Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy has had sufficient of America’s highways being handled like social-justice canvases.
In keeping with the directive issued this week to each governor within the nation, the Trump-appointed cupboard official ordered states to clean their roads, intersections, and crosswalks of “political messages or art work,” singling out rainbow-themed crosswalks as prime offenders.
“Roads are for security, not political messages or art work. At the moment I’m calling on governors in each state to make sure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are saved freed from distractions,” stated U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
“Far too many Individuals die every year to visitors fatalities to take our eye off the ball. USDOT stands prepared to assist communities throughout the nation make their roads safer and simpler to navigate.”
Duffy’s letter launches the brand new Secure Arterials for Everybody by means of Dependable Operations and Distraction-Lowering Methods (SAFE ROADS) initiative, a nationwide push to chop the visible litter he says distracts drivers and endangers lives.
The numbers driving his urgency are staggering: an estimated 39,345 visitors deaths in 2024 — a determine the secretary known as “unacceptable.”
He’s giving states simply 60 days to supply successful record of their most harmful arterial segments and intersections, and till the top of FY 2026 to repair them. These fixes, the letter makes clear, embrace stripping away partisan paint jobs that confuse motorists and autonomous-vehicle sensors alike.
The letter reads:
Expensive Governor:
Security is the U.S. Division of Transportation (DOT)’s high precedence. Whereas I’m inspired that the estimates of visitors fatalities for 2024 proceed a downward pattern, by lowering 3.8 % from 2023, we nonetheless have extra work to do to enhance security and mobility on our Nation’s highways. In 2024, the estimated quantity was a shocking 39,345. That is unacceptable. I ask that you just be a part of DOT and help our nationwide initiative, Secure Arterials for Everybody by means of Dependable Operations and Distraction-Lowering Methods (SAFE ROADS), to assist enhance security and mobility, eradicate distractions, and maintain individuals and items shifting all through america.
DOT has sturdy partnerships together with your State division of transportation (State DOT) to implement initiatives and obtain necessary nationwide priorities, most notably protected mobility. The SAFE ROADS nationwide initiative will concentrate on the non-freeway arterials inside your State, together with security and operation at intersections and alongside segments, constant and recognizable visitors management gadgets together with crosswalk and intersection markings, and orderly use of the best‑of‑means that’s saved free from distractions. These routes are the place greater than half of roadway fatalities in America happen and deserve enhanced consideration. The objective of the SAFE ROADS nationwide initiative is to companion with State and native governments to make the complete roadway proper‑of‑means simpler to interpret and navigate for all customers, together with pedestrians, car operators, and automatic automobiles alike. We ask that you just guarantee compliance with Federal statutes and rules and speed up the deployment of confirmed security and operational options to make roads safer throughout America.
We’re getting again to the fundamentals – utilizing knowledge to information decision-making and prioritize investments that cut back distraction whereas enhancing mobility and security for all street customers. Inside 60 days, I request that your State DOT, in coordination together with your metropolitan planning organizations, use accessible security knowledge, evaluation, and assessments to develop an inventory of arterial segments, together with intersections, with the very best security, operational, or compliance issues that might be addressed by the top of Fiscal Yr 2026. Please submit the record of places to your Federal Freeway Administration (FHWA) Division Workplace.
FHWA will observe the progress of this necessary nationwide initiative and stands able to help you and your State DOT as you develop your plans. FHWA provides technical assets to help with street security audits and assessments in choosing efficient security and operational countermeasures, accelerating implementation of enhancements, and complying with Federal requirements, comparable to these for visitors management gadgets and use of the roadway right-of-way. Please proceed to tell your FHWA Division Workplace on progress as you’re taking steps to deal with these places. I sit up for assembly you at a future alternative to find out about your success tales and finest practices.
With our shared objectives of shifting individuals and items safely and effectively, we are able to make the expectation that every one Individuals make it house safely and on-time a actuality.
