The PHASE Act of 2023 is focused on making streets safer for pedestrians and people on bikes. Right now, thousands of pedestrians are injured or killed in traffic accidents each year, and this bill aims to change that by directing two government agencies to work together on solutions.

The bill has three main parts. First, it asks NIST (a technology research agency) to figure out what new technologies could make traffic signals and road signs smarter and more effective at protecting people walking and biking. Second, it creates a grant program that gives money to cities, towns, and tribal nations to actually build these safety improvements—things like better-designed crosswalks with extra protection zones, upgraded traffic signals, and other innovative safety features. Third, the Department of Transportation has to study what physical changes to roads (like barriers, wider sidewalks, or different road designs) would best protect pedestrians and cyclists from getting hit by vehicles.

Essentially, this bill puts federal money and research behind making your neighborhood streets safer if you walk, bike, or use a wheelchair. Cities that apply for these grants can use the funding to modernize their infrastructure with proven safety technologies and designs, potentially reducing accidents in their communities.

PHASE Act of 2023

Torres, Norma J.

Pedestrian Hazard, Awareness, and Safety Expansion Act of 2023 or the PHASE Act of 2023This bill directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) to take certain actions to improve road safety for pedestrians and vulnerable road users.Specifically, the bill directs NIST to transmit to DOT potential solutions to improve and enhance traffic control devices using innovative technologies in order to better equip vehicle operators (including bicycles) and protect pedestrians and vulnerable road users.&nbsp;In addition, DOT must establish a grant program to provide grants to cities, Indian tribes, and municipalities to implement infrastructure that improves pedestrian safety (e.g., innovative technology for crosswalks, expanded buffer zones, and upgraded highway traffic signals).DOT must also carry out a study on developing physical alternatives to better protect pedestrians and vulnerable road users from traffic incidents.