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A Publication of the Federal Freeway Administration Workplace of Security

Winter 2023: Quantity 17, Subject 1

Greatest for printing: PDF Version (1.5 MB)

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On this difficulty:

A Message from the Fhwa Associate Administrator for Safety, Cheryl Walker

What’s New

FHWA 2022 Safety Discipline Awards

New Final Rule Reduces Administrative Burden on State DOTs

Update on the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS) Implementation

Traffic Incident Management (TIM) as a Safety Initiative

Marc Starnes’ Safety Story

Security-Pushed Adjustments and Enhancements

Consistently Improving Nighttime Visibility of Pavement Markings

Commuter Authority Rail Safety Improvement Program Round 2 (CARSI 2) Awards $59M to Four States

Funding Tribal Transportation Safety Improvements That Save Lives

Improving Vulnerable Road User Safety through the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

Studying Collectively

News from Vision Zero Communities

Will Technology Solve All Our Road Safety Challenges?

FHWA Helps California Crowdsource Best Practices for a Comprehensive Traffic Count Program

Knowledge and Evaluation

SPF-R Online — Making Performance Function Development Easier and More Accessible

Safety Data and Analysis Case Studies: How Do States Turn Data into Results?

New Useful resource Roundup

How Can You Use the New Transit Guide?

New Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Information Search Tool

Bulletins

What is the Tribal Motor Vehicle Safety Summit?

Coming Soon! EDC-7’s Nighttime Visibility for Safety

Upcoming Conferences and Events

Visit the FHWA Office of Safety Booth #736 in the TRB Exhibit Hall!

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Message from the Affiliate Administrator for Security, Cheryl Walker

Dedicated to Lowering Fatalities

In 2021, an estimated 42,915 lives had been misplaced on U.S. roads. Early estimates for the primary half of 2022 present comparable numbers of individuals dying on our roadways, though the second quarter of 2022 noticed a heartening decline — the primary decline in fatalities after seven quarters of year-to-year will increase in fatalities. Whereas a decline is precisely what we want, the fatality numbers are nonetheless at excessive ranges that decision for rapid motion. In response to this disaster, in January of 2022, the U.S. Division of Transportation launched the National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), which options the Safe System Approach as its guiding paradigm. We all know that we want safer roads, safer autos, safer speeds, safer drivers, and extremely efficient post-crash care to cut back the variety of fatalities.

All USDOT floor modes are dedicated to turning across the pattern in visitors fatalities and severe accidents on our roadways, and we’re all devoted to implementing the actions outlined within the NRSS to maneuver us nearer to our zero deaths objective. This previous 12 months, FHWA launched a Complete Streets Initiative that prioritizes the Security of all customers and launched crucial Freeway Security Enchancment Program steering paperwork. FHWA can be working to replace the Guide on Uniform Visitors Management Units and is implementing the brand new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program. You may comply with our progress on the NRSS Dashboard. See the “Replace on the Nationwide Street Security System (NRSS) Implementation” article on page 4 for extra data.

This difficulty of Security Compass Publication is crammed with articles that characteristic how the FHWA Workplace of Security and our companions are working collectively to avoid wasting lives on our roads. On this difficulty, you may examine how States are utilizing HSIP to enhance the security of susceptible street customers, peruse updates from a number of Imaginative and prescient Zero communities, try a report from the Tribal Motor Car Security Summit, learn to finest use the brand new ped/bike transit information, and stay up for the brand new EDC-7 security initiative that focuses on nighttime visibility.

The NRSS articulates precedence actions that focus on our most vital and pressing security challenges to have essentially the most substantial impression. We invite you to be taught extra about these efforts and to affix us to assist save lives on our Nation’s roads.

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WHAT’S NEW

FHWA 2022 Security Self-discipline Awards

By Cheryl Walker, FHWA Workplace of Security

Congratulations to this 12 months’s winners of the FHWA Security Self-discipline awards!

