The highway system has a pervasive presence in our society. Whether we drive, bike, or take the bus, many of us use the nation’s roads every day in tending to our personal, professional, family, and social responsibilities. These facilities have been in constant use for decades, often exceeding their original design life and traffic volumes, leaving a deteriorating and increasingly congested system. Moreover, deaths and injuries from highway crashes constitute a major public health concern. The second Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP 2) was authorized by Congress to address some of the most pressing concerns with regard to highway transportation. As part of the SHRP 2 authorization, Congress requested that a report be delivered in early 2009 concerning promising results from the research and how they could be implemented most effectively. In response to this request, the Transportation Research Board’s report Implementing the Results of the Second Strategic Highway Research Program: Saving Lives, Reducing Congestion, Improving Quality of Life outlines what it will take to implement the results of the program and reap the benefits it promises. The committee that developed this report believes that widespread implementation of products developed by SHRP 2 is necessary to address the nation’s roadway safety, renewal, reliability, and capacity issues. To accomplish this, an implementation program should be established; the Federal Highway Administration, in partnership with others, should serve as the principal implementation agent; stable and predictable funding of $400 million over 6 years should be provided for implementation activities; a formal stakeholder advisory structure should be established; and detailed implementation plans should be developed as soon as feasible to guide the implementation efforts. (Author/publisher)
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