Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies (2015) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Pages 4-41
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 4... ...
4C H A P T E R 2 This chapter lists the seven principles that can be implemented and institutionalized during each task in the transportation planning process to ensure safety is explicitly recognized. The intent of the framework is to provide MPO and DOT transportation planners with a range of ideas, strategies, and techniques for addressing safety or considering it in a more comprehensive and explicit manner.
|
From page 5... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 5 2.1.2 Ask Yourself Would your agency update its LRTP without input from highway, transit, bicycle, pedestrian, or freight planners? To develop effective multidisciplinary transportation safety goals, policies, and objectives for inclusion in the LRTP, it is important to include transportation safety stakeholders in the process and discuss safety at committee meetings.
|
From page 6... ...
6 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies • Local Planners and Engineers -- Transportation safety is often a low priority for local jurisdictions, since they typically lack staff expertise, time, or resources to address safety issues. Engaging local planners and engineers in the committee provides opportunities for them to learn about safety issues and provide input during development of safety policies.
|
From page 7... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 7 2.1.4.2 Create an Ad Hoc Safety Committee Another option is to form a safety task force or coalition outside the institutionalized decisionmaking structure to influence decisions made by existing committees. This group, composed of the same stakeholders previously identified, would convene only during the LRTP update process to provide guidance on transportation safety planning issues and help ensure safety goals, policies, and strategies are established or updated.
|
From page 8... ...
8 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies 2.2 Collect and Analyze Transportation Safety Data 2.2.1 Description Improving transportation safety is a data-driven process. To better identify multimodal safety problems, develop and implement effective strategies, and evaluate effectiveness, state DOTs and MPOs collect and analyze modal crash data, traffic volume data, and roadway geometric data.
|
From page 9... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 9 2.2.2 Ask Yourself Would your agency allocate its limited resources to fund transportation projects without analyzing traffic data, such as volumes, delay, or reliability? It is important to review crash and exposure data, as well as the geometric characteristics of problem locations, to understand the most significant safety issues and locations to establish transportation safety goals and objectives and apply safety resources in the most effective manner.
|
From page 10... ...
10 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies strategies. Planners should (1)
|
From page 11... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 11 Source: Oregon DOT. Figure 2.2.
|
From page 12... ...
12 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies * Sample data created for guidebook.
|
From page 13... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 13 identified for implementation on a systemwide basis. This analysis can result in future goals and objectives that promote the widespread implementation of countermeasures at applicable locations.
|
From page 14... ...
14 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Source: City of Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Figure 2.5.
|
From page 15... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 15 Source: Lake-Sumter MPO (Florida)
|
From page 16... ...
16 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Source: Cheyenne MPO (Wyoming)
|
From page 17... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 17 Source: Corvallis MPO (Oregon)
|
From page 18... ...
18 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Source: Corvallis MPO (Oregon)
|
From page 19... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 19 2.2.5 Strategy Ranking and Prioritization Worksheet Rate your organization's progress/status on the strategies on a scale of 1 to 5 using the criteria in Figure 2.10 and prioritize the strategies by the preferred order of implementation. 2.3 Incorporate Safety into the Vision, Goals, and Objectives 2.3.1 Description A vision, goals, and objectives provide a framework to guide decisions made when identifying transportation safety policies, programs, and projects.
|
From page 20... ...
20 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies or supported? A vision, goals, and accompanying objectives inclusive of safety and SHSP principles sets the stage for identifying and later selecting safer transportation programs and projects.
|
From page 21... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 21 one dedicated to "Safe and Healthy Communities." Because the group focused on safety, stakeholders saw it as a priority, and eventually it became a goal area in the LRTP. • Questions about safety can be asked when surveys are conducted or focus groups held to gather input on a plan.
|
From page 22... ...
22 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Objectives. Transportation safety objectives are specific approaches, policies, ideas, and actions for implementing the safety goal or goals.
|
From page 23... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 23 • Utilize the SHSP. Planners do not need to recreate the wheel in goal and objective setting.
|
From page 24... ...
24 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies 2.3.5 Strategy Ranking and Prioritization Worksheet Rate your organization's progress/status on the strategies on a scale of 1 to 5 using the criteria in Figure 2.11 and prioritize the strategies by the preferred order of implementation. 2.4 Integrate Safety Performance Measures into the Performance Management System 2.4.1 Description General performance measures are indicators that enable decision-makers and other stakeholders to monitor changes in system condition and performance.
|
From page 25... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 25 the effectiveness of nearly all functions to achieve fundamental goals. MAP-21 requires the use of performance-based decision-making within metropolitan and statewide transportation planning processes.
|
From page 26... ...