Subject Management Security Award

Karla Petty (Arizona Division Administrator) has had a lifelong profession devoted to FHWA and security since becoming a member of FHWA in 1983. Underneath Karla’s management, starting in calendar 12 months 2022, the Division Security Specialist presents to the Arizona DOT management throughout their month-to-month coordination conferences on a quarterly foundation. This presentation is impacting questions of safety on the highest ranges. She is also a powerful security advocate inside the Division by implementing a standing “Security Second” at workers conferences and inspiring crosscutting efforts throughout disciplines on a number of security initiatives. Arizona DOT’s director lately said, “Karla is a tireless champion for visitors security in Arizona. Karla doesn’t simply come to the desk with recommendation. Karla brings real-world expertise together with a thoughts that’s at all times open to innovation. Amongst State leaders, Karla seamlessly weaves in nationwide security efforts and focuses us all on visitors security in any respect authorities ranges and the totally different journey modes.”

The fervour for security Karla has demonstrated all through her profession has fostered cultural change throughout the State and Nation, serving to set up sturdy security relationships that stay as we speak and embrace progressive approaches to lowering accidents and fatalities.

Subject Security Peer Awards

Matthew Hinshaw (previously of Western Federal Lands, now with FHWA Workplace of Security) has developed new methods to make use of GIS and crowdsourcing to enhance security. He has additionally labored to develop coaching and procedures to implement systemic security and data-driven security evaluation inside Federal Lands Highways. Matt has deliberate and developed security countermeasure coaching for design engineers and has labored to broaden the usage of IHSDM evaluation and roadside profit/price evaluation. Matt’s skill to construct partnerships with many stakeholders throughout disciplines and companies was key to getting these and different efforts off the bottom. He is ready to carry collectively folks from many alternative disciplines, not solely inside FHWA but additionally externally—native, State, Federal Lands Administration Businesses, consultants, and so forth. His initiative and fervour for security is obvious in all of the work he does.

John Miller’s (Missouri division security engineer) mission is security and all the things associated to saving lives inside freeway security, visitors, and operations program areas. John is a Missouri champion for pedestrian security and has made vital developments in selling and implementing improvements such because the Secure System Method and the Each Day Counts (EDC) initiatives, particularly Secure Transportation for Each Pedestrian (STEP). John is a frontrunner within the development of security initiatives and works tirelessly with the Missouri DOT and native public companies to advance security actions from imaginative and prescient to institutionalization. John is rarely afraid to take the lead and bounce right into a venture with each toes. Whereas John is a born chief, he prefers to make use of these abilities to show and encourage our State companions to attain lasting security enhancements. The State of Missouri is indebted to John for his continued dedication to and fervour for saving lives.

Dr. Wei Zhang (Workplace of Security and Operations Analysis and Improvement) is famous for his management and creativity to enhance intersection/interchange security, together with: creating progressive designs, creating enhanced remedies at intersections and mini-roundabouts for improved susceptible street consumer security, investigating attainable intersection-related crash causes utilizing the Naturalistic Driving Examine, and exploring cutting-edge functions with intersection edge-computing applied sciences to advertise the Small Enterprise Innovation Analysis program. He serves on quite a few nationwide committees and analysis initiatives and is usually praised for his technical experience and up-to-date situational consciousness of advanced points specializing in intersection/interchange security. The outcomes of all his efforts have led to a number of designs and instruments which have been applied within the area and have saved lives.

Howard A. Anderson Security Lifetime Achievement Awards

Michael Griffith (lately retired from the FHWA Workplace of Security) has had a distinguished 33-year profession with USDOT. Nearly all his time has been devoted to the development of security applications, countermeasures, and information aimed toward lowering the toll of fatalities and severe accidents on U.S. roadways. He served within the Workplace of Evaluation, Analysis and Expertise within the Federal Motor Service Security Administration, the Workplace of Security Analysis and Improvement in FHWA, and the FHWA Workplace of Security. Mike has been a security chief and champion who has devoted his profession to advancing progressive approaches to deal with security. He has at all times made himself accessible to security self-discipline members to easily reply questions or to offer broader program or profession steering. In contemplating his full profession, Mike could be very deserving of this profession achievement recognition.

