I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION H. R. 10433 
To provide for consideration of all modes of transportation and all road 
users in certain highway and transit programs, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2024 
Mr. MOULTON introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To provide for consideration of all modes of transportation 
and all road users in certain highway and transit pro-
grams, 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 ‘‘Building Safer Streets 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis-
trator’’ means the Administrator of the Federal 
Highway Administration. 
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(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Transportation. 
SEC. 3. MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 109(d)(2) of title 23, 
United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘Not later than’’ and inserting 
the following: 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Not later than’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(B) PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY.— 
‘‘(i) IN GENERAL.—For the most re-
cent published edition of the Manual on 
Uniform Traffic Control Devices (as of the 
date of enactment of the Building Safer 
Streets Act), and not later than 1 year 
after the date of publication of each subse-
quent update of the Manual on Uniform 
Traffic Control Devices, the Secretary shall 
publish documentation explaining all spe-
cific prohibitions against devices or de-
signs, including— 
‘‘(I) any considerations to allow 
local flexibility; 
‘‘(II) research in support of the 
prohibitions, including the need to ac-
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tively prohibit a design or practice; 
and 
‘‘(III) proof of compliance with 
Federal law (including regulations). 
‘‘(ii) NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON UNI-
FORM TRAFFIC CONTROL DEVICES.—With 
respect to updates to the Manual on Uni-
form Traffic Control Devices after the 
most recent published edition described in 
clause (i), the Secretary shall request that 
the National Committee on Uniform Traf-
fic Control Devices provide documentation 
of the decisions made during the update 
process with respect to recommendations 
provided to the Secretary by the National 
Committee.’’. 
(b) UPDATES TO MANUAL ON UNIFORM TRAFFIC 
CONTROL DEVICES.—Section 11135 of the Infrastructure 
Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 109 note; Public Law 
117–58) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by adding ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘; and’’ and 
inserting a period; and 
(3) by striking paragraph (5). 
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(c) GAO STUDY.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Comptroller General of 
the United States shall conduct a study on the use 
of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices 
(referred to in this subsection as the ‘‘Manual’’) by 
State and local government traffic engineers, plan-
ners, and consultants— 
(A) to provide an estimate of the extent to 
which practitioners, based on a representative 
sample— 
(i) exercise engineering discretion as 
permitted by the Manual for street designs 
intended to increase safety and improve 
multimodal access; and 
(ii) feel constrained or otherwise dis-
couraged from implementing alternative 
street designs that improve safety out-
comes by the guidelines in the Manual; 
(B) to estimate the average increases in 
costs and time needed to complete a project 
caused by the need to request or otherwise de-
termine an exception to the Manual, including 
requirements for engineering studies; and 
(C) to identify the types of facilities, 
projects, and contexts for which discretion to 
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deviate from the Manual are most frequently 
sought. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller Gen-
eral of the United States shall— 
(A) submit to Congress a report that de-
scribes the findings and conclusions of the 
study conducted under paragraph (1); and 
(B) make the report under subparagraph 
(A) publicly available online. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL DESIGN STANDARDS AND GUIDELINES. 
(a) 
STATUTORY
DESIGN
GUIDELINES.—Section 
217(g)(1) of title 23, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in the first sentence, by striking ‘‘given due 
consideration’’ and inserting ‘‘accounted for, where 
not incompatible,’’; and 
(2) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘consid-
ered, where appropriate, in conjunction’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘evaluated and, where appropriate, incor-
porated’’. 
(b) REGULATORY UPDATES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall update the regulations implementing sections 
109, 134, and 135 of title 23, United States Code, 
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to clarify the definition of ‘‘consideration of all 
modes’’. 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The updates under para-
graph (1) shall— 
(A) outline accepted methods for formal 
evaluation on all modes of transportation, in-
cluding pedestrians and cyclists, that will count 
as adequate consideration of all modes; 
(B) differentiate between urban and subur-
ban, rural, and natural area design guidelines 
for pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, con-
sistent with the Bikeway Selection Guide pub-
lished by the Federal Highway Administration 
and dated February 2019 (or a successor docu-
ment); 
(C) take into consideration the land use 
context surrounding the road or highway; and 
(D) affirm the necessity of complete 
multimodal networks. 
(c) CATEGORICAL EXCEPTIONS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall develop a list of categorical design exceptions 
from standards developed under section 109(c) of 
title 23, United States Code, for categories of 
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multimodal projects and features on Federal-aid 
highways. 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The list developed under 
paragraph (1) shall include categories of multimodal 
projects and features that— 
(A) are recommended by the Federal High-
way Administration, including Proven Safety 
Countermeasures; 
(B) improve safety for vulnerable road 
users; and 
(C) are currently subject to the design ex-
ception process. 
(3) UPDATE.—Not less frequently than every 5 
years, the Administrator shall update the list under 
paragraph (1). 
(d) MULTIMODAL REVIEW.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—For each program described 
in paragraph (3), the Secretary shall include as part 
of the funding application for projects in urbanized 
areas a process for indicating that the applicant has 
considered multimodal infrastructure and concluded 
that the final design will not include facilities for 
nonmotorized forms of transportation. 
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(2) INCLUSIONS.—The process referred to in 
paragraph (1) shall include clear criteria, includ-
ing— 
(A) the availability of rights-of-way; 
(B) the presence or absence of facilities on 
nearby parallel routes, or the possibility of pro-
viding facilities that meet the standards estab-
lished in regulations implementing sections 109, 
134, and 135 of title 23, United States Code; 
(C) latent demand or potential for active 
transportation trips, including consideration of 
future land use; and 
(D) other criteria, as determined by the 
Administrator. 
(3) PROGRAMS
DESCRIBED.—A program re-
ferred to in paragraph (1) is any of the following: 
(A) The Strengthening Mobility and Revo-
lutionizing Transportation Grant Program es-
tablished under section 25005(b) of the Infra-
structure Investment and Jobs Act (23 U.S.C. 
502 note; Public Law 117–58). 
(B) Competitive awards under the Pro-
moting Resilient Operations for Transformative, 
Efficient, 
and 
Cost-saving 
Transportation 
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(PROTECT) program under section 176(d) of 
title 23, United States Code. 
(C) The advanced transportation tech-
nologies and innovative mobility deployment 
grant program under section 503(c)(4) of title 
23, United States Code (commonly known as 
the ‘‘ATTAIN program’’). 
(e) CONNECTED NETWORKS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
shall publish guidance on connected networks that 
accommodate all modes and users, including— 
(A) design guidance for multimodal streets 
that include transit and freight networks; 
(B) context-sensitive design considerations 
that account for the distinct needs of urban, 
rural, and suburban roads; and 
(C) methods to address conflicts between 
modes when there is not sufficient right-of-way 
to accommodate separate facilities for all users 
in a single street, including reductions in design 
speed, designs to improve vulnerable road user 
visibility, and other features. 
(2) 
PRIORITIZATION.—Guidance 
published 
under paragraph (1) shall prioritize designs that en-
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sure that all users have access to safe, comfortable, 
reliable, and healthy transportation options. 
(f) TRANSIT FACILITIES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 
and the Administrator of the Federal Transit Ad-
ministration shall jointly issue guidelines relating to 
placement of bus stops and associated roadway de-
sign. 
(2) INCLUSIONS.—The guidelines issued under 
paragraph (1) shall— 
(A) include provisions for locating and de-
signing bus stops in various operating environ-
ments that consider convenience, safety, pedes-
trian accessibility, accessibility for individuals 
with disabilities, proximity to key destinations, 
density, and transit operations; 
(B) include considerations of roadside fac-
tors, bus stop zone design types, roadway and 
intersection design, placement, and location; 
(C) provide for a variety of local contexts, 
including urban, suburban, and rural road con-
ditions; 
(D) outline best practices for coordination 
between street departments, public transpor-
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tation authorities, planning departments, and 
other relevant authorities on design issues; 
(E) consider resources published during 
the preceding 10 years that provide guidelines 
for the location, design, user need, and context 
for transit facilities on streets, including the 
American Association of State Highway and 
Transportation Officials guide entitled ‘‘Guide 
for Geometric Design of Transit Facilities on 
Highways and Streets’’ and published July 
2014, and the guide of the National Association 
of City Transportation Officials entitled ‘‘Tran-
sit Street Design Guide’’ and published April 
2016; and 
(F) prioritize pedestrian and bicycle access 
to transit and proximity to key destinations. 
(3) GRANT RECIPIENTS.—Beginning not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Administrator of the Federal Transit Adminis-
tration shall ensure that a recipient of funds under 
section 5309 of title 49, United States Code, shall 
be provided the guidelines issued under paragraph 
(1). 
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