Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety and Roadway Enhancement Act of 2011 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to implement a roadway safety enhancement program for older drivers and pedestrians to: (1) improve roadway safety infrastructure in states that is consistent with recommendations of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) in the "Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians," and (2) achieve significant reductions in roadway fatalities and serious injuries among drivers and pedestrians 65 years old or older on all public roads.
Sets forth project eligibility requirements and project identification and selection priorities.
Requires the Secretary to finalize revision of the Handbook for publication.
Amends the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) to repeal its program for roadway safety improvements for older drivers and pedestrians.
Requires the Secretary to: (1) appoint a Special Assistant for Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety within the Office of the Secretary; and (2) establish national goals for increasing driver, passenger, and pedestrian safety for persons 65 years old or older.
Requires the Secretary to revise the manual on uniform traffic control devices to include a standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity for pavement markings on all public roads.
[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1776 Introduced in House (IH)]
112th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1776
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a program to
improve roadway safety infrastructure in all States to enhance the
safety of older drivers and pedestrians, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 5, 2011
Mr. Altmire introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a program to
improve roadway safety infrastructure in all States to enhance the
safety of older drivers and pedestrians, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety
and Roadway Enhancement Act of 2011''.
TITLE I--ROADWAY SAFETY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR OLDER DRIVERS AND
PEDESTRIANS
SEC. 101. ROADWAY SAFETY ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM FOR OLDER DRIVERS AND
PEDESTRIANS.
(a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary of Transportation
shall establish and implement a program, to be known as the roadway
safety enhancement program for older drivers and pedestrians, to
improve roadway safety infrastructure in all States in a manner
consistent with the recommendations included in the publication of the
Federal Highway Administration entitled ``Highway Design Handbook for
Older Drivers and Pedestrians'' (FHWA-RD-01-103), dated May 2001 or as
subsequently revised and updated pursuant to section 103 (in this Act
referred to as the ``Handbook'').
(b) Purpose.--The purpose of the roadway safety enhancement program
for older drivers and pedestrians shall be to achieve a significant
reduction in roadway fatalities and serious injuries among drivers and
pedestrians 65 years of age or older on all public roads.
(c) Apportionment of Funds.--
(1) In general.--On October 1 of each fiscal year, the
Secretary shall apportion the funds made available to carry out
this section for such fiscal year among the States in
accordance with the following formula:
(A) 33\1/3\ percent of the apportionment in the
ratio that--
(i) the total vehicle miles traveled on
lanes on public roads in each State; bears to
(ii) the total vehicle miles traveled on
lanes on public roads in all States.
(B) 33\1/3\ percent of the apportionment in the
ratio that--
(i) the total per capita population of
individuals 65 years of age or older residing
in each State in the latest fiscal year for
which data is available; bears to
(ii) the total per capital population of
individuals 65 years of age or older residing
in all States in the latest fiscal year for
which data is available.
(C) 33\1/3\ percent of the apportionments in the
ratio that--
(i) the total number of fatalities and
serious injuries among drivers and pedestrians
65 years of age or older on public roads in
each State in the latest fiscal year for which
data are available; bears to
(ii) the total number of fatalities and
serious injuries among drivers and pedestrians
65 years of age or older on the public roads in
all States in the latest fiscal year for which
data are available.
(2) Minimum apportionment.--Notwithstanding paragraph (1),
each State shall receive for a fiscal year a minimum
apportionment of not less than one percent of the funds
apportioned under this subsection for that fiscal year.
(d) Project Eligibility and Selection.--
(1) In general.--A State may obligate funds apportioned to
the State under subsection (c) for the planning, design, and
construction of infrastructure-related projects that employ
safety enhancement recommendations set forth in the Handbook--
(A) to improve safety at intersections,
interchanges, rail grade crossings, and roadway
segments;
(B) to make systemic roadway safety improvements on
public roads; and
(C) to improve roadway safety on other sections or
elements of public roads that a State transportation
department identifies as hazardous for older drivers
and pedestrians.