Cate Satterfield (FHWA Workplace of Security) has greater than 32 years of service to the security career at FHWA, and through this time, she has been a steadfast champion of security. Over her profession, Cate has served within the Workplace of Security, the RC Security and Design Workforce, Central Federal Lands, and division places of work. Cate displayed distinctive management because the Security Edge crew chief through the first EDC initiative and was profitable in shifting the Security Edge know-how to the institutionalized stage with State transportation companies throughout the nation. Over the previous a number of years, she has co-led the EDC-5 FoRRRwD initiative, overseeing improvement of informational guides, case research, LRSPs, and academic movies. Cate has confirmed management abilities that she has demonstrated in main the trouble for profitable institution and implementation of an indication evaluation or administration technique for sustaining minimal ranges of signal retroreflectivity. Cate has additionally led the event of the current rulemaking to ascertain a typical for sustaining minimal retroreflectivity of longitudinal pavement markings. Cate is a member of the Security Self-discipline who has contributed to security developments by her dedication to public service over a few years, undoubtedly leading to lives saved.

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New Ultimate Rule Reduces Administrative Burden on State DOTs

By Rick Drumm and Sarah Weissman Pascual, FHWA Workplace of Security

On October 11, 2022, FHWA printed the final rule amending its regulation present in 23 CFR Half 192 regarding drug offender’s driver’s license suspension. This regulation implements 23 U.S.C. 159, which inspires States to enact and implement drug offender’s driver’s license suspensions. It applies to every State and specifies the steps that States should take to keep away from the withholding of Federal-aid freeway funds for noncompliance with the certification necessities.

The Ultimate Rule

The ultimate rule aligns with the wording of the laws and reduces the executive burden on States. The adjustments make the annual certification course of extra environment friendly, which advantages States and FHWA division places of work. Whereas these adjustments cut back the executive burden on States, they won’t compromise security on our Nation’s roads.

For instance, the ultimate rule permits a governor’s designee to certify as an alternative of a governor. It additionally permits certifications to happen solely when there was a change in regulation or standing, reasonably than yearly.

FHWA printed the Discover of Proposed Rule Making on February 18, 2022 and obtained a number of feedback. Most commentors expressed settlement that the proposed adjustments would scale back the executive burden on States, with none expressing opposition to the regulatory proposal.

Further Adjustments

FHWA up to date the language to require States to submit an digital copy of the certification to its respective FHWA Division Administrator. FHWA additionally up to date the penalty withholding quantity from 10 to eight p.c to be in line with present laws, set new timeline necessities for when certifications are required, and clarified that withheld funds will likely be unavailable for apportionment and can lapse instantly.

As well as, FHWA revised the procedures affecting noncompliant States. For States that fail to inform FHWA inside 90 days of the efficient date of a change, FHWA will advise them of funds anticipated to be withheld roughly 90 days earlier than the start of the fiscal 12 months. The ultimate rule additionally permits States to submit documentation demonstrating their compliance, which supplies States a chance to rectify noncompliance previous to funds being withheld.

For extra data, please contact Sarah Weissman Pascual at [email protected] or Rick Drumm at [email protected].

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Replace on the Nationwide Roadway Security Technique (NRSS) Implementation

By Norah Ocel, P.E., PMP, and Jennifer Warren, FHWA Workplace of Security

The USDOT NRSS is approaching its 1-year anniversary, so it’s possible you’ll be asking: What steps is USDOT taking to implement the NRSS?

As articulated within the NRSS, USDOT is dedicated to the formidable long-term objective of reaching zero roadway fatalities and is devoted to implementing the actions outlined in NRSS to maneuver us nearer to this objective.

Every USDOT mode whose roles and tasks embody roadway security is making vital progress towards advancing particular motion objects within the NRSS to make our roadways safer for everybody. Now you may comply with their progress by the NRSS Action Tracking Dashboard that was launched this previous October.

The dashboard exhibits progress by the NRSS Secure System areas of Safer Individuals, Safer Roads, Safer Speeds, Safer Autos and Put up-Crash Care.

From training, coaching, and technical help to implementing insurance policies, rulemakings, and rules, USDOT is striving to make a distinction. Go to the dashboard and the NRSS website for normal updates.

