I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2107 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve the safety of high risk 
rural roads, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 3, 2011 
Mr. MICHAUD (for himself and Mr. STARK) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 23, United States Code, to improve the 
safety of high risk rural roads, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘High Risk Rural Roads 
Safety Act of 2011’’. 
SEC. 2. HIGH RISK RURAL ROADS SAFETY PROGRAM. 
Title 23, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after section 149 the following: 
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‘‘§ 150. High risk rural roads safety program 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall carry out a 
program to improve the safety of high risk rural roads 
in accordance with this section. 
‘‘(b) HIGH RISK RURAL ROAD PROJECTS.—Funds 
apportioned to a State under this section may be used for 
any of the following projects and activities to improve the 
safety of a high risk rural road: 
‘‘(1) A road safety audit. 
‘‘(2) An intersection safety improvement. 
‘‘(3) Installation of rumble strips or another 
warning device, if the rumble strips or other warning 
devices do not adversely affect the safety or mobility 
of bicyclists, pedestrians, and the disabled. 
‘‘(4) An improvement for pedestrian or bicyclist 
safety or safety of the disabled. 
‘‘(5) Construction of a railway-highway crossing 
safety feature, including installation of protective de-
vices. 
‘‘(6) Construction of a traffic calming feature. 
‘‘(7) Improvement of highway signage and 
pavement markings, including to meet minimum lev-
els of retroreflectivity established by the Department 
of Transportation. 
‘‘(8) Installation of a priority control system for 
emergency vehicles at signalized intersections. 
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‘‘(9) Installation of a traffic control or other 
warning device at a location with high accident po-
tential. 
‘‘(10) Installation of guardrails, barriers (in-
cluding barriers between construction work zones 
and traffic lanes for the safety of motorists and 
workers), and crash attenuators. 
‘‘(11) The addition or retrofitting of structures 
or other measures to eliminate or reduce accidents 
involving vehicles and wildlife. 
‘‘(12) Installation and maintenance of signs (in-
cluding fluorescent, yellow-green signs) at pedes-
trian-bicycle crossings and in school zones. 
‘‘(13) Installation of a skid-resistant surface at 
an intersection or other location with a high fre-
quency of accidents. 
‘‘(14) Improvement of an edge drop-off that is 
greater than 4 inches. 
‘‘(15) Spot pavement and shoulder widening. 
‘‘(16) Elimination of a roadside obstacle. 
‘‘(17) Systemic improvements focusing on low- 
cost safety infrastructure investments. 
‘‘(18) Traffic enforcement or other activities re-
lating to work zone safety. 
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‘‘(c) APPORTIONMENT OF FUNDS.—On October 1 of 
each fiscal year, the Secretary shall apportion the sums 
authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section for 
such fiscal year among the States in accordance with the 
following: 
‘‘(1) 25 percent in the ratio that— 
‘‘(A) the total rural major collector lane 
miles in each State; bears to 
‘‘(B) the total rural major collector lane 
miles in all States. 
‘‘(2) 25 percent in the ratio that— 
‘‘(A) the total rural minor collector lane 
miles in each State; bears to 
‘‘(B) the total rural minor collector lane 
miles in all States. 
‘‘(3) 25 percent in the ratio that— 
‘‘(A) the total rural local road lane miles 
in each State; bears to 
‘‘(B) the total rural local road lane miles 
in all States. 
‘‘(4) 25 percent in the ratio that— 
‘‘(A) the total number of fatalities, in the 
most recent fiscal year for which data is avail-
able, on rural major collector, rural minor col-
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lector, and rural local roads in each State; 
bears to 
‘‘(B) the total number of fatalities, in the 
most recent fiscal year for which data is avail-
able, on rural major collector, rural minor col-
lector, and rural local roads in all States. 
‘‘(d) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the 
cost of a high risk rural road project carried out with 
funds apportioned to a State under this section shall be 
90 percent. 
‘‘(e) ROAD
ASSESSMENT
PROGRAMS.—Notwith-
standing subsection (b), a State may use not more than 
1.25 percent or $100,000 of the funds apportioned to the 
State under this section in a fiscal year, whichever is 
greater, for a road assessment program, under which any 
of the following may be carried out to improve the safety 
of a high risk rural road: 
‘‘(1) Risk mapping to document the safety per-
formance of a road. 
‘‘(2) Documenting the risk of death or serious 
injury from an accident with respect to a road, in-
cluding specifying the locations where that risk is 
high or low. 
‘‘(3) Monitoring changes in the safety perform-
ance of a road segment over time and determining 
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how those changes relate to safety improvement ac-
tivities. 
‘‘(4) Examining the effectiveness of road infra-
structure improvements with respect to protecting 
road users from accidents, including accidents that 
result in death or serious injury. 
‘‘(5) Identifying roads eligible to be assisted 
under subsection (b). 
‘‘(6) Identifying cost-effective improvements for 
a specific road segment. 
‘‘(f) REPORTS.—The Secretary shall submit annually 
to the Committee on Environment and Public Works of 
the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives a report de-
scribing progress made in reducing the number of fatali-
ties and incapacitating injuries on each of the high risk 
rural roads with respect to which a project was carried 
out under this section. 
‘‘(g) HIGH RISK RURAL ROAD DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘high risk rural road’ means any roadway 
functionally classified as a rural major or minor collector 
or a rural local road— 
‘‘(1) with respect to which there is a significant 
likelihood of accidents resulting in fatalities or inca-
pacitating injuries; or 
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‘‘(2) with respect to which there is a physical 
condition that presents to users of the roadway an 
increased risk of an accident, including an accident 
resulting in a serious injury. 
‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
is authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust 
Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account) to carry out 
this section $400,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2012 
through 2017. Funds made available to carry out this sec-
tion shall not be transferrable and shall remain available 
until expended.’’. 
SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 
Section 148 of title 23, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking subsection (f); and 
(2) by redesignating subsections (g) and (h) as 
subsections (f) and (g), respectively. 
SEC. 4. CLERICAL AMENDMENT. 
The analysis for chapter 1 of title 23, United States 
Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 149 the following: 
‘‘150. High risk rural roads safety program.’’. 
Æ 
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