INDIANA — The Indiana Department of Transportation today announced a commitment of $50 million in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds to support safety improvement projects on local road networks across Indiana. The commitment solidifies the agency’s renewed focus on safety and aims to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes on Indiana roadways by 25% over the next ten years.
“This is a goal that we can’t reach on our own,” said INDOT Commissioner Mike Smith. “It’s going to take all of us, at both the state and local levels, to enhance roadway safety truly.”
A Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) allows local agencies to implement specific safety countermeasures on local roads. Eligible countermeasures are systemic, low-cost improvements that do not require additional right-of-way. Examples include new or updated warning devices, signs or pavement markings, raised medians, curb extensions, pedestrian/crosswalk improvements, guardrail additions or improvements, traffic signal enhancements or adjustments, and improvements at rail crossings.
Additional information regarding the NOFA and eligible countermeasures can be found here.
Local cities, towns, and counties that receive proposed funding will be required to use funds within two years of the award. The call for projects will open on Tuesday, Sept. 3, and close at 5 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 11, 2024.
Focus on Safety
Commissioner Smith shared the agency’s new safety-focused goal in late 2023 and identified several strategies INDOT will execute this year, in addition to local safety funding, including:
- Buckle Up Phone Down: A large-scale initiative aiming to change driver behavior and tackles two of the most impactful actions people can take every time they get into a vehicle – buckling up and putting the phone down.
- Identifying Solutions: Determining long-, medium- and short-term improvement plans for problematic corridors and intersections on the state road network.
- Regional Safety Summits: All six INDOT districts held regional safety summits, bringing together state and local agencies, first responders, and community partners to collaborate on safety-related issues and potential solutions.
- Worksite Speed Control Pilot Program: This program involves deploying camera technology in up to four INDOT work zones. Drivers traveling more than 11 mph over the posted speed limit will be issued citations. The pilot is expected to begin in early fall 2024.