26 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies 2.4.3 Challenges The primary challenge to measuring performance is likely to be the ability to collect, manage, analyze, and report the data. All of these tasks can be resource intensive, including staff time and the financial implications of collecting and analyzing data.
|
From page 27... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 27 where multiple years of safety data are averaged to smooth out years where large decreases or increases occur outside the trend line. Total number of fatalities and serious injuries for the system can also be used, but annual numbers typically show sharp increases or decreases and do not necessarily convey an average or typical year in which to base a performance measure or target.
|
From page 28... ...
28 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Figure 2.13 depicts three different opportunities to set targets based on previous years' average crash data and can be used to start the conversation on target setting with stakeholders. Some numeric targets agencies may opt to select include the AASHTO "half by 2030" target (red dash line in Figure 2.14)
|
From page 29... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 29 2.4.5 Strategy Ranking and Prioritization Worksheet Rate your organization's progress/status on the strategies on a scale of 1 to 5 using the criteria in Figure 2.15 and prioritize the strategies by the preferred order of implementation. 2.5 Incorporate Safety in Planning Programs and Documents 2.5.1 Description It is often assumed transportation safety goals, strategies, policies, objectives, and projects will be identified through the SHSP planning process; however, the SHSP is meant to be a strategic planning document, aimed at addressing the current most critical safety issues.
|
From page 30... ...
30 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies generally implied or explicitly stated? The SHSP is often considered the primary document to address safety needs, so safety may only be referenced in passing in other transportation plans, but in fact, the LRTP and other transportation planning documents can achieve improved transportation safety results beyond the SHSP impact.
|
From page 31... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 31 2.5.4 Opportunities and Strategies 2.5.4.1 Include a Safety Chapter in the LRTP Discussing transportation safety data, goals, objectives, and policies in the LRTP, in a section or chapter, confirms safety is a priority in the state or region. It also provides direction to local agencies on how and where to consider safety in the context of all transportation projects.
|
From page 32... ...
32 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies land use projects, programs, and policies to increase the accessibility and mobility of people, enhance the environment, and/or improve the quality of life in the region. In conjunction with these factors or perhaps as the primary factor, safety considerations also should be included in corridor analyses.
|
From page 33... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 33 2.6.2 Ask Yourself Are safety criteria factored into the selection process when prioritizing transportation projects for inclusion in the S/TIP, or is it assumed safety improvements will be implemented during the design phase? To improve transportation safety, the safety impacts of multimodal projects should be specifically evaluated during the programming process.
|
From page 34... ...
34 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies 2.6.4 Opportunities and Strategies 2.6.4.1 Incorporate Safety into the Project Prioritization for All Transportation Projects DOTs and MPOs use a variety of approaches and criteria to prioritize transportation projects. To improve or consider the safety of a facility (highway, transit, bicycle, or pedestrian)
|
From page 35... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 35 • The Androscoggin Transportation Resource Center, an MPO in Maine, includes a safety component in the TIP prioritization process for all projects. The MPO's prioritization process awards points to transportation projects that correct a safety problem at an identified high-crash location.
|
From page 36... ...
36 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies 2.6.5 Strategy Ranking and Prioritization Worksheet Rate your organization's progress/status on the strategies on a scale of 1 to 5 using the criteria in Figure 2.17 and prioritize the strategies by the preferred order of implementation. 2.7 Implement a Monitoring System and Regularly Evaluate Performance 2.7.1 Description Evaluation is required to determine if state or MPO safety efforts deserve enhancement, revision, or replacement.
|
From page 37... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 37 serious injuries. However, it is also problematic because the link between an implemented strategy or project to a reduction in crashes is indirect.
|
From page 38... ...
38 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies Related outcome performance measures would be the following: • The number of intersection-related crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities; • The number of lane departure crashes, serious injuries, and fatalities; and • The number of pedestrian injuries and fatalities. At a minimum, states and MPOs must monitor the four measures required by MAP-21 -- total fatalities, fatality rate, total serious injuries, and serious injury rate.
|
From page 39... ...
Source: South Central Planning and Development Commission (Louisiana)
|
From page 40... ...
40 Institutionalizing Safety in Transportation Planning Processes: Techniques, Tactics, and Strategies concerns, or other data to policy or executive boards. At a minimum, the information should be provided prior to an LRTP update, but ideally, evaluation results are shared more frequently.
|
From page 41... ...
A Transportation Safety Planning Framework 41 2.7.4.6 Utilize Before and After Studies Once projects are implemented, it is tempting to move on to the next project. However, conducting a before and after study can help evaluate projects, determine the effectiveness of implemented strategies, and decide whether similar investments should be made in the future.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.