Background

1. Low Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund Study (PFS)presented byKim Eccles, P.E.Senior Engineer, VHB

2. Background • AASHTO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan • Leading to development of NCHRP Report 500 Guidebooks • 22 are planned, 17 are published and available • Guidebooks contain safety “strategies” • 80% of strategies are ‘tried’ or ‘experimental’ • After lead states developed their safety plans, they were encouraged to implement the guidebook strategies Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

3. Purpose of Study • Safety practitioners continuously voice the need for safety effectiveness data • Accident Modification Factors (AMFs) • Study will perform rigorous before-after evaluations of strategies found in NCHRP Report 500 Guidebooks Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

4. Project Status • Current committed participants (26): • AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NY, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA • Total state committed funds: $2,880,000 • FHWA funding is $1.5 Million • Total anticipated project funds: $4,380,000 • To date, there are 3 contracts initiated for this project • NCHRP 17-35, Low Cost Safety Improvements project Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

5. Completed Activities • Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met in March 2005 to develop a prioritized list of strategies to be evaluated • 60 Strategies from the following guidebooks: • Aggressive Drivers • Unsignalized Intersections • Lane Departure (Run Off Road, Hazardous Located Trees, Head On) • From these strategies, installation data were collected from all states for the 30 highest priority strategies (based on TAC ranking) Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

6. Completed Activities • Scoping Study resulted in four strategies that had enough installation data to perform evaluations • Center two way left turn lanes on two lane roadways (2 to 3 lane conversions) • Pavement markings with supplementary message “STOP AHEAD” • Flashing beacons at stop controlled intersections • Higher retro-reflectivity sheeting for stop signs Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

7. Installation Databases • It is crucial to collect installation data and before conditions to evaluate safety effectiveness Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

8. Installation Databases • Records of dates and locations of safety improvements difficult to locate • Records may not be kept or may be in paper file • Local offices may maintain records • Information may be incomplete • Developed a simple database for maintaining implementation records • Can be used directly or as a model Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

9. Installation Databases • Information entered separately based on type of strategy • Intersection • Segment • Spot • Microsoft Excel or Access • Access form to facilitate data entry • Logmile, GIS, or Link-Node System Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

10. Information in Database • Location information • Jurisdiction, county, streets, milepost (or similar) • Roadway or intersection type • Surrounding area (e.g. rural) • Prior condition • Volume and year • General condition information Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

11. Information in Database • Treatment information • Treatment (drop down list or write-in) • Description • Cost • Construction dates • Other changes • Other information • User can add or modify database as needed Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

12. Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

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15. Other Information on CD • Read-Me File • Explains use of CD • Provides explanation of all variables • PDF copies of 500 Series Volumes 1-6 • 2-page information sheet on study Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

16. Copies of Information • VHB mailed two CDs to each participating state • Will provide additional copies upon request • Available on project website Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

17. Project Website www.tfhrc.gov/safety/evaluations • Update on current activities • Installation databases available for download • Links to other ongoing studies • Will eventually house comprehensive list of Accident Modification Factors Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

18. Current Activities • Final data collection and evaluations are ongoing for the four strategies in Phase I • What impact does the treatment have • Crash type considered • Various safety effects of treatments • Draft results will be available at the beginning of 2007 Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

19. Current Activities • Kickoff of Phase II of evaluation at the second TAC meeting (June 1-2, 2006) • Older Drivers, Trucks, Pedestrians, Horizontal Curves, and Utility Poles • States ranked strategies prior to meeting, resulting in “Top 16” • Few states brought installation data on top 5-10 strategies • Currently in search of data Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

20. Current Activities • Strategies with high potential for evaluation during Phase II (based on the second TAC meeting, June 1-2, 2006) • Various lane width versus shoulder width configurations (for a given roadway width) • Advance warning signs at intersections, particularly effect on older drivers • Modifying sight distance on horizontal curves (most likely through reconstruction) Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

21. Future Activities • Contractor will complete the evaluations of the first four strategies (Phase I) • Draft results January 2007 • New contract just signed to continue with the next group of evaluations (Phase II) • Draft results early 2008 Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

22. Project Roadmap Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS

23. Project Contacts Kerry Perrillo Childress Kerry.Childress@fhwa.dot.gov Kim Eccles (VHB) Keccles@VHB.com 919-834-3972 Project Website: www.tfhrc.gov/safety/evaluations Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS