Webconference Agenda

1. Webconference Agenda

2. Participation Information • Phone lines will be muted (*1 to un-mute) • You can submit questions/comments electronically • Handouts for use during discussion portion

3. Purpose of Webconference • Present MMIRE Concept • Discuss Uses of MMIRE • Obtain Feedback on Intersection Variables • Importance to your efforts • Difficulty to collect

4. MMIRE Concept • Standardized Definitions…But Not a Standard • Dictionary of critical roadway data variables that are required to make more effective and efficient safety improvement decisions • Similar to Model Minimum Uniform Crash Codes (MMUCC), MMIRE will be a guideline, not a requirement

5. MMIRE Development Effort • AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan • Management: improve information and decision support systems • International Scan • White Paper

6. Overview of Broad Strategies • Increase support for safety programs and safety information systems • Define “good inventory data” and move toward the use of performance measures • Make it easier to collect, store, and use all types of safety data • Increase the use of safety analysis tools • Link safety data to non-safety data

7. Proposed MMIRE Variables • Documents development process and includes working matrix • 180 data elements • www.mmire.org

8. Structure of MMIRE I. Roadway Segment Descriptors I.a. Segment Location/Linkage Variables I.b. Segment Roadway Classification I.c. Segment Cross Section I.c.1. Surface Descriptors I.c.2. Lane Descriptors I.c.3. Shoulder Descriptors I.c.4. Median Descriptors

9. Structure of MMIRE (cont) I. Roadway Segment Descriptors (cont) I.d. Roadside Descriptors I.e. Other Segment Descriptors I.f. Segment Traffic Flow Data I.g. Segment Traffic Operations/Control Data II. Segment Alignment II.a. Horizontal Curve Data II.b. Vertical Grade Data

10. Structure of MMIRE (cont) III. Road Junctions III.a. At-Grade Intersection/Junctions III.a.1. At-Grade Intersection/Junction General Descriptors III.a.2. At-Grade Intersection/Junction Descriptors (Each Approach) III.b. Interchange and Ramp Descriptors III.b.1. General Interchange Descriptors III.b.2. Interchange Ramp Descriptors

11. What MMIRE Could Help You Do • Use the New Safety Tools • Interactive Highway Safety Design Model (IHSDM) • Tools for designers, planners and safety engineers to compare alternative roadway designs and safety treatments • SafetyAnalyst • Advanced tools to identify most promising locations for treatment and choose the best treatment

12. What MMIRE Could Help You Do Use the New Safety Tools (cont) Highway Safety Manual AASHTO will publish first edition in late 2009 Compilation of current safety knowledge and safety prediction tools for two-lane rural roads, rural multilane roads, and urban/suburban arterials. Other road-class tools to be added in future editions

13. What MMIRE Could Help You Do Enhanced Problem Identification These examples require inventory files containing full population of roadway elements (e.g., segments, intersections, curves, ramps) -- cannot be done with just crash data as done today E.g., better selection of high-priority intersections by comparison of crash rate within intersection categories (e.g., within all signalized intersections with entering volumes between X and Y)

14. What MMIRE Could Help You Do Enhanced Problem Identification (cont) Selection of urban signalized intersections with highest number of pedestrian crashes in the jurisdiction (or highest ped crash rate per entering vehicle or pedestrian) Selection of high-priority horizontal curves by crash rate within roadway class (e.g., most hazardous curves on two-lane rural roads)

15. What MMIRE Could Help You Do Enhanced Problem Identification (cont) Selection of roadway corridors on urban interstates with highest large-truck crash rates Identification of interchange ramps with highest large-truck crash rates Any other identification/selection within specified type of roadway element

16. What MMIRE Could Help You Do Enhanced Targeting of Specific Treatments Selection of all horizontal curves on two-lane rural roads with speed limit of 55 and degree of curve greater than 10 degrees for low cost treatment (e.g., chevrons or advanced pavement markings) Selection of locations where raised pavement markers are most likely to reduce crashes (i.e., rural two-lane roads with AADT > 15,000 vpd and degree of curve < 3.5 deg and four-lane freeways with AADT > 60,000 vpd – NCHRP Report 518)

17. Current Effort • Compare Proposed Elements and Attributes to: • Other databases • Variables states are already collecting • Lead State Program to Pilot the Implementation of MMIRE • Refine Elements and Attributes: MMIRE Version 1.0

18. Today’s Topics… III.A. Intersection/Junction Descriptors

19. Organization of Discussion Our Goal Present proposed items to you Feedback from you on importance of each element re your safety programs/decisions Feedback from you on what will be difficult to collect Possible solutions from you We then look for lead states who have collected them FHWA looks for new methods to collect

