http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov

Local and Rural Road Safety Briefing Sheets

Local and Rural Road Safety 

Funding Programs

Introduction

Local and rural road agencies are often structured differently than the State department of transportation (DOT) is, 

typically have fewer personnel to focus on safety projects, and are often unfamiliar with Federal and State funding 

application processes. These factors can be a barrier to implementing local safety projects, even though these projects 

may be eligible for Federal safety funds. 

Funding processes vary widely from State to State and year to year based on the ever-changing environment of funding 

and legislation. Therefore, the best sources of the latest funding information in an individual State are the State DOT 

Safety Engineer, State DOT Local Programs Office, State Highway Safety Office, Metropolitan Planning Organizations, 

Rural Planning Organizations, FHWA Division Office, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) Centers, and local health 

initiatives or departments. Most State DOTs require local and rural road projects to compete with other statewide 

projects in order to receive funding. This means that local and rural road owners must be familiar with funding 

requirements in order to compete with other projects. 

The following categories group opportunities for funding by topic. Inquiry into these funding sources may help local and 

rural road owners. 

Engineering/Infrastructure

Funding for engineering and infrastructure-related efforts may relate to tangible (e.g., rumble strips, signing) or nonapparent (e.g., removal of fixed objects from the clear zone along a roadside) safety improvements intended to reduce 

the number and severity of crashes.

Federal Surface Transportation Program (STP) – This funding may be used for safety infrastructure 

improvements during preliminary engineering, design, and construction. More information about STP 

funding is available at: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/factsheets/stp.cfm

STP Fact Sheet

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) – The HSIP emphasizes a data-driven, strategic approach 

to improving road safety on all public roads and focuses on performance. The foundation for this 

approach is a safety data system, which each State is required to maintain in order to identify key safety 

problems, establish their relative severity, and then adopt strategic and performance-based goals to 

optimize safety for all roadways, regardless of ownership. Every State is required to develop a Strategic 

Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) that lays out strategies to address these key safety problems.

For more information, refer to the HSIP Fact Sheet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/hsip.cfm or the 

HSIP MAP-21 Interim Eligibility Guidance: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/guidance/guidehsip.cfm

HSIP Fact Sheet

HSIP MAP-21 

Interim Eligibility 

Guidance
Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) – MAP-21 established a new program to provide for a variety 

of alternative transportation projects including those associated with improving transportation options 

for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized transportation modes. For more information, refer 

to the TAP Fact Sheet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/tap.cfm

TAP Fact Sheet

Various Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Programs – Several programs provide funding for to support access to 

Federal and tribal lands, such as:

Federal Lands and Tribal Transportation Programs – For more information, refer to the Tribal 

Transportation Program (TTP) Fact Sheet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/ttp.cfm

Federal Lands Transportation Program – For more information, refer to the Federal Lands 

Transportation Program (FLTP) Fact Sheet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/fltp.cfm

Tribal Transportation Program (TTP) – For more information, refer to the TTP website:

http://flh.fhwa.dot.gov/programs/ttp/

Tribal High Priority Projects Program – For more information, refer to the Tribal High Priority 

Projects Program Fact Sheet: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/thpp.cfm

Federal Lands Access Program – For more information, refer to the FLAP Implementation 

Guidance website: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/map21/guidance/guideflap.cfm

Education and Outreach 

Funding for education, training, workforce development, and outreach may support efforts to identify, collect, and 

analyze crash and roadway data; best practices associated with implementing safety countermeasures; and practices 

related to strategic contract administration, such as bundling similar contracts over several municipalities or regions.
Training and Education – MAP-21 authorizes $24 million per year for continuation of training and education programs 

offered through:

National Highway Institute (NHI) – For more information, refer to the NHI website:

https://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/default.aspx

Local and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs (LTAP and TTAP) – For more information, refer 

to the LTAP and TTAP website: http://www.ltap.org/

The competitively selected centers for transportation excellence in the areas of the environment, surface transportation 

safety, rural safety, and project finance are also funded from the training and education funds. 

