HSIP in 2022—Local Safety Plans and Programs

States obligated 

more than $460M, 

15% of total HSIP 

funds, for projects 

that support safety 

on local roads.

THE HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM (HSIP) 2022

HSIP Supports Local Safety Plans and Programs

Saving Lives on Local and Tribal Roads

According to the most recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 

report, more than 10,423 people were killed in traffic crashes on locally or Tribally 

owned roadways in 2021.1 In addition to funding projects that implement 

countermeasures on local roads, the HSIP also supports local safety work by 

funding local road safety plans (LRSPs) and road safety audits (RSAs), as 

well as training and technical assistance programs for local agencies.

LRSPs and RSAs both use data to study local crash patterns and identify 

countermeasures—often future HSIP projects—to help prevent those crashes. 

Identification of locations with high speeds and speed management strategies 

are often key components of LRSPs. Because LRSPs and RSAs consider 

crash data across a network, they are an especially effective, low-cost way 

to identify opportunities to implement systemic countermeasures for 

preventing and mitigating fatal and severe injury crashes.

HSIP funded more than 200 

RSAs and 35 LRSPs.

1 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS), report generated July 28, 2023, https://cdan.dot.gov/query.

7 States used HSIP funds for 

Local Road Safety Plans: Arizona, 

Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, 

New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and 

Tennessee.

More than $23 million in HSIP 

funds went to 157 projects 

specifically for improving safety 

on roads functionally classified 

as local.

How do States Use Funds to 

Support Local Road Safety?

What Were the Most Common Project Types 

to Improve Local Road Safety?

States use HSIP funds to support local 

road safety in different ways. 

California and Missouri review 

crash data by location and 

severity to prioritize local 

intersections and corridors for 

HSIP projects.

Colorado and Wisconsin solicit 

local agencies for project lists or 

allow local agencies to provide 

input on priority projects.

Georgia and Arkansas provide 

technical support, training, 

and programming to aid local 

agencies or help local agencies 

develop projects. $0 $20M $40M $60M $80M $100M

Average Project Cost

5 projects

Intersection Geometry

Signage Improvements

Roadway Alignment 

and Delineation

Roadside Safety and 

Shoulder Improvements

Pedestrian and 

Bicyclist Safety

Intersection Traffic 

Control Safety 202 projects

184 projects

95 projects

200 projects

110 projects

60 projects

$107M

$75M

$52M

$13M

$42M

$22M

*Showing 851 out of 1,096 total projects for local agencies
To find out how HSIP can help 

save lives in your community, 

contact your State DOT:

https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/

about/webstate.cfm

Except for the statutes and regulations cited, the contents of this document do not 

have the force and effect of law and are not meant to bind the States or the public in 

any way. This document is intended only to provide information regarding existing 

requirements under the law or agency policies.

The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or 

manufacturers’ names appear in this document only because they are considered 

essential to the objective of the document. They are included for informational 

purposes only and are not intended to reflect a preference, approval, or endorsement 

of any one product or entity.

FHWA-SA-23-022

HSIP in Action

Building a Safe System with HSIP and Safety Circuit Rider Programs

The Safety Circuit Rider (SCR) program provides safety information, training, and support to agencies responsible for 

local and Tribal roadway safety. The program and its operators serve local and Tribal agencies by providing technical 

assistance, training, and technology transfer through activities like crash data analysis, RSAs, field reviews, and helping 

develop LRSPs.

Since the first SCR positions in 2005, 27 States have developed SCR or similar programs or positions. HSIP funds can 

support SCR programs and positions that promote key strategies in a State’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan. For example, 

Colorado and Connecticut both use HSIP funds to run their SCR programs and improve safety on their local roadways.2

For more on SCR programs, check out https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.dot.gov/files/2022-09/fhwasa22059.pdf. 

2 

3

Connecticut's Safety Circuit Rider Program

In Connecticut, 82% of all public roadways are maintained by local municipalities. More than 60% of all fatal crashes 

take place on these locally managed roads.3 Funded through the State’s HSIP apportionment, Connecticut’s Safety 

Circuit Riders (SCR) Program focuses on providing local roadway authorities with resources to eliminate serious or fatal 

crashes in their jurisdictions. Safety Circuit Riders are coordinators and educators; they share information between 

local municipalities, transfer technologies, visit sites to compile data, and provide safety training. Connecticut’s Safety 

Circuit Riders have developed a bank of equipment that local jurisdictions can use for an array of projects, including 

reflectometers, ball bank indicators, an Americans with Disabilities Act Toolkit, and other devices designed to collect 

data or improve safety. The group has also spearheaded efforts throughout the State to better understand why crashes 

occur, coordinate Road Safety Assessments, identify low-cost countermeasures for problem sites, and compile a library 

of resources for area transportation professionals.

SCR

SCR shares information 

among local municipalities.

SCR transfers

 technologies.

SCR visits sites to 

compile data.

SCR provides safety

training.

 Federal Highway Administration, Safety Circuit Rider Programs: Working to Reduce Fatalities and Serious Injuries on Local and Tribal Roads, report no. FHWA-SA-22-059 (July 2022), 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/local_rural/training/docs/fhwasa22059.pdf. 

 “Connecticut Road to Saving Lives,” University of Connecticut CT Training and Technical Assistance Center, accessed September 12, 2023. https://www.cti.uconn.edu/cti/Safety_

Circuit_Rider1.asp.