20. Organization of Discussion (cont) MMIRE Variables Collected by State DOTs Compared MMIRE elements to inventory databases in 24 states For intersection variables, no state (of these 24) has collected 28 of the 49 variables Intersection skew and offset, roundabout descriptors The remaining 21 variables are collected by only a handful of States Thus, we encourage discussion of any of the intersection variables

21. Remainder of Discussion… We will present intersection-related MMIRE elements For each group, you provide two “votes” “Which elements are very important to your safety program/decisions?” “Which elements will be very difficult to collect?” (You can vote for more than one each time) Those with highest importance and difficulty will be discussed first (i.e., Do any of you collect them and if so, how?) Remainder will the be discussed if time allows

22. “Intersections” in MMIRE 114. Type of Intersection/Junction • Roadway/roadway (not interchange related) • Roadway/roadway (interchange ramp terminal) • Roadway/pedestrian crossing (e.g., midblock crossing) • Roadway/bicycle path or trail • Roadway/railroad grade crossing • Other

23. Intersection Element Discussion III.a. At-Grade Intersection/Junctions III.a.1. General Descriptors 113. Unique Intersection Identifier 114. Type of Intersection/Junction 115. Location Identifier for Road 1 Crossing Point 116. Location Identifier for Road 2 Crossing Point 117. Location Identifier for Road 3, 4, etc., Crossing Point (e.g., Route-Milepost), etc.

24. Intersection Element Discussion III.a.1. General Descriptors (cont.) 118. Intersection/Junction No. of Legs 119. Intersection/Junction Geometry 120. School Zone Indicator 121. Railroad Crossing Number if a RR Grade Crossing 122. Intersection Skew Angle

25. Intersection Element Discussion III.a.1. General Descriptors (cont.) 123. Intersection/Junction Offset 124. Intersection/Junction Offset Distance 125. Intersection/Junction Traffic Control 126. Signalization Type (e.g., Actuated, Fixed, System) 127. Number of Intersection/Junction Quadrants With Limited Sight Distance 128. Intersection/Junction Lighting

26. Intersection Element Discussion III.a.1. General Descriptors (cont.) 129. Roundabout—No. of Circulatory Lanes 130. Roundabout—Circulatory Width 131. Roundabout—Inscribed Diameter 132. Roundabout—Bicycle Facility

27. Intersection Element Discussion III.A.2. INTERSECTION APPROACH DESCRIPTORS 133. Approach AADT 134. Approach Use Type 135. Approach Is Two-Way, One-Way 136. No. of Thru Lanes 137. No. of Exclusive Left Turn Lanes 138. No. of Exclusive Right Turn Lanes 139. Length of Exclusive Left Turn Lanes 140. Length of Exclusive Right Turn Lanes

28. Intersection Element Discussion III.A.2. INTERSECTION APPROACH DESCRIPTORS (cont.) 141. Median Type at Intersection 142. Approach Traffic Control 143. Left Turn Protection 144. Signal Progression 145. Crosswalk Presence/Type 146. Pedestrian Signalization Type 147. Pedestrian Signal Special Features 148. Crossing Pedestrian Count/Exposure  

29. Intersection Element Discussion III.A.2. INTERSECTION APPROACH DESCRIPTORS (cont.) 149. Left/Right Turn Prohibitions 150. Left Turn Counts/Percent 151. Right Turn Counts/Percent 152. Transverse Rumble Strip Presence  

30. Intersection Element Discussion III.A.2. INTERSECTION APPROACH DESCRIPTORS (cont.) 153. Roundabout—Entry Width 154. Roundabout—Number of Entry Lanes 155. Roundabout—Entry Radius 156. Roundabout—Exit Width 157. Roundabout—Number of Exit Lanes 158. Roundabout—Exit Radius 159. Roundabout—Pedestrian Facility 160. Roundabout—Crosswalk Location (Distance From Yield Line)

31. Questions/Suggestions? • Variables that should be added? • Attributes (codes) that should be modified? • Questions on MMIRE related policies or funding? • Other?

32. Next Steps • Next Webconference • Interchanges and Ramps – March 3, 1:00 PM Eastern • Lead State Program • Final Report: Summer 2010 • For additional information, contact: • Carol Tan: carol.tan@dot.gov • Bob Pollack: robert.pollack@dot.gov

33. MMIRE Website www.mmire.org • Presentation from this webconference • Discussion forums • FAQs