U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000
A Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) is a required component of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a new core Federal-aid funding program beginning in FY2006. The purpose of the HSIP is to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. The purpose of an SHSP is to provide a means for all safety programs in a State to work together, to better coordinate and more comprehensively approach safety across each State.
As part of the HSIP, the SHSP is intended to identify the State's key safety needs and guide investment decisions to achieve significant reductions in highway fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. An SHSP is a statewide-coordinated safety plan that is data-driven and integrates approaches from engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services. An SHSP is developed by the State DOT through a collaborative and consultative process that includes state, local, federal and private-sector stakeholders.
The HSIP apportionment is available for funding the development and implementation of elements of the SHSP.
States without an SHSP in FY 2006 or any year thereafter will receive safety apportionments that may be used only for projects eligible under 23 USC 130 and 152 (railway-highway crossings, and hazard elimination) as in effect prior to enactment of SAFETEA-LU. If a State does not have a plan in place by October 1, 2007, subsequent HSIP apportionments are frozen at the 2007 level and may only be used to fund projects eligible under section 130 and 152. States without an SHSP will not be eligible to flex up to 10 percent of their HSIP funds for other safety projects.
Funds are made available through HSIP, an apportioned program with a 90% Federal share.
Interim SHSP Guidance was developed in October 2005 to assist State DOTs and their safety partners to develop and implement a State SHSP. This guidance highlights both best practices and SAFETEA-LU requirements. The guidance is being enhanced in early 2006 with the addition of several appendixes.
In addition to coordinating efforts with the FHWA Office of Planning and Environment, FHWA's Office of Safety is working with NHTSA, FMCSA, FTA, and FRA to implement this guidance. A non-regulatory notice will be published in the Federal Register to provide all interested parties an opportunity to comment on this guidance. Companion documents to the SHSP Guidance are also being developed to assist Division Offices and the States to both better understand the requirements and resources available and to more efficiently and effectively implement this new requirement.
