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Work with your local, state, and
regional highway engineers and other relevant agencies.
This Guide has taken you through a process that will keep you on the right
track as you move forward with improving roadway safety in your community. Because
you have followed the first two steps to identifying roadway safety problems described
in the preceding pages, you are in a better position to ensure that the engineers
and government officials who are responsible for your roads will understand your
concerns and take action. Just who is responsible for your roads? This section
will identify the local, state, and federal agencies that make it their business
to address roadway concerns. Below is a typical news
item from a Kentucky community frustrated with major roadway problems.
| Decatur, Kentucky:
A multivehicle crash ensued yesterday on
Simion Road after a portion of the road fell in. While there was significant property
damage, there were no serious or fatal injuries. Families living near the site
told reporters that an excessive number of potholes had been reported to local
government officials just last week. Others interviewed stated the same problem
occurs each year after the winter season, and complaints are waged annually. "Crews
typically come, patch up the holes, and leave," said Sylvester Smith, Simion
Road resident. The community's Citizens Organization has been told that the repair
time will be lengthy and costly. Residents are up-in-arms. Said Rose Lymer, a
50-year resident, "There are a lot of older people here; how are we supposed
to get out of the neighborhood while the construction goes on?" |
Elected officials
and community leaders need not feel powerless in the face of such challenges.
The government agencies that control our roads may appear to create a confusing
web so perplexing at times that it seems easier to throw in the towel and live
with the status quo. This section will help you to determine who has the authority
to improve the safety of your roads so you won't throw in the towel. The pages
that follow will -
Describe the agencies responsible for the maintenance and safety of different
types of roads, from the Interstate to local roads.
-
List
potential contacts to help identify those responsible for community roads.
Functions and agencies responsible for different types
of roadsRoad engineers, planners, and other
professionals employ a variety of terms to describe the various "functions"
of roads or the "jurisdiction" they fall under. For example, terms such
as "collector roads" or "arterial highway" describe the function
of specific roadways. But for the purposes of this Guide, it is more important
for you to know who has the authority to make the safety improvements you want.
The chart that follows gives you an overview of the names and symbols associated
with roadway types, who is responsible for those roads, and approximate roadway
mileage for each type of road.
Potential contacts to help identify those responsible for community roadsThe
American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sets
highway design and construction standards and policies on major roads and highways—even
Interstate highways. These roads and highways are owned, operated, and maintained
by state and local governments. Determining which government agency, state or
local, is responsible for a particular section of road or intersection is usually
straightforward, but not always! To better ensure that your roadway initiative
yields positive results: -
Remember,
who you contact will depend on where you live. Centerville, South Dakota's
local government agencies that deal with transportation problems will look very
different from those located in New York City. Therefore, the information that
follows is to get you started and should not be taken as definitive truth, particularly
relating to your own community's circumstances. -
Take a good look at your Road
Problem Checklist. Does it clearly define your problem? If so, can you accurately
and clearly describe it to appropriate government entities? -
Be a savvy consumer. Getting
your questions answered and your concerns addressed requires finding out whom
to talk to. Says a planner in a local department of transportation, "Becoming
a savvy consumer is the first step toward having your concerns addressed effectively
and efficiently." Make sure you know "who owns the road"—you
need to know if the targeted road is state-, municipally, or county-maintained.
Your phone calls and letters should start with that particular level of government. -
Be prepared to contact more than one agency.
Planning, building, operating, and maintaining roads is a responsibility shared
among a variety of agencies: Metropolitan Planning Organizations, state DOT, local
DOT, and the local Department of Public Works. Never assume that these entities
are talking to each other or working together. Be prepared to contact all agencies
who play a role in addressing your trouble spot or hazardous condition.
| Who Is Responsible for Our Highways? | | |
State roadways | Federal roadways |
Local roadways | | Typical
signage | 
Interstate State
routes State Park roads State toll roads 
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Federal Park roads Federal Forest roads Military and Indian Reservation
Roads 
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All
other roads under the control of counties, cities, towns, and townships |
| Mileage | More than
808,000 miles | Almost 169,000 miles | 2.3 to 2.7
million miles | | Jurisdiction
or agency responsible | State Departments of Transportation,
local district office, and headquarters | National park Service,
Bureau of Indian Affairs, Federal Highway Administration | City,
county, and other local Departments of Transportation/Public Works |
| Source: Highway Statistics 1997 Table HM-14, p. V-16. |
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