CFR > Title 23 - Highways > CHAPTER I—FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION > SUBCHAPTER J—HIGHWAY SAFETY (parts 924 to 924) > PART 924—HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM > 924.9—Planning.

924.9—Planning.

(a) The HSIP planning process shall incorporate:
(1) A process for collecting and maintaining a record of crash, roadway, traffic and vehicle data on all public roads including for railway-highway grade crossings inventory data that includes, but is not limited to, the characteristics of both highway and train traffic.
(2) A process for advancing the State's capabilities for safety data collection and analysis by improving the timeliness, accuracy, completeness, uniformity, integration, and accessibility of the State's safety data or traffic records.
(3) A process for analyzing available safety data to:
(i) Develop a HSIP in accordance with 23 U.S.C. 148(c)(2) that:
(A) Identifies highway safety improvement projects on the basis of crash experience, crash potential, or other data supported means as identified by the State, and establishes the relative severity of those locations;
(B) Considers the relative hazard of public railway-highway grade crossings based on a hazard index formula; and
(C) Establishes an evaluation process to analyze and assess results achieved by the HSIP and uses this information, where appropriate, in setting priorities for future projects.
(ii) Develop and maintain a data-driven SHSP that:
(A) Is developed after consultation with safety stakeholders;
(B) Makes effective use of State, regional, and local crash data and determines priorities through crash data analysis;
(C) Addresses engineering, management, operation, education, enforcement, and emergency services;
(D) Considers safety needs of all public roads;
(E) Adopts a strategic safety goal;
(F) Identifies key emphasis areas and describes a program of projects, technologies, or strategies to reduce or eliminate highway safety hazards;
(G) Adopts performance-based goals, coordinated with other State highway safety programs, that address behavioral and infrastructure safety problems and opportunities on all public roads and all users, and focuses resources on areas of greatest need and the potential for the highest rate of return on the investment of HSIP funds;
(H) Identifies strategies, technologies, and countermeasures that significantly reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries in the key emphasis areas giving high priority to cost effective and proven countermeasures;
(I) Determines priorities for implementation;
(J) Is consistent, as appropriate, with safety-related goals, priorities, and projects in the long-range statewide transportation plan and the statewide transportation improvement program and the relevant metropolitan long-range transportation plans and transportation improvement programs that are developed as specified in 23 U.S.C. 134, 135 and 402; and 23 CFR part 450 ;
(K) Documents the process used to develop the plan;
(L) Proposes a process for implementation and evaluation of the plan;
(M) Is approved by the Governor of the State or a responsible State agency official that is delegated by the Governor of the State; and
(N) Has been developed using a process approved by the FHWA Division Administrator.
(iii) Develop a High Risk Rural Roads program using safety data that identifies eligible locations on State and non-State owned roads as defined in § 924.3, and analyzes the highway safety problem to identify safety concerns, identify potential countermeasures, select projects, and prioritize high risk rural roads projects on all public roads.
(iv) Develop a Railway-Highway Grade Crossing program that:
(A) Considers the relative hazard of public railway-highway grade crossings based on a hazard index formula;
(B) Includes onsite inspection of public grade crossings;
(C) Considers the potential danger to large numbers of people at public grade crossings used on a regular basis by passenger trains, school buses, transit buses, pedestrians, bicyclists, or by trains and/or motor vehicles carrying hazardous materials; and
(D) Results in a program of safety improvement projects at railway-highway grade crossings giving special emphasis to the statutory requirement that all public crossings be provided with standard signing and markings.
(4) A process for conducting engineering studies (such as roadway safety audits and other safety assessments or reviews) of hazardous locations, sections, and elements to develop highway safety improvement projects.
(5) A process for establishing priorities for implementing highway safety improvement projects considering:
(i) The potential reduction in the number of fatalities and serious injuries;
(ii) The cost effectiveness of the projects and the resources available;
(iii) The priorities in the SHSP;
(iv) The correction and prevention of hazardous conditions;
(v) Other safety data-driven criteria as appropriate in each State; and
(vi) Integration with the statewide transportation planning process and statewide transportation improvement program, and metropolitan transportation planning process and transportation improvement program where applicable, in 23 CFR part 450.
(b) The planning process of the HSIP may be financed with funds made available through 23 U.S.C. 130, 133, 148, 402, and 505 and, where applicable in metropolitan planning areas, through 23 U.S.C. 104(f).
(c) Highway safety improvement projects shall be carried out as part of the Statewide and Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process consistent with the requirements of 23 U.S.C. 134 and 135, and 23 CFR part 450.