(2) Project identification and selection priorities.--To
obligate funds apportioned under subsection (c) to carry out
this section, a State shall have in effect, either in
conjunction with a State strategic highway safety plan pursuant
to section 148 of title 23, United States Code, or separately,
appropriate policies and procedures developed by the State
transportation department to--
(A) analyze and make effective use of State,
regional, and local crash and fatality data, hospital
reports, and other data to document traffic-related
fatalities and injuries to individuals 65 years of age
or older;
(B) consult with appropriate State and local
transportation planning agencies, State and local
safety agencies and organizations, representatives of
the roadway infrastructure safety industry, and State
and local organizations representing older drivers and
pedestrians to identify hazardous locations, sections,
and elements of public roads that constitute a danger
for drivers, vehicle occupants, or pedestrians 65 years
of age or older;
(C) determine the relative severity of hazardous
road and highway locations, sections, and elements for
drivers and pedestrians age 65 years or older through
crash and injury data analysis;
(D) establish priorities for obligating funds among
potential projects for correction of hazardous road and
highway conditions, which shall include projects that--
(i) involve hazardous intersection, road,
or highway conditions identified in a strategic
highway safety plan pursuant to section
148(c)(1)(D) as exhibiting the most severe
safety needs;
(ii) make use of multiple Handbook
recommendations or the use of a systemic
program to correct the most serious highway
safety hazards for drivers or pedestrians 65
years of age or older; or
(iii) are used in conjunction with other
Federal programs such as the safe routes to
schools program pursuant to section 1404 of
SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C. 402 note; 119 Stat. 1228)
or such other road safety design improvements
or funding that enhance traffic and pedestrian
safety for all roadway users;
(E) establish and implement a schedule of roadway
infrastructure safety improvement projects for hazard
correction and hazard prevention; and
(F) establish an evaluation process to analyze and
assess results achieved by highway safety improvement
projects carried out in accordance with procedures and
criteria established by this section and report
annually the results of such evaluations to the
Secretary.
(e) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of a project
carried out under this section shall be 90 percent.
(f) Definitions.--As used in this section, the terms ``public
road'', ``State'' and ``State transportation department'' have the
meaning such terms have in section 101 of title 23, United States Code.
(g) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated out
of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account)
$500,000,000 to carry out this section for each of fiscal years
2011 through 2016.
(2) Applicability of title 23.--Funds authorized to be
appropriated to carry out this section shall be available for
obligation and administered in the same manner as if such funds
were appropriated under chapter 1 of title 23, United States
Code, except that such funds shall remain available until
expended and shall not be transferable.
SEC. 102. REGULATIONS.
Not later than 9 months after the date of enactment of this Act,
the Secretary shall issue regulations to carry out section 101.
SEC. 103. REVISION OF THE HIGHWAY DESIGN HANDBOOK FOR OLDER DRIVERS AND
PEDESTRIANS.
The Secretary of Transportation shall take the following actions:
(1) On or before the date of issuance of regulations under
section 102, finalize the revision of the Handbook for
publication.
(2) Initiate a review of applicable traffic safety research
for purposes of incorporating in the Handbook appropriate
recommendations relating to--
(A) supplemental lighting at intersections,
interchanges, rail-grade rail crossings and hazardous
sections of roadways, as appropriate, to address visual
impairments among older drivers;
(B) wet-night visibility of pavement markings and
edgelines; and
(C) design of intersection curbs and curb ramps to
address physical limitations of older or disabled
pedestrians.
(3) Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of
this Act, issue a guidance memo regarding the appropriateness
of applying to public roads and highways pedestrian safety
improvements relating to the following intersection design
elements:
(A) Receiving lane (throat) width for turning
operations.
(B) Channelization.
(C) Offset (single) left-turn lane geometry,
signing, and delineation.
(D) Curb radius.
(E) Pedestrian crossing design, operations, and
control.
(4) Not later than December 31, 2016, conduct ongoing
research to permit revision and publication of an updated
Handbook.
TITLE II--OLDER DRIVER AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC SAFETY AMENDMENTS AND
ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATION
SEC. 201. MISCELLANEOUS CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
(a) Collection of Traffic Injury and Fatality Data on Older Drivers
and Pedestrians.--Section 148(c)(2)(D) of title 23, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) by striking ``and'' at the end of clause (iii);
(2) by adding ``and'' at the end of clause (iv); and
(3) by adding at the end the following:
``(v) includes a means of identifying the
relative severity of hazardous locations
described in clause (iii) in terms of
accidents, injuries, and death involving
drivers, passengers, and pedestrians 65 years
of age or older;''.
