Resolution to Improve Safety on County Roads

Today, our Nation's investment in transportation lags behind the rest of the world.  The majority of America's major roads are in less than good condition, and a quarter of our bridges either cannot handle today's traffic or require significant repair.  Keeping our infrastructure up-to-date is not only crucial to our Nation, it is essential to our safety and security.  We must continue our work to build the best transportation systems possible, and recommit to investing in infrastructure to improve safety and mobility. 

Improving the safety and resiliency of our transportation infrastructure depends to a significant extent on the quality of county-owned roads.  Counties are responsible for building and maintaining not only a large number of transit systems, but also approximately 230,000 bridges, and 43 percent of our public roads.  Unfortunately, far too many deaths occur on such roads. Making safety improvements on county-owned roads is critical to the health and economy of our country, and reducing fatalities and serious injuries on all public roadways continues to be a national priority. 

Because safer infrastructure systems foster economic growth and improve system efficiency and resiliency, the U.S. Department of Transportation will work with the National Association of Counties to improve road safety in America’s communities. 

Signed July 13, 2015

Anthony R. Foxx

Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation