Cross-posted from the Advocacy Advance blog.

A few weeks ago, New Yorkers for Active Transportation received a huge win when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced $75.6 million in federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding. The Highway Safety Improvement Program funds projects aimed at reducing traffic fatalities and serious injuries. Of the 33 projects announced by Governor Cuomo, over 60% of the projects include safety components for people who bike and walk.

“These projects will enable the New York State Department of Transportation and localities to make a wide variety of highway safety improvements, enhancing bicycle and pedestrian safety, encouraging drivers to stay in their lanes, and making it easier for everyone to navigate busy intersections,” said New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) Commissioner Joan McDonald. “Safety is our top priority at DOT and through this program and others we are able to continuously improve safety for travelers across New York.”

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Specific projects to improve safety for people who walk and bike

Many of the announced projects include the installation of sidewalks, crosswalks, signals, lighting, and signage to improve pedestrian access and mobility, as well as widened shoulders to improve safety for both bicyclists and pedestrians.  Here are just some of the new HSIP projects that will benefit people who bike and walk:

• In the Hudson Valley, $2 million in HSIP funding will improve pedestrian crossings with new countdown timers at 235 locations.
• On Long Island, $3.2 million will be allocated for a project to widen crosswalks, install 25 crosswalks American Disabilities Act accessibility standards, and include new countdown timers, traffic signals, and pedestrian refuges.
• In New York City, 9 projects will receive a total of $21.2 million of the announced HSIP funding. For active transportation, the projects will include new pedestrian islands, bicycle lane buffers and bollards, and curb extensions among other improvements.

Additional HSIP Resources

If you're an advocate looking to increase safety for people who bike and walk, here are some Advocacy Advance resources on how to win HSIP funding for your community:

• HSIP Funding Flow Chart: This infographic shows how federal HSIP dollars flow from congress to your community in MAP-21, with advocacy tips for each stage of the process. (PDF)
• Getting A Fair Share for Safety from HSIP: Bike/Ped Advocacy Case Studies: This report examines some of the states that have successfully dedicated federal safety funds to reduce bicycle and pedestrian fatalities and crashes. (PDF)
• Strategic Highway Safety Plan Emphasis Areas: List of each state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan emphasis areas, a prerequisite for HSIP funds. Updated based on data from the 2012 Bicycle Friendly State survey. (PDF)
• Highway Safety Improvement Program: Millions of HSIP dollars have gone unspent in recent years; learn how to take advantage of this underused program for bicycle and pedestrian safety infrastructure projects. (PDF)
• Sample Campaign Plans: Learn how Bike Delaware and Washington Bikes planned their campaigns to win HSIP funding. (PDF)