BOZEMAN, MONTANA – 12/31/2024 – The National Center for Rural Road Safety (the Center) celebrates this month 10 years as a Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Center of Excellence in roadway safety.
The Center was instituted in December 2014 to become the nation’s premier rural road transportation national hub for multidisciplinary training, resources, and technical assistance.
“It has been my pleasure to oversee a decade of commitment to safety work into our nation’s rural roads system,” said Jaime Sullivan, the Center’s director. “At our 10-year mark, we truly can see the early returns of our persistent efforts to embed safety at the start of any conversation about rural transportation.”
One of the Center’s most monumental achievements was the rollout of its signature Road Safety Champion Program, a “Road Safety 101” training series that equips rural road practitioners with the safety knowledge they need to save lives in their rural communities. Since launching in 2022 the program has graduated over 50 practitioners.
“When we talk about driving serious injuries and fatalities to zero, these people—RSCP Champions—are the ones that push the needle ahead,” Sullivan said. “This program undoubtedly is one of our strongest, most reliable strategies to bring safety to all corners of the rural road system—and we are so proud of it.”
“The road ahead is certainly promising,” she added.
In 2022, as a part of an effort to streamline its capabilities and refreshen its vision and mission, the Center released a 5-year Strategic Plan. The soft relaunch also included new career pathways added to the RSCP, full-scale rebranding, and a renovation the Center’s website.
With several other milestones achieved along the way, the Center also marked its 10th anniversary with a national forum at its headquarters in Bozeman, MT.
For more information about the National Center for Rural Road Safety, visit ruralsafetycenter.org.
Bring safety to your rural network with these free Center resources:
- Webinar archive (2016-current)
- Road Safety Champion Program
- Rural Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Toolkit
- Technical assistance
- Distribution list and training e-blast
CELEBRATING 10 YEARS IN RURAL ROAD SAFETY
Milestones that shaped the Center’s path to excellence over the last 10 years
- December 2014: Opens National Center for Rural Road Safety as an FHWA Center of Excellence
- January 2106: Releases video titled: Introduction to Road Safety Culture
- September 2016: Hosts the inaugural National Working Summit on Transportation in Rural America: Moving Rural America in Denver, Colorado
- February 2017: Releases video titled: Road Safety Audits (RSA) on Tribal Lands
- December 2017: Releases video titled:Part 2: Road Safety Audits: What they are and how to get started
- March 2018: Releases update of Rural Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) Toolkit
- July 2018: Began collaboration with the Every Day Counts initiative: FoRRRwD
- December 2018: Hosts the 2nd National Summit on Rural Road Safety: Bridging the Gap in Savannah, Georgia
- March 2020: Began piloting Road Safety Champion Program with an in-person event in Montana
- September 2020: Institutes Rural Road Safety Awareness Week as annual campaign starting with “The Rural Story”
- September 2020: Hosts the 3rd National Summit on Rural Road Safety: Rural Road to Zero Virtually
- November 2020: Joins Road to Zero Steering Committee
- December 2020: Releases Guidance on Growing Traffic Safety Culture: Stories from Rural Communities
- July 2021: Hosts the 2nd Rural Road Safety Awareness Week: “Live, Work, and Explore along the Rural Road to Zero”
- January 2022: Releases A Handbook with Tips and Tools for Developing A Local Road Safety Plan for Your Community
- February 2022: Restructures organizational staff to include three additional managers and experts in public health, data, and law enforcement
- March 2022: Releases video titled Developing Regional/Local Road Safety Plans (LRSP)
- July 2022: Release of the rebranded and redesigned website
- July 2022: Hosts the 3rd annual Rural Road Safety Awareness Week: “Taking Action, Saving Lives”
- September 2022: Release of GHSA’s America’s Rural Roads Beautiful and Deadly, with our director serving as a member on the project panel for the report
- September 2022: Officially launches Road Safety Champion, pilots new career pathways
- July 2023: Hosts the 4th annual Rural Road Safety Awareness Week: “What’s Speed got to do with it?”
- September 2023: Hosts 4th National Summit on Rural Road Safety: Resources for Rurals: Equipping you to save lives in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma featuring fireside chat with FHWA Administrator Shailen Bhatt
- February 2024: Signs the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Roadway Safety Strategy call-to-action
- July 2024: Hosts the 5th annual Rural Road Safety Awareness Week: “Life Between the Lines”
- December 2024: Holds Safer Rural Roads Forum in Bozeman, MT
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