More information related to training and educational opportunities can be found at FHWA’s 

Resource Center website: https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/resourcecenter/

Enforcement and Comprehensive Programs

Funding related to enforcement and comprehensive, or a combination of enforcement, education, and engineering, 

programs may be used for behavioral safety programs such as enforcement of speed, impairment, and seat belt use. 

These funds can also be used to provide outreach to high risk users such as motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians.

Highway Safety Improvement Program Funds – States have used HSIP flex funds to support a range of enforcement and 

education strategies identified in the SHSP. Examples include overtime safety enforcement, ignition interlock programs, work 

zone safety messages, safe ride home programs to prevent impaired driving, and outreach programs on the use of car seats.

23 U.S.C. 154 and 164 Transfer Funds – States in which Federal-aid highway funds are transferred based on 

noncompliance with 23 U.S.C. 154 “Open Container Requirements” or 23 U.S.C. 164 “Minimum Penalties for Repeat 

Offenders for Driving While Intoxicated or Under the Influence” can use the transfer funds on approved projects for 

alcohol-impaired driving countermeasures or direct the funds to State/local law enforcement to increase impaired 

driving enforcement. States also may elect to use the funds for activities eligible under 23 U.S.C. 148 “Highway Safety 

Improvement Program.”

23 U.S.C. 402: State and Community Highway Safety Grants – Supports a full range of highway safety behavioral 

programs, emergency medical services, traffic records improvement, non-construction aspects of road safety, speed 

enforcement and management programs. It also supports the following countermeasures for associated behavioral issues:

• Alcohol – high visibility enforcement, training and education of criminal justice professionals (including law 

enforcement, prosecutors, judges, and probation officers), establishing driving while intoxicated courts;

• Occupant protection – “Click It Or Ticket” campaign, child restraint inspection stations;

• Distracted driving – educate the public through advertising containing information about the dangers of texting or 

using a cell phone while driving, for traffic signs that notify drivers about the distracted driving law of the State, or 

for law enforcement costs related to the enforcement of the distracted driving law; and 
• Motorcycle safety – improvements to motorcyclist safety training curricula and program delivery, public awareness, 

public service announcements, and other outreach programs to enhance driver awareness of motorcyclists. 

23 U.S.C 405: Occupant Protection Incentive Grants – Encourages adoption and implementation of effective programs 

to reduce deaths and injuries from riding unrestrained or improperly restrained in motor vehicles. Agencies may use 

these grant funds only to implement and enforce occupant protection programs.

A minimum of 40 percent of a State’s Section 402 funds must be expended by local governments or be used for the 

benefit of local governments. More information can be gained by speaking with a State’s Highway Safety Office.

Obtaining Funding

While funding local and rural road safety projects varies widely by State, there are several connecting elements that 

form potential avenues to obtain funding for local agencies, such as the following:

• Local safety efforts must tie with the direction of a State’s SHSP to be eligible for HSIP and 23 U.S.C. 402 funds.

• Regional Planning Commissions (RPC) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO) coordinate Federal-aid funds 

for their region and may have a process to include safety into planning and grant documents.

• State and local agencies may participate in a “flexible fund” program, allowing local agencies to complete projects 

using State funds otherwise not permitted using Federal funds. Kansas, Oregon, and Illinois DOTs have examples of 

these programs.

Resources

The following resources provide more details related to intersection safety:

Local Technical Assistance Program Center (LTAP): http://www.ltap.org/

Federal Highway Administration, Division Office: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/about/field.cfm

Federal Highway Administration, Office of Safety – Local and Rural Roads Program: http://safety.fhwa.dot.

gov/local_rural/

Federal Highway Administration, Federal-aid Essentials for Local Public Agencies: http://www.fhwa.dot.

gov/federal-aidessentials/

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Enforcement and Comprehensive Programs 

information and fact sheets:

http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Programs+&+Grants/Resources+Guide

FHWA-SA-14-087