H.R. 4904: PHASE Act of 2025

H.R. 4904, the PHASE Act of 2025, is a focused pedestrian-safety bill aimed at cutting crashes and deaths involving people who walk, bike, and roll. It pairs federal research with grant money cities can actually spend.

First, it directs the National Institute of Standards and Technology to hand the Department of Transportation potential traffic-control upgrades built on new technology — tools meant to help drivers and bicyclists while protecting people on foot. There's a guardrail: NIST has to show evidence that any proposed tech does not "overwhelm, overstimulate, or otherwise distract" drivers, bicyclists, or pedestrians.

Next, it orders DOT to study urban areas where pedestrian deaths have gone up, based on the data available when the bill becomes law. That study has to look at physical fixes that reduce crashes, and it singles out two technologies by name: intelligent speed assistance and blind spot detection — including whether blind spot systems can spot every road user in time. DOT has to brief two House committees on what it finds no later than two years after enactment.

Finally, the bill sets up a grant program for cities, Indian Tribes, and municipalities. The eligible project list is long and concrete: smarter crosswalk technology, more pedestrian crossings, expanded buffer zones, better bridge access, upgraded traffic signals, accessible signals and curb ramps, accessible sidewalks, more signage, more lighting, and grade-separated crossings. Every funded project has to meet federal accessibility rules under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The money is modest: $5 million for each fiscal year. That won't remake every dangerous street, but it's enough for local governments to test and build targeted fixes in the highest-risk spots — and the two-year study deadline is meant to keep the effort honest.