USDOT has a accountability to make our roadways safer for everybody, however the success of the NRSS would require a dedication from everybody. Along with the NRSS, USDOT will likely be beginning a Call to Action for stakeholders to decide to particular actions that can considerably advance security. Keep tuned for extra to return!

For extra data, please contact Jennifer Warren at [email protected].

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Visitors Incident Administration (TIM) as a Security Initiative

By Paul Jodoin, James Austrich, and Joseph Tebo, FHWA Workplace of Operations

For many years, transportation companies have leveraged coordinated, multidisciplinary efforts to detect and reply to visitors incidents with a objective to clear roadways quicker. As a by-product of clearing roadway incidents quicker, TIM seeks to cut back secondary crashes and the publicity of incident responders. The operations focus at all times has security at its coronary heart—as do all features of engineering—however security has more and more turn into the main focus for TIM.

TIM is embodied within the targets of the NRSS, and particularly within the actions of responders and care of people after a crash happens. Enhancing responder and motorist security by TIM coaching and TIM know-how deployment are key actions of the NRSS and are actions which can be tracked by the NRSS dashboard.

TIM Coaching

Advancing incident security begins with safer folks. The National TIM Responder Training program has educated greater than 600,000 visitors incident responders, akin to police, fireplace, emergency medical companies, transportation, and towing organizations. By these efforts, the folks answerable for managing incidents are working on a standard footing with confirmed and standardized approaches designed to make them and others safer.

The Nationwide TIM Responder Coaching program is delivered in classroom and online codecs, in addition to in an instructor-led digital strategy that has boosted the variety of trainers across the nation. Most necessary, suggestions from college students overwhelmingly reinforces the worth of the coaching for advancing responder security.

TIM Expertise

Expertise presents one of many largest alternatives to advance TIM. By FHWA’s Every Day Counts (EDC) program, State and native companies have been embracing next-generation TIM applied sciences that enhance security by warning approaching street customers, enhancing responder situational consciousness, and enhancing responder effectivity.

Speaking acceptable driving maneuvers (i.e., cut back velocity, transfer over a lane) with drivers approaching visitors incident scenes is a principal means that TIM can advance security. Good emergency lighting techniques intelligently handle the colour, sample, depth, and flash price of emergency automobile lights to speak with approaching motorists extra successfully. Equally, new short-term visitors management units can warn and direct drivers with lights and sequential flash patterns. Response vehicle-mounted message and arrow boards able to displaying directional data and warning messages are complimentary to those applied sciences.

A number of applied sciences enhance the change of data amongst street customers and the roadway surroundings. Data might be delivered to in-vehicle techniques or good units which can be utilized by occupants, akin to:

• Warnings for drivers who’re approaching response autos stopped on the roadside doubtlessly present drivers sufficient time to adjust to “Transfer Over” legal guidelines and keep away from collision.
• Responder alerts can originate from a transportation company’s superior transportation administration system, linked automobile know-how, or third-party suppliers—all of which leverage connections with mapping and navigation techniques.

A queue or backup of visitors usually accompanies roadway incidents. Queues might be very harmful areas for secondary crashes, significantly rear-end kind crashes. Responders are taught to be aware of queues and to guard the scene in addition to present superior warning to motorists. Detection and warning alerts assist mitigate the hazards that drivers expertise when approaching incident scenes. Strategically positioned queue warning autos, detection of queue messages utilizing crowdsourced visitors information and traveler data techniques, and supply of warnings to drivers utilizing functions and in-vehicle alerts are a few of the motorist-alert know-how methods used to speak with drivers.

Situational consciousness amongst TIM responders helps them work safer at incident scenes. Positioning a response automobile between the incident scene and approaching visitors is known as a protecting block. It’s a crucial TIM component, even when the protecting block is on the roadway shoulder. Making incident scenes “tougher” includes intrusion-alert know-how, truck-mounted attenuators (TMA), autonomous protecting autos, and comparable remedies. A separate transportation company truck or surplus fireplace equipment automobile outfitted with a TMA can present an efficient barrier that protects downstream responders.

