Safety Conversation : NLTAPA Conference

1. Safety Conversation: NLTAPA Conference Michael S. Griffith Director Office of Safety Technologies Federal Highway Administration

2. Overview • MAP-21 – HSIP & SHSP • FHWA Safety Initiatives – LTAP/TTAP Support • FHWA Support – LTAP/TTAP Safety Initiatives

3. MAP-21 • HSIP is the core safety program for FHWA • Essentially doubles the HSIP funding level ($2.4 B) • Maintains current structure • Adds requirement for regular updates of the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) • Secretary to establish performance measures, and States to set targets for number of fatalities and injuries (and number per VMT)

4. SHSP Benefits Among many benefits, the SHSP generates… • Unprecedented collaboration between safety partners • Strengthened partnerships • Increased awareness of highway safety • Shared knowledge, data and data systems • Leveraged resources • Coordinated transportation safety planning; unity of safety priorities, goals and strategies

5. Relationship between SHSPs and Local & Rural Road Safety Plans • Local Plans complement the State SHSP • Promote safety awareness • Identify safety Issues • Foster more informed participation in SHSP process • Identify projects for safety funds

6. Discussion • How do State SHSPs impact local agencies? • What has been LTAP/TTAP involvement in SHSPs? • Have Local/Rural Road Safety Plans (LRSPs) been developed in your State? • What was the LTAP/TTAP role? • How can FHWA’s Office of Safety assist you with LRSP goals?

7. FHWA Safety Initiatives – LTAP/TTAP Support

8. Focused Approach to Safety • Coordinated by the Office of Safety • An FHWA effort to better address 3 critical safety challenges • Targeted delivery of resources to focus States • Goes beyond traditional methods • Accelerating Safety Activities Program (ASAP)

9. Focused Approach - 3 Focus Areas • Roadway departure crashes • 53 percent of all highway deaths • Intersection-related crashes • 21 percent of all highway deaths • Pedestrian crashes • 13 percent of all highway deaths

10. Every Day Counts 2 • High Friction Surface Treatments • Intersection and Interchange Geometrics • Roundabouts and Mini-Roundabouts • Intersections with Displaced Left-turns or Variations on U-turns • Diverging diamond interchanges (DDIs) http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/

11. Proven Safety Countermeasures Roadway Departure • Safety Edge • Longitudinal Rumble Strips and Stripes on 2-Lane Roads • Enhanced Delineation and Friction for Horizontal Curves Intersection • Roundabouts • Corridor Access Management • Backplates with Retroreflective Borders Pedestrian • Medians and Pedestrian Crossing Islands in Urban and Suburban Areas • Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon • "Road Diets" (Roadway Reconfiguration)

12. Safety EdgeSM • Consolidating the pavement edge into 30 shape during paving to provide stability for vehicles recovering from a roadway departure • 6% reduction of total crashes • B/C range: 4 to 63 • Implement as a standard practice for paving and resurfacing projects

13. Enhanced Curve Delineation

14. High Friction Surface Treatments

15. Rumble Strips and Stripes

16. Roundabouts • Modern designs are safer and more efficient than old circles and rotaries • Can reduce crashes resulting in injury or fatality by nearly 80% • Should be considered as part of corridor or intersection improvement projects • Highly adaptable, proven in both low-speed urban and high-speed rural environments

17. Corridor Access Management • Involves the design, implementation and control of entry and exit points along a roadway • Reducing access points along urban/suburban corridor can reduce injury and fatal crashes by about 25%1 • May be considered as a component of general corridor improvements or as its own project AASHTO Highway Safety Manual, Chapter 14

18. Backplates with Retroreflective Borders • Retroreflective strip added around the border of a signal backplate • Documented 15% reduction in crashes of all types and severities at urban signalized intersections1 • Consider as standard treatment for new and modernized signal projects, or as a systemic retrofit safety improvement CMF Clearinghouse

19. Medians and Pedestrian Crossing Islands in Urban and Suburban Areas Before After

20. Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon • Pedestrian-activated beacon located on the roadside or on mast arms over major approaches to an intersection. • Follow guidance in MUTCD Chapter 4F. • Safety results: • 69% reduction in pedestrian crashes • 29% reduction in total crashes

21. Pedestrian Hybrid BeaconTucson, Arizona Background: • Pedestrians needed a safe way to cross major arterials in Tucson. • PHB (aka the “HAWK”) was developed by City of Tucson in late 1990s. • FHWA study found reductions in total, pedestrian, and severe crashes.

22. “Road Diet” (Roadway Reconfiguration) • Conversion of four-lane undivided roadway into three lanes with two through-lanes and a center two way left turn. • Best on Roadways with ADT of 20,000 or less. Before After Safety results: 29% reduction in all roadway crashes

23. FHWA Support – LTAP/TTAP Safety Initiatives

24. How Can FHWA Help LTAPs/TTAPs? Technical Assistance & Training • Roadway Safety Peer-to-Peer Program http://rspcb.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/technical.aspx • Highway Safety Improvement Program • Strategic Highway Safety Plan • Roadway Departure • Road Safety Audits • Data Analysis & Evaluation • Intersections & Roundabouts • Local & Rural Road Safety • Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety

25. Discussion • How have LTAP/TTAPs successfully partnered with FHWA and State DOTs? • Have LTAP/TTAPs been involved in any of the FHWA Safety Initiatives? • How can the Safety Peer-to-Peer program work better? • How can FHWA work with LTAP/TTAPs to fill their gaps in training/information to achieve local road safety goals? • What overall resources would LTAPs/TTAPs like to see from FHWA?