Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) - High Risk Rural Roads Subprogram

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) - High Risk Rural Roads Subprogram is a grant from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) that funds safety infrastructure improvements on rural roads with disproportionately high rates of traffic fatalities and serious injuries.

Authorized under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), HSIP requires states to apply a data-driven, strategic approach focused on measurable safety performance outcomes. The High Risk Rural Roads subprogram specifically targets non-state-owned public roads and roads on tribal lands that exhibit elevated crash risk.

Eligible projects may include roadway realignments, guardrail installation, signage upgrades, and intersection improvements designed to achieve significant, documented reductions in rural road fatalities and severe injuries.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act - Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Fact Sheet | Federal Highway Administration U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Innovative Program Delivery Planning, Environment, and Realty Research, Development & Technology Publications & Statistics National Highway Institute (NHI) Accessibility Resource Library Innovative Program Delivery Planning, Environment, and Realty Research, Development & Technology Publications & Statistics National Highway Institute (NHI) Accessibility Resource Library FHWA Home / Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act / Fact Sheets / Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Authorizations & Formula Programs Competitive Grant Programs Assistance / Local Support Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) *Calculated (sum of estimated individual State HSIP apportionments) Note : Except as indicated, all references in this document are to the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Pub.

L. 117-58 (Nov. 15, 2021).

The IIJA continues the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including non-State-owned public roads and roads on tribal land. The HSIP requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improving highway safety on all public roads that focuses on performance. § 11111; 23 U.S.C.

148 Except as specified above and below, the IIJA continues all funding features that applied to HSIP under the FAST Act. Contract authority from the Highway Account of the Highway Trust Fund, subject to the overall Federal-aid obligation limitation. Pre-apportionment Set-asides The IIJA continues to require FHWA to set aside, prior to apportionment, HSIP funding for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program.

(See “Railway-Highway Crossings Program” fact sheet for additional information on this program) [§ 11108(a); 23 U.S.C. 130(e)(1)] The IIJA continues the annual set-aside (prior to apportionment) of $3. 5 million in HSIP funds to carry out specified safety-related activities and operate specified safety-related clearinghouses.

[§ 11124; MAP-21 § 1519(a)] As under the FAST Act, the IIJA directs FHWA to apportion funding as a lump sum for each State then divide that total among apportioned programs. Each State’s HSIP apportionment is calculated based on a percentage specified in law. [23 U.S.C.

104(b)(3)] (See “Apportionment” fact sheet for a description of this calculation) Post-apportionment Set-asides After apportionment, 2% of the State’s HSIP apportionment is set aside for State Planning and Research. [23 U.S.C. 505] Specified Safety Projects The IIJA allows a State to use up to 10% of its HSIP funding for specified safety projects.

This (“specified safety projects”) includes a project that— promotes public awareness and informs the public regarding highway safety matters; facilitates enforcement of traffic safety laws; provides infrastructure and infrastructure-related equipment to support emergency services; conducts safety-related research to evaluate experimental safety countermeasures or equipment; or supports safe routes to school non-infrastructure-related activities.

(§ 11111(a)(4); 23 U.S.C.

148(e)(3)) Transferability to and from Other Federal-aid Apportioned Programs A State may transfer up to 50% of HSIP funds made available each fiscal year to any other apportionment of the State, including the National Highway Performance Program, Surface Transportation Block Grant Program, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, National Highway Freight Program, [NEW] Carbon Reduction Program, and [NEW] Promoting Resilient Operations for Transformative, Efficient, and Cost-saving Transportation (PROTECT) Formula Program.

Conversely, subject to certain limitations, a State may transfer up to 50% of funds made available each fiscal year from each other apportionment of the State to HSIP. [23 U.S.C. 126(a)] (See other program-specific fact sheets for additional details.)

Use of Funds for Automated Traffic Enforcement The IIJA does not extend the FAST Act prohibition (FAST Act § 1401) on using HSIP funds to purchase, operate, or maintain an automated traffic enforcement system. Except as provided in 23 U.S.C. 120 and 130, the Federal share is 90%.

[23 U.S.C. 148(j)] (See the “Federal Share” fact sheet for additional detail.) The IIJA maintains the definition of highway safety improvement project and adds under that definition several additional types of projects [§ 11111(a)(1)(A)]: intersection safety improvements that provide for the safety of all road users, as appropriate, including multimodal roundabouts; [23 U.S.C.

148 (a)(4)(B)(i)] construction and improvement of a railway-highway grade crossing safety feature, including installation of protective devices [NEW] or a grade separation project; [23 U.S.C. 148(a)(4)(B)(vi)] construction or installation of features, measures, and road designs to calm traffic and reduce vehicle speeds; [23 U.S.C.

148(a)(4)(B)(viii)] installation or upgrades of traffic control devices for pedestrians and bicyclists including pedestrian hybrid beacons and the addition of bicycle movement phases to traffic signals; [23 U.S.C. 148(a)(4)(B)(xxvi)] roadway improvements that provide separation between motor vehicles and bicyclists, including medians, pedestrian crossing islands, protected bike lanes, and protected intersection features; and [23 U.S.C.

148(a)(4)(B)( xxvii)] pedestrian security features designed to slow or stop a motor vehicle. [23 U.S.C. 148(a)(4)(B)(xxviii)] Vulnerable Road User Safety Assessment The IIJA requires States to complete a vulnerable road user (non-motorist) safety assessment within 2 years of enactment and update that assessment in accordance with updates required to the Strategic Highway Safety Plan.

[§ 11111(a)(6); 23 U.S.C.

148(l)(1) and (5)] Vulnerable road user safety assessments are required to include— a quantitative analysis of vulnerable road user fatalities and serious injuries (including data such as location, roadway functional classification, design speed, speed limit, and time of day; considering demographics of the locations of fatalities and serious injuries; and identifying areas as “high-risk” to vulnerable road users); and a program of projects or strategies to reduce safety risks to vulnerable road users identified as high-risk.

[§ 11111(a)(6); 23 U.S.C. 148(l)(2)] The IIJA requires States, when carrying out a vulnerable road user safety assessment, to take into consideration a safe system approach (i.e., a roadway design that emphasizes minimizing road users’ risk of injuries or fatalities, takes human error into consideration, accommodates human injury tolerance, and considers vulnerable road users). [§ 11111(a)(6); 23 U.S.C.

148(a)(9) and (l)(4)(A)] The IIJA requires the Secretary to establish guidance for States to carry out the vulnerable road user safety assessments. [§ 11111(a)(6); 23 U.S.C.

148(l)(7)] Vulnerable Road User Safety Special Rule The IIJA establishes a new special rule, which— applies to each State in which vulnerable road user fatalities account for not less than 15% of all annual crash fatalities; and requires a State subject to the special rule to obligate not less than 15% of its HSIP funds the following FY for highway safety improvement projects to address vulnerable road user safety.

[§ 11111(a)(5); 23 U.S.C. 148(g)(3)] Additional Information and Assistance For more information about this program, visit: https://safety. fhwa.

dot. gov/hsip/. FHWA can connect you with your local FHWA office and support you with technical assistance for planning, design, construction, preserving, and improving public roads and in the stewardship of Federal funds.

For assistance, visit: https://www. fhwa. dot.

gov/infrastructure-investment-and-jobs-act/technical_support. cfm. Page last modified on September 10, 2025 U.S. DOT Home | USA.

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