The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) was introduced through SAFETEA-LU. It is focused on improving road safety. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) division offices located in each state manage program implementation, review states’ annual highway improvement program reports, and provides oversight of program funding. Starting in fiscal year (FY) 2010, MAG received $1 million in HSIP funds each year for programming projects that would meet the FHWA and ADOT approval. Starting in 2016, the ADOT program guidance provided for a statewide competition for safety improvement projects utilizing HSIP funds, ending the $1 million sub-allocation to the MAG region. All state and local projects are selected on the same funding levels with priority going to the projects with the highest benefit to cost ratios. Since the statewide competition for HSIP funds was established, the MAG region has submitted successful project applications for projects utilizing HSIP an average of $12 million in each fiscal year. The amount of HSIP funds available in each year is approximately $30 million.
Over 70 percent of Arizona’s crashes occur in the MAG region. Crash records for the most recent 10 years indicate that 51 percent of all road deaths and 72 percent of all people injured occur in the MAG region. Within the MAG region, over 76 percent of all road deaths and injuries occur on the arterial and local road system with 24 percent on the freeway/expressway system.
On February 28, 2022, ADOT requested MAG and other COGs and MPOs to issue and coordinate a call for projects for programming new projects in FY2025 and 2026. MAG is coordinating this call for projects with ADOT, and will recommend a list of projects for the available HSIP funds. Draft HSIP project applications are due no later than May 31, 2022 for review. This review is required for final applications to be submitted on August 15, 2022. Project applications submitted by the Monday, August 15, 2022 deadline can be viewed below along with those submitted in previous cycles. Revised HSIP guidelines and a new HSIP project application form provided by ADOT is available at the links provided (see below).