The Texas Department of Transportation is considering a plan to commit $300 million for each of the next two years to reduce highway deaths.
The Texas Transportation Commission instructed the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to find ways to lower by half the number of roadway fatalities, which number about 3,900 annually, by 2050.
TxDOT staff said they want to focus $390 million on decreasing incidents in which drivers swerve off the roadway. These “departure incidents” constituted 41 percent of serious injury and fatalities in 2018. Other measures would include straightening roads, improving lighting, and adding guardrails.Under the plan, TxDOT district managers would determine how projects are funded and create a four-year safety plan for their district.
Funding would come from TxDOT’s $76.2 billion Unified Transportation Program, which the commission will vote on in August.