Video-sharing applied sciences permit cameras mounted on service patrol autos to stream photographs from incident scenes to transportation administration facilities (TMCs), in addition to permit responders to view TMC photographs. Sharing video enhances the flexibility of responders and TMC operators to guage incidents, plan their responses, and determine the necessity for extra assets.

Time is a crucial component when it comes to security as a result of it’s equated to publicity for responders and everybody concerned. The faster roadways might be cleared, the safer everybody might be. Unmanned aerial techniques (UAS), typically known as unmanned plane techniques, are small plane remotely piloted to seize video and images. When used with visitors incidents, UAS are an efficient device for regulation enforcement to expedite measurement and mapping of significant crash scenes. In addition they assist with incident verification, response routing, queue detection, secondary crash detection, and detour route monitoring.

Roadway particles removing is a hazardous a part of responder actions, significantly for security service patrols and roadway upkeep crews who sometimes decide up particles by hand. Guide removing makes operators susceptible pedestrians, whereas automated particles removing techniques connected to response autos allow removing whereas driving over the particles. Like UAS, automated particles removing techniques assist make responders extra environment friendly at incident scenes.

The FHWA Workplace of Operations, FHWA Workplace of Security, and varied sections of the Nationwide Freeway Visitors Security Administration (NHTSA) have been collaborating to resolve the security conundrum at visitors incident scenes. Present work is assessing responder-struck-by information, analyzing secondary crash information, and figuring out how drivers transfer over when approaching roadside occasions. New efforts to enhance visitors crash information are designed to advertise the gathering of secondary crashes and responder-struck-by incidents, each of which are actually within the Mannequin Minimal Uniform Crash Standards.

TIM is a crucial a part of the NRSS. Efficient TIM can enhance not solely the care of people after a crash happens, but additionally the security of responders and motorists. TIM coaching and TIM know-how deployment are key to filling this necessary security goal.

For extra data contact James Austrich at [email protected], Paul Jodoin at [email protected], or Joseph Tebo at [email protected].

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Marc Starnes’ Security STory

By Marc Starnes, FHWA Workplace of Security, and Kevin Elliott, ARA

Marc Starnes made a mistake. As a statistician for the Federal Freeway Administration, he is aware of how shut he got here to shedding his life.

“I used to be 19 years outdated and was driving a 15-passenger van with no passengers. A pal of mine was driving instantly behind me.”

Then the crash.

“I used to be going too quick and overshot the off ramp,” Marc stated. “I exited the freeway and I misplaced management.”

Marc’s automobile landed on prime of the guardrail, then skidded almost 100 yards straddling the guardrail towards a bridge, the place the van hit a brief concrete pillar head on.

“I used to be knocked unconscious instantly. If my pal had not witnessed the crash whereas driving behind me, I might do not know what occurred.”

After hitting the pillar, the van did a frontal rollover after which rolled sideways many quarter turns down a hill again towards the primary freeway. By this level, all of the van’s home windows and the windshield had been shattered.

Fortunately, the rolling van hit a big exit signal on the fringe of the freeway that, although crushed, stopped the van and held it up simply excessive sufficient to forestall it from crushing Marc.

“As dangerous because it was, I do know safety countermeasures helped save my life,” Marc stated.

Marc didn’t stroll away unscathed, nonetheless. He suffered mind trauma from the 1990 crash that led to eight years of month-to-month grand mal seizures starting in January 1993. After drugs did not cease his epilepsy, he had a surgical procedure late in 2000 that eliminated a part of his mind and stopped the seizures.

As a technical skilled who survived a horrific crash, Marc understands firsthand the advanced nature of actual crashes and the necessity for the Secure System Method. The Secure System Method is a holistic philosophy to street security that acknowledges human errors and vulnerability, then designs the transportation system to permit for these frailties with out deadly penalties.

“We’ve come a great distance in freeway security since my crash within the early nineties,” Marc stated. “We’ve applied numerous life-saving countermeasures over time. Autos now have airbags, digital stability management, and so many different security options. I’m heartened by the truth that restraint use has elevated tremendously over time. I remorse that I used to be a much less cautious driver at age 19, however because of this crash, I’m a a lot safer driver as we speak. However we should proceed to anticipate and accommodate human errors. We should account for the dynamic, unpredictable nature of extreme crashes. We should proceed our efforts to construct up a protected roadway system.”

Be taught extra in regards to the Secure System Method on the FHWA website.

Be taught extra about an epilepsy assist group Marc based at their website.

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SAFETY-DRIVEN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

Constantly Enhancing Nighttime Visibility of Pavement Markings

By Cate Satterfield, P.E., FHWA Workplace of Security

Have you ever ever had a troublesome time seeing the place your lane is whereas driving at night time? If that’s the case, you aren’t alone. Markings are normally straightforward to see at night time when they’re first put in. Nonetheless, over time, the weather embedded within the markings that make them redirect gentle out of your headlights again to your eyes get soiled or dislodged. Insufficient pavement marking retroreflectivity is one motive that visitors fatalities are 3 times extra more likely to happen at nighttime in comparison with daytime.

By refreshing pavement markings earlier than they turn into insufficient for nighttime driving, transportation officers can help drivers in safely navigating. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices now consists of minimal maintained ranges of retroreflectivity for longitudinal markings akin to heart strains, edge strains, and lane strains. The brand new provisions present flexibility for companies in how they obtain these maintained ranges of retroreflectivity, with 5 totally different strategies which have been described within the supplemental steering doc, Methods for Maintaining Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity. The strategies embody choices to measure, visually examine, or use service life data.

The doc additionally consists of an appendix with step-by-step examples of learn how to develop every technique. The objective is to help smaller companies, or these with much less retroreflectivity expertise, in creating a way acceptable for his or her particular company. FHWA hosted a webinar on this matter in September (use passcode V=nj*f0 to entry the recording). FHWA can be creating video assets to help companies.

Businesses might want to use the tactic they’ve developed by September 6, 2026. FHWA supplied this lengthy compliance interval as a consequence of considerations raised by companies in regards to the time wanted to develop their processes, buy gear, and procure further assets (akin to staffing, funding, and coaching) earlier than they start utilizing their technique.

For added data, please go to FHWA’s nighttime visibility website or contact Cate Satterfield at [email protected].

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Commuter Authority Rail Security Enchancment Program Spherical 2 (CARSI 2) Awards $59M to 4 States

By Esther Strawder, FHWA Workplace of Security

On September 21, 2022, FHWA’s Performing Administrator introduced selectees for the CARSI 2 grant program. This system offers $59,744,250 in aggressive grants to eligible commuter rail authorities in California, New York, Pennsylvania, and Florida for railway-highway crossing-safety actions described in 23 U.S.C. 130(a). Eligible commuter authorities will need to have skilled at the least one accident investigated by the Nationwide Transportation Security Board (NTSB) between January 1, 2008, and December 31, 2018, and for which NTSB issued an accident report. Eligible initiatives embody people who separate or defend grades at crossings, rebuild current railroad grade-crossing buildings, relocate highways to eradicate grade crossings, and eradicate hazards posed by blocked grade crossings as a consequence of idling trains.

Underneath CARSI, FHWA (in coordination with the Federal Railroad Administration and Federal Transit Administration [FTA]) rated the proposed venture’s skill to eradicate hazards at railway-highway crossings. The initiatives that obtained a CARSI 2 grant had been additionally chosen based mostly on their skill to enhance rail security whereas selling fairness and sustainability and contemplating local weather change. The chosen initiatives may even enhance susceptible street consumer lodging and substitute functionally out of date gear at rail crossings.

With the current upward pattern of crashes occurring at railway-highway crossings, this much-needed Federal funding in commuter rail grade-crossing security will defend pedestrians, cut back crashes, and save lives in city, rural, and underserved communities.

For extra data, please contact Esther Strawder at [email protected].

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Funding Tribal Transportation Security Enhancements That Save Lives

By Adam Larsen, FHWA Workplace of Tribal Transportation

Native People usually tend to lose their lives in roadway crashes than another group in our nation. That is what makes the funding of 58 initiatives with $8.9 million for fiscal 12 months (FY) 2021 by the Tribal Transportation Program Security Fund (TTPSF) so essential. Further funding accessible for FY 2022–26 will additional advance efforts to cut back roadway deaths.

A whole record of FY 2021’s grant recipients is offered on-line. The funding alternative builds on efforts to enhance the security of our Nation’s roadways. These 58 initiatives run parallel to the SS4A discretionary grant program that was additionally funded below the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) (Public Legislation 117-58).

The TTPSF was developed to mirror suggestions from Tribal transportation leaders. In consequence, Tribes can apply for funding at 100-percent Federal share with no matching necessities to implement initiatives categorized as:

• Transportation security plans
• Knowledge evaluation, enchancment, and evaluation actions
• Systemic roadway departure countermeasures
• Infrastructure enhancements

Further data on learn how to apply for future funding rounds might be discovered on the TTPSF web site.

For extra data, please contact Adam Larsen at [email protected].

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Enhancing Susceptible Street Consumer Security by the Freeway Security Enchancment Program (HSIP)

By Karen Scurry, FHWA Workplace of Security

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (often known as BIL) included a brand new requirement below the HSIP for States to develop a Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation. On October 21, 2022, FHWA printed guidance to offer background and make clear the necessities for the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation.

As a part of the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation, every State will conduct a quantitative evaluation of susceptible street consumer fatalities and severe accidents utilizing information and contemplating demographics to determine areas as excessive threat to susceptible street customers. States will then seek the advice of with native governments and different stakeholders to develop a program of initiatives or methods to enhance the security of susceptible street customers within the high-risk areas. Supplied beneath is a abstract of noteworthy practices and assets to assist the event of the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation.

Utilizing Quantitative Evaluation to Determine Excessive-Threat Areas

Data-driven safety analysis isn’t new to the States or the HSIP. All States ought to have already got a security information system in place with the flexibility to carry out security drawback identification and countermeasure evaluation, and to distinguish security information for susceptible street customers from different street customers as a part of States’ HSIPs. States can use this technique and different information to determine areas as excessive threat to susceptible street customers by both spot or systemic security evaluation.

NCHRP Research Report 893 offers a security evaluation technique that may assist proactively determine websites for potential security enhancements based mostly on particular threat components for pedestrians utilizing systemic pedestrian security evaluation. The report presents a number of pedestrian crash threat variables for evaluation, in addition to a number of case examples that apply the tactic in each State and native companies. This technique would allow transportation companies to determine, prioritize, and choose acceptable countermeasures for areas with a excessive threat of pedestrian-related crashes (i.e. high-risk areas), even when fatality and severe damage crash information are sparse.

The Virginia Pedestrian Safety Action Plan makes use of each crash cluster evaluation and systemic/predictive evaluation to determine potential areas for pedestrian security enhancements. Along with security information, the systemic/predictive evaluation additionally consists of census block information (e.g. zero-vehicle households, inhabitants beneath poverty line, inhabitants density) as threat components. This complete strategy is in line with present HSIP apply and incorporates equity-related components into the decision-making course of.

Consulting Native Governments and Partaking the Public by Numerous Methods

States will seek the advice of with native governments and different stakeholders that signify the high-risk areas. Many alternative examples of engagement methods for gathering enter from native governments and stakeholders are outlined in Promising Practices for Meaningful Public Engagement in Transportation Decision-Making, printed in October 2022 by the Workplace of the Secretary. These methods embody charettes, focus teams, open homes, surveys, and workshops. Many companies have efficiently used these methods for susceptible street user-related actions.

The North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority sponsors walkable community workshops. The workshops prepare members to determine limitations to strolling and enhance pedestrian security in every workshop group. These workshops embody:

• Preliminary briefing by native stakeholders
• Presentation on finest practices of walkable communities in different areas
• Guided strolling audit of a examine space recognized by the native host group
• Small group session to generate suggestions for enhancements

A number of different metropolitan planning organizations conduct walkability assessments below grants supported by the Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention. This may be a good way to companion with regional and native governments to assemble enter on security wants and potential options for the recognized high-risk areas within the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation.

Different companies have engaged the general public in all features of plan improvement. The Metropolis of Rohnert Park, California, is creating an area street security plan (LRSP) and has created a venture website and an interactive map that enables group members to view collisions within the space and supply location-specific feedback. The town additionally performed a venture survey and hosted digital public conferences. The director of public security even included an article within the Group Voice to advertise the LRSP and encourage the general public to turn into engaged.

Session and public engagement additionally appear to be frequent for State bicycle and pedestrian plans. As a part of the Massachusetts Bicycle Transportation Plan, the State obtained enter each in-person and on-line. The plan states, “Public enter is crucial for answering questions on why folks select to bike or not, the place they wish to bike once they do, frequent limitations to biking, and notable bike community gaps.” Massachusetts DOT collected suggestions in a number of methods, akin to internet hosting listening classes and open-streets occasions, producing a downloadable companion toolkit for stakeholder teams to solicit enter from their members, making a web-based interactive map, creating a web based survey, and facilitating a social media marketing campaign to publicize suggestions alternatives.

The California Division of Transportation (Caltrans) used a three-phase strategy to assemble enter for its Toward an Active California – State Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Throughout section 1 Caltrans gathered data on challenges, alternatives, and priorities to assist determine targets and methods. This was achieved by regional boards, on-line surveys, and stakeholder focus teams. All through section 2 Caltrans used public workshops, Tribal listening classes, and a questionnaire to hunt enter and suggestions on draft targets and methods. Part 3 consists of public overview of the draft plan by way of public workshops, public webinars, and on-line feedback.

A typical theme throughout these examples is that every company makes use of a number of approaches to assemble enter. This emphasizes the significance of creating a course of for consulting with native governments and different stakeholders that signify the high-risk areas recognized by the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation. The FHWA Workplace of Planning website outlines a step-by-step course of to assist the design of a public involvement program, which can be useful to States as they take into account approaches to satisfy the session requirement.

Growing a Program of Initiatives or Methods

Primarily based on the outcomes of the session and contemplating the Secure System Method, every State is required to develop a program of initiatives or methods to enhance the security of susceptible street customers within the recognized high-risk areas. When contemplating a Secure System Method, States ought to prioritize initiatives and methods that align with the objective of eliminating fatalities and severe accidents. The steering outlines a hierarchy, or tiered strategy, as follows:

1. Separate customers in house (e.g., separated bike lanes, walkways, pedestrian refuge islands)
2. Implement bodily options to sluggish visitors (e.g., self-enforcing roads, street diets, roundabouts)
3. Separate customers in time (e.g., main pedestrian intervals)
4. Improve attentiveness and consciousness (e.g., crosswalk visibility enhancements, pedestrian hybrid beacons, lighting)
5. Implement speed-enforcing methods (e.g., velocity security cameras)

Initiatives and methods that separate customers in house have the best potential to cut back fatalities and severe accidents first, as bodily separation can completely eradicate conflicts that result in extreme crashes. If it isn’t possible or acceptable for the roadway context to separate customers in house, companies can take into account combining supplemental remedies from decrease tiers the place possible, which promotes redundancy of Secure System options. Lots of the FHWA Proven Safety Countermeasures slot in a number of of those classes. As well as, the Complete Streets design mannequin implements the Secure System Method.

This system of initiatives and methods for the Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation might not degrade transportation system entry for susceptible street customers. For instance, reasonably than eradicating a midblock crossing after crashes happen, an company ought to make these crossings safer for pedestrians by including high-visibility markings, speedy rectangular flashing beacons, or comparable countermeasures.

The Susceptible Street Consumer Security Evaluation can even embody a overview of company insurance policies to determine areas that may be addressed to enhance decision-making for susceptible street consumer security. These insurance policies ought to make sure that susceptible street consumer security is prioritized in all features of program and venture supply.

Attending to the End Line

States’ preliminary Susceptible Street Consumer Security Assessments are due November 15, 2023 and are to be appended to their respective Strategic Freeway Security Plans (SHSPs). Future updates of the assessments will happen as a part of States’ common SHSP replace course of. For added data:

As well as, a restricted quantity of free technical help for the assessments is offered to State DOTs. Contact