The passage of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient, Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) created

the Highway Safety Improvement Pro gram (HSIP), which provides federal funding for projects that improve the safety of publicly-owned roadways or pedestrian pathways. The majority of HSIP project s quickly and efficiently improve the overall safety of transportation around th e country. To qualify for funding, agencies must identify a specific problem and propose a plan for correcting or substantially improving the problem. In the pa st years, the program has funded a large range of projects, including the instal lation of rumble strips, widening of lanes and shoulders, and improving the sign als at especially dangerous intersections. Other projects have made the intersec tion of highways and railways safer through stronger protective devices and the elimination of potential hazards. The funds also support the installation of tra ffic-calming features, improvements to signage on highways, and the establishmen t of warning signals at high-crash areas. Some applicants have also used HSIP fu nding to conduct safety audits and fuel research that will make roadways around the country safer. Another program under HSIP is the High Risk Rural Road Program (HRRRP), which se eks to reduce the occurrence and severity of accidents on rural roadways. More t han half of all motoring fatalities occur on rural roads, making this program an extremely important facet of improving road safety. Any roads with an accident rate higher than the statewide average and those likely to experience increases in traffic volume fall under the jurisdiction of the HR3 Program. The program pr ovides funding for a range of projects aimed at reducing the accident rates on t hese roads, from the installation of improved signage and more effective barrier s to repainting road markings and establishing safer paths for bicyclists and pe destrians. Many of the projects under the HR3 Program focus on roads through sch ool zones and other areas that pose a high risk of accident. Agencies and jurisd ictions may apply for funding through the program after demonstrating that a roa d meets the risk requirements. About the Author As the President of Chalmers Engineering Services, Inc., a civil and traffic eng ineering consulting firm, Seth Chalmers currently manages a number of HSIP and H R3 Program projects for the Arizona Department of Transportation. He holds a Bac helor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Arizona and pursued graduate work in advanced concrete structures and underground hydrology at Ariz ona State University. Dedicated to his local community, Seth Chalmers remains ac tively involved with Boy Scouts of America and supports a number of charities.