PHASE Act of 2025

This legislation mandates the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to identify and transmit potential solutions using innovative technologies to the Secretary of Transportation. These solutions aim to improve traffic control devices, better equip vehicle operators, and protect pedestrians and vulnerable road users, ensuring they do not distract or overwhelm road users. Concurrently, the Secretary of Transportation is required to conduct a comprehensive study analyzing urban areas with increased pedestrian fatalities, examining physical alternatives to reduce crashes, and assessing the impact of intelligent speed assistance and blind spot detection systems on vulnerable road user safety. Furthermore, the bill establishes a grant program , administered by the Secretary of Transportation, to provide funding to cities, Indian Tribes, and municipalities. These grants will support the implementation of infrastructure improvements designed to enhance pedestrian safety, such as innovative crosswalk technology, additional pedestrian facilities, expanded buffer zones, accessible signals and sidewalks, and increased lighting at crossings. An annual appropriation of $5,000,000 is authorized to carry out this vital grant program.