Small Cost – Big Impact: Lessons in Low-Cost Safety Improvements

1. Small Cost – Big Impact: Lessons in Low-Cost Safety Improvements Gustave Scheerbaum, PE Complete Streets Safety Engineer ARLE Grant Programs Manager City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Transportation & Utilities @GScheerbaum

2. Automated Red-Light Enforcement (ARLE) Funding • Must be used for Transportation Safety Improvements • Lots of potential locations for improvements • A project’s funding must be used within 3 years – • concept to construction • Funding may not be used for maintenance • Resources are limited 2

3. Historic Approach 3

4. The Result ~35,000 annual traffic deaths nationally ~1,265 annual traffic deaths in PA ~156 annual pedestrian deaths in PA 97 traffic deaths in Philadelphia in 2014 38 Philadelphia pedestrian deaths in 2014 4

5. Disproportionate Impacts Pedestrians, Bicyclists, and Motorcyclists are disproportionally killed and severely injured relative to mode share. 5

6. Crash Reduction Factors Crash reduction factor (CRF) is the percentage crash reduction that might be expected after implementing a given countermeasure. 6

7. Pedestrian Countdown Signals Pedestrian countdown signals (CRF ≈ 25%) Seventy nine intersections were updated with countdowns with $230K ARLE program budget. 7

8. Updated Pavement Markings 12’ stop bar setbacks (CRF ≈ 18%) Use of Sharrows Bike Box installation (CRF ≈ 36%) Two-stage Left 8

9. Street Lighting Improved Street Lighting – HPS to LED fixtures (CRF ≈ 25%) BEFORE – Spruce St LED Lighting – Market St AFTER – Spruce St 9

10. Concentration on Pedestrians & Bicycles A number of relatively low-cost-safety traffic engineering countermeasures geared towards pedestrian and bicycle safety have been shown to reduce crashes for all users. Spruce Pine Right Sizing (Bike Lanes) Project (CRF = 30%) 10

11. New Approach 11

12. Low Cost Safety has Wider Impacts • Due to the nature of low-cost-safety countermeasures, such interventions can be implemented more widely based on the total funding available for each program. The costs below indicate the approximate implementation cost per location. • Traffic Calming Measures ($5K to $50K) • Signal Retiming ($4K to $10K) • Pedestrian Countdown Signal upgrades ($2K to $4K) • Updated Pavement Markings ($2K to $5K) • Updated Signing ($1K to 2K) • Street Lighting ($3K to $10K) • Curb Extensions ($5K to $150K) 12

13. Prioritization Low Cost Safety Improvements Pedestrian Countdown Signals • ten-year reportable crash data • ADT • nearby transit stops • impending work • Streets / Planning recommendations • ten-year reportable crash data • street width • existing or forthcoming ped-countdowns • existing hand/man ped signals • corridor fill-in • recommendations from Streets Curb Extensions Traffic Calming • five-year reportable crash study • (depending on intervention expense) • street width and complexity • nearby transit stops • proximity to schools, parks, rec centers • existing/impending project • Streets / Planning recommendations • five-year reportable crash study • (depending on intervention expense) • speed studies – excessive speeding • Streets / Planning recommendations • classification • street length • ADT NOTE: Incidence of fatal crash history may influence priority 13

14. Traffic Calming Measures Parking Chicanes Speed Cushions • ALSO: • Midblock Crossings (with RRFB) • Neighborhood Bikeway (with greenback sharrows) Separated bike lanes 14

15. Signal Retiming • Signal Coordination (CRF ≈ 15%) • Lead Pedestrian Interval (CRF ≈ 5%) • Signal Retiming (CRF ≈ 12%) • Prohibit Right Turn on Red (CRF ≈ 23%) Over 500 intersections were retimed $1.5M ARLE & CMAQ program budgets. 15

16. Updated Signing $4M has been spent on ARLE funded low-cost-safety pavement marking and signing projects. Two-Stage Left Sign This in combination w/ sharrows Shared Path Signs 16

17. Curb Extensions • “The response in the neighborhood has been phenomenal! There has been an outpouring of appreciation; especially nice for a project of this scale.” • - University City District re. Springfield & Baltimore • “We have seen a major decrease in vehicle / bicycle / pedestrian crashes.” • - Superintendent Penn Police re. 38th & Spruce BEFORE – Springfield & Baltimore AFTER – Springfield & Baltimore 17

18. More Expensive Safety Improvements • Higher-cost countermeasure locations are selected based on a more robust investigation of crash histories, risk, and anticipated impact. • Installation of red-light cameras (CRF = 28%) • Philadelphia has 30 intersections city-wide with cameras • Design/Construction of large curb extension projects • Intersection construction costs over $150K and up to $1M • Design/Constr of modern roundabouts (CRF ≈ 35%) • Current program targeting project constr costs of ~$300K • Adaptive response signalsat key locations • Implementation of city-wide signal system integration • Corridor modernization for signals, island work, ramps. 18

19. Coming Soon Philadelphia is continually working to introduce new ways of improving safety and draws upon our Complete Streets and Traffic Calming tool boxes and inspiration from other cities… Neighborhood traffic diverter Neighborhood traffic calming circle Protected bike lanes Pedestrian refuge as a chicane 19

20. Thank you for your interest! For more information, please contact: Gustave Scheerbaum, PE City of Philadelphia Mayor’s Office of Transportation & Utilities +1 215-686-5698 | gustave.scheerbaum@phila.gov phillymotu.wordpress.com @GScheerbaum