Integrating Safety Into The Transportation Planning Process

1
Integrating Safety Into TheTransportation
Planning Process
2
Integrating Safety and Planning

• What MDOT Is Doing
• Investment Planning Program Development
• Project Analysis
• TMS/Safety Management System
• Long Range Safety Goal

3
Investment Planning and Program Development

• Annual and multi-year investment strategy to meet
  our goals
• Safety is always our first concern
• MDOTs Safety Program has a Goal

4
Investment Planning and Program Development

• Goal of MDOTs Safety Program is

To serve the publics transportation needs
through application of comprehensive highway
traffic engineering technology participating in
all phases of the departments effort to reduce
traffic crashes and injuries, vehicle delay, fuel
consumption, pollution, and operating costs by
increasing safety, efficiency, and capacity of
the state highway trunkline system.
5
Investment Planning and Program Development

• MDOTs safety efforts are divided into five
  general programs investing 50 million annually
• Safety Improvements
• Signing
• Traffic Signals
• Pavement Marking
• Guardrails
• Each program has performance goals and measures

6
Project Level Analysis

• Build safety into all Capital Projects
• Each project, as it is scoped and developed is
  reviewed for safety considerations
• Where improvements are necessary, they are
  incorporated into the project.
• Safety specialists in Lansing and MDOT Regions

7
TMS/Safety Management System

• One of the six components of the Transportation
  Management System (TMS) computer application
• Decision support tool for analyzing vehicular
  crashes and the roads on which they occur
• Provides for identification, analysis, and
  implementation of engineering improvements at
  high crash locations

8
TMS/Safety Management System

• Allows for effective management of federal
  dollars used for safety projects
• Users can access crash data and road features
• Perform route based, time of return, and peer
  group analyses

9
TMS/Safety Management System

• SMS is important in developing effective programs
  that promote traffic safety
• In conjunction with OHSP and law enforcement
  programs include
• Click It or Ticket
• Drive Michigan Safely
• Dont be Road Kill

10
TMS/Safety Management System

• Crash Reporting Information System (CRIS)
• Similar crash information as SMS
• Produces standardized reports for customer use

11
Other Safety Efforts

• RoadSoft
• Crash analyses module and road data
• Primary source of crash information for most
  Michigan counties and local agencies
• Safety Programs of other MDOT Divisions
• MULTI-MODAL - Rail Safety Section and Local Grade
  Crossing Program

12
State Long Range Plan Safety Goal

• The Safety Goal Is . . .

Promote the safety and security of the
transportation system for users and passengers,
pedestrians, and motorized and non-motorized
vehicles. smallm_at_michigan.gov
13
Safety Objectives

• Continually reduce the crash rate and severity
• Participate in education efforts and public
  information campaigns
• Work with service providers, local communities,
  and enforcement offices to improve user safety
• Identify and address the needs of aging drivers
  and pedestrians

14
Safety Conscious Planning

• Metropolitan Planning Processes

15
Metropolitan Planning

• The Transportation Equity Act for the 21st
  Century requires that the metropolitan planning
  process shall provide for consideration of
  projects and strategies that will increase the
  safety and security of the transportation system
  for motorized and non-motorized users..

16
Safety Conscious Planning

• A proactive approach to the prevention of
  accidents and unsafe transportation conditions by
  establishing inherently safe transportation
  networks. SCP achieves road safety improvements
  through small, but measurable changes, targeted
  at the whole network.

17
Safety Conscious Planning

• The short-term objective is to integrate safety
  considerations into the transportation planning
  processes at all levels, such as the
  Transportation Improvement Plans developed by the
  Metropolitan Planning Organizations

18
Safety Conscious Planning

• As a long term objective, the consideration of
  safety objectives will be incorporated into the
  20 year plans that the MPO's are required to
  prepare and periodically update.

18
19
Safety Conscious Planning

• Benefits
• Increased awareness of safety within the
  community
• Saving lives, reducing injuries and crashes
• A more comprehensive community Safety plan
• Improved ability to predict outcomes and update
  initiatives
• Decrease in overall transportation expenses

19
20
SCP - Phase I

• Each MPO is developing a safety profile and will
  hold a safety forum as a starting point for
  integrating safety conscious planning into the
  metropolitan planning process.

21
Crash Summary/Profile

• The ability to collect and analyze traffic crash
  data is critical to understanding potential
  transportation issues.
• Data tables and maps showing critical components
  of traffic crash information is available at
  state, county and local levels.

21
22
Traffic Safety Forum

• Organize a meeting with key traffic safety
  partners within your community and review how
  safety can provide the following benefits
• Increased awareness of safety within the
  community
• Save lives, reduce injuries and crashes
• Create a more comprehensive community Safety plan
• Improve the ability to analyze data and predict
  outcomes
• Decrease overall transportation expenses

22
23
Crash Summary - Data Table Example
23
24
SCP Phase II

• Identification of the best method for areawide
  integration
• Attend at a 1 day training seminar on the
  systematic and organized approach to safety
  conscious planning.
• Member agency workshops to identify goals and
  performance measures.
• Development of the process and a timetable for
  integrating the goals and performance measures
  into the project identification and selection
  process.

25
Next Step Determine how to integrate SCP into
the overall transportation plan.

• Adopt SCP language in transportation related
  documents.
• Create a communication plan explaining why SCP
  is important and how the community will
  benefit from SCP.
• Develop a method to identify priority projects
  and issues
• Provide a feedback mechanism to gauge the effect
  and effectiveness of SCP and to identify
  improvement opportunities
• Review current and future projects to determine
  if safety has been incorporated into the overall
  plan

25
26
Implementation
Identify Target Locations
Conduct Safety Study
Conduct a Benefit Cost Analysis
Develop Project Funding Strategy
Design and Construct Improvements
Evaluate safety and economic benefits of the
improvements.
Conduct Post Improvement Evaluation Study
26
27
The Key
Partnerships between various organizations that
have an interest in safety are critical to
providing our constituents with a safe,
manageable and efficient roadway system.
27
28
ConclusionFor safety to be an integral part of
our efforts it must be incorporated into our
programs
LONG RANGE PLANNING ? INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
? PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT ? PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
29
Final Thought

• Safety First !