(b) Repeal of Existing Law.--Section 1405 of SAFETEA-LU (23 U.S.C.
401 note; 119 Stat. 1230), and the item relating to such section in the
table of contents contained in section 1(b) of such Act, are repealed.
SEC. 202. COORDINATION AND OVERSIGHT OF OLDER DRIVER SAFETY.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Transportation shall appoint a
Special Assistant for Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety within the
Office of the Secretary to oversee and coordinate programs operated or
funded by the Department of Transportation relating to transportation
safety, research, and services for individuals age 65 and older.
(b) Policy Goals and Implementation.--The Secretary shall
establish, after consultation with other Federal and State
transportation agencies, organizations representing individuals age 65
and older, representatives of law enforcement, and advocates for
roadway safety infrastructure, national goals for increasing driver,
passenger, and pedestrian safety for persons age 65 and older, together
with procedures for implementing and monitoring progress toward
achieving such goals.
(c) Duties of the Special Assistant.--The Special Assistant for
Older Driver and Pedestrian Safety shall--
(1) be responsible for planning and implementing policies
to achieve the national goals set forth by the Secretary
pursuant to subsection (b); and
(2) in consultation with the Secretary and the Department
of Transportation's Under Secretary for Policy, shall be
responsible for--
(A) overseeing collection and analysis of national
traffic accident, injury, and fatality data relating to
individuals age 65 and older;
(B) coordinating and making recommendations
regarding research undertaken by the Department to
identify and address the safety needs of drivers,
passengers, and pedestrians age 65 and older;
(C) overseeing the revision of the Handbook, as
required by section 103;
(D) overseeing the conduct of research and make
recommendations for inclusion in the manual on uniform
traffic control devices of appropriate safety features
and traffic control devices in the Handbook that have
been determined effective in reducing injuries or
fatalities among drivers, passengers, and pedestrians
age 65 and older;
(E) overseeing research by the National Highway
Traffic Safety Administration to test and implement
vehicle crash dummies that more accurately reproduce
and measure the severity of vehicle-related injuries
for occupants age 65 and older;
(F) encouraging and facilitating revision of the
abbreviated injury scale system of injury
quantification to more accurately measure injuries and
fatalities to vehicle occupants age 65 and older,
including measuring the effect of pre-existing and
chronic conditions and long-term injury outcomes;
(G) improving coordination of research sponsored by
the Department to develop efficient, effective, and
safe mobility options for individuals age 65 and older
with research conducted by the National Center on
Senior Transportation; and
(H) undertaking such other duties and
responsibilities as the Secretary or the Under
Secretary for Policy determines appropriate.
(d) Report to Congress.--Not later than 12 months after the date of
enactment of this section, and not less than annually thereafter, the
Secretary shall submit to Congress a report that documents the progress
made by the Department in achieving the goals set forth by the
Secretary pursuant to subsection (b). The report shall include, as
appropriate, descriptions of any impediments to achieving such goals,
explanation of strategies or plans to address such impediments, and
recommendations for additional congressional action.
(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--
(1) In general.--There is authorized to be appropriated out
of the Highway Trust Fund (other than the Mass Transit Account)
$250,000 to carry out subsection (d) for each of fiscal years
2011 through 2016.
(2) Applicability of title 23.--Funds authorized to be
appropriated to carry out subsection (d) shall be available for
obligation and administered in the same manner as if such funds
were appropriated under chapter 1 of title 23, United States
Code, except that such funds shall remain available until
expended and shall not be transferable.
SEC. 203. MINIMUM LEVELS OF RETROREFLECTIVITY FOR PAVEMENT MARKINGS.
Not later than October 1, 2011, the Secretary of Transportation
shall revise the manual on uniform traffic control devices to include a
standard for a minimum level of retroreflectivity that must be
maintained for pavement markings. Such standard shall apply to all
roads open to public travel.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
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