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Safe Roads for America Act (full template)

December 5, 2011
e-Newsletters


Dear Chair/CEO:

I recently introduced H.R. 3536, the “Safe Roads for America Act”. This bipartisan bill will set extended deadlines to improve road signs that will make it easier for drivers to read roadway signs, making our roads safer for all Americans. I would like to share with you why I believe this bill is important.

As the Atlanta Journal Constitution reported on November 4, based on 2009 data, the Atlanta metropolitan area ranks No. 4 in the nation in crashes and No. 6 in traffic-related fatalities with “more than 62,000 people sustaining injuries on Atlanta's roads while 498 died in car accidents.” We can all agree that this is unacceptable. Local governments have made tremendous strides in improving safety over the years but we can do more.

That is why, nearly 20 years ago in 1992, the Congress directed the Secretary of Transportation to set a standard for minimum levels of retroreflectivity that must be maintained for traffic signs. Responding to bipartisan congressional direction, the Department of Transportation set three deadlines to implement minimum levels of retroreflectivity. They were:

1. January 22, 2012: By this date, roadway owners must adopt a plan to ensure that their signs meet Minimum Levels of Retroreflectivity by the dates cited below.
2. January 22, 2015: Regulatory and Warning Signs and Post-Mounted Signs must meet retroreflectivity requirements.
3. January 22, 2018: Overhead and Street Name signs must meet retroreflectivity requirements.

As you may know, the U.S. Department of Transportation recently proposed elimination of the January 22, 2015 and January 22, 2018 deadlines, citing the cost and an effort to limit regulation. I believe the Department made the wrong choice for our country, favoring short term benefit and ignoring the long term cost of injuries and fatalities to our country.

Nationally, traffic crashes cost society $299.5 billion. I think $37.5 million is a smart investment.

Motorists who drive at night know firsthand how difficult it can be to read road signs, especially in rural areas. It can be even more difficult in inclement weather, heavy traffic, and in unfamiliar areas. This concern is particularly acute with older drivers because someone who is 65 or older needs four times the light to see at night as compared to a 25 year old. (According to AAA: a 60 year old needs 10 times the light as a 19 year old).

And the challenge is not going away anytime soon. It is estimated that by 2030, 25 percent of American drivers will be 65 or older. Increased retroreflectivity allows for added decision time for older drivers that will save lives and reduce injuries.

The “Safe Roads for America Act” will reinstate the latter two deadlines and delay them by 3 years - to January 22, 2018 and January 22, 2021 respectively - to give local governments more time to prepare for these upgrades. The bill will also make it clear that states and local governments can use grant funding from the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) to make these upgrades. The estimated nationwide sign replacement costs incurred as a result of the minimum maintained retroreflectivity levels are $37.5 million.

This relatively small cost is additionally offset by the availability of HSIP funding. Georgia is one of 21 states that transferred money from HSIP to other programs when it could have been used for these vital safety improvements. Furthermore, according to the Federal Highway Administration, Georgia has only obligated about 70% of its HSIP funding to date, leaving approximately 30% available to assist local governments in improving signage.

As a former County Commissioner, I uniquely understand the concerns of county and local governments. By delaying the deadlines and clarifying the availability of HSIP funding, I hope to balance the legitimate budget concerns of local governments with the pressing safety concerns of the American people. As the bill moves through the legislative process, I welcome your input and ideas about ways to lessen the budgetary impact. I appreciate the hard work that you do and I pledge to work with you to help make HSIP funding available for this purpose and to pass a comprehensive surface transportation bill that meets your needs.

Sincerely,

Henry C. “Hank” Johnson
Member of Congress

December 5, 2011


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