long-Range Transportation Plans and Statewide Transportation Investment Programs” and NCHRP 20-05/54-03: “DOT Practices on Road Safety Audits.”
• Idaho DOT. (2019). Idaho Highway Safety Improvement Program Report. Available online here and here.
• South Dakota DOT. (2017).  South Dakota Highway Safety Improvement Program Report. Available online here.
• NJDOT. (2022). New Jersey DOT’s HSIP implementation plan. Available online here.
• Highway Safety Improvement Program National Scan Tour - 2016.
• FHWA HSIP Guidance, Legislation & Policy; Governors Highway Safety Association Resources.

TRB Staff
Arefeh Nasri
Phone: 202-334-2763
Email: anasri@nas.edu

Meeting Dates
First Panel Meeting: October 10, 2024, in-person meeting in Washington, DC
Teleconference with Consultant: TBD
Second Panel Meeting: TBD