The diversity among local jurisdictions and governments in each State can make the development and implementation of a standardized local road safety program difficult. Some States have worked through the challenges of integrating local roadways in their safety programs and adopted practices to assist them. The Local Road Safety Domestic Scan identified several of these practices that if adopted can help State and local agencies develop programs to meet their specific needs.  Some practices identified on the domestic scan and documented in this report may not be easily adopted by other States because they may be based on particular State legislative policies.  However, most of the practices are readily adoptable or adaptable to many States, with some coordination and collaboration with safety stakeholders.

States demonstrating reductions in local roadway crashes have depended on the integration of a variety of safety programs and funding mechanisms at the local level.  Success relies first on a comprehensive, coordinated and well-planned approach that is data-driven and results oriented.  States and local agencies must also identify procedures to improve local participation and target resources and actions where they will do the most good.  Many of the most productive local road safety programs depend on leadership from the State DOT and partnerships between many safety stakeholders.

Primary Observations from the Domestic Scan

Data Collection and Analysis
Access to crash data to support a data-driven decision making process is an integral part of getting local roadway involvement in safety improvement programs.The HSIP and other safety programs depend on the results of reliable crash data and analyses to direct funding to the most effective safety projects.  In an effort to build a comprehensive crash data system that includes local road data, IDOT allocated $1 million of HSIP funds to county governments to collect and geo-code their roadway crash data.  All scan States have data analysis software tools.  NJDOT, ALDOT, Mn/DOT, MDOT and GDOT make these tools and respective user training accessible to local agencies.  IDOT and WSDOT conduct comprehensive data analysis and share the results with local agencies.  This has proven effective in encouraging local road practitioners to take an active role in identifying safety issues and seeking resources to address them.

In Georgia and Illinois, regional planning agencies provide technical assistance for member agencies and align project identification with regional safety priorities. Direct technical assistance helps local agencies identify specific safety issues, develop safety countermeasures, and apply for HSIP or other safety funding.  

Local Project Selection
In many cases, local safety programs are structured toguide local agencies to identify safety projects that directly address contributing infrastructure factors associated with the most severe crashes. For example, planning tools, such as the SHSP and local roadway safety plans, guide local agencies in their project selection.Mn/DOT utilizes visual reference tools to guide local agencies in their project selection process. Local agencies typically identify priority locations for funding and implementation; however, priority is usually given to those projects that address the State's safety goals. MDOT gives priority to locations listed in their HSIP five percent report for funding.  For MDOT and Mn/DOT system-wide strategies are favored for safety funding.  The project identification practices used in the scan States provide resources for local transportation agencies to effectively pursue State and Federal transportation funding. 

Local Project Administration
State DOTs with Local-aid divisions within their organizational structure have dedicated personnel to concentrate their efforts on local road issues.  Local-aid divisions are instrumental in helping local agencies navigate the State and Federal-aid processes and provide technical assistance. Dedicated State DOT Local-aid divisions enhance local agency participation in safety programs.  These divisions understand the various funding mechanisms for local safety projects and provide essential support for local agencies to acquire and obligate funding.  All scan States boast Local-aid divisions. The Local-aid divisions also offer safety-related technical assistance either through dedicated local safety staff or the Safety Office within the DOT.

Including local agencies in the development of methodology and guidelines for State and Federal-aid funding fosters a local agency buy-in for safety programs in Alabama.  Scan States have employed a variety of time saving procedures to expedite safety project implementation at the local level.  MDOT and ALDOT use force accounts where the local agencies provide labor for safety projects.  NJDOT requires projects meet categorical exclusion criteria to be eligible for safety funding.  The scan State Local-aid divisions are representative of effective administration structures and practices that may serve as models for other States.

Funding
Availability and access to Federal and State safety funding is instrumental to the integration of local agencies in the States' safety programs.  States distribute funds to local projects via State DOT districts or regional MPOs.  States must balance the safety needs and priorities of various stakeholders.  All scan States distribute 100 percent of HRRRP funds to local roads.  Additionally, varying percentage of their overall HSIP funds are dedicated to improving safety on local roadways.  In addition, some States offer financial incentives to encourage local agency participation in safety programs. These financial incentives include funding local road safety projects 100 percent and often providing PE costs. 

Training and Technical Assistance
Providing roadway safety-related training and technical assistance to local practitioners promotes safety awareness and builds a safety culture at the local roadway level.  Safety training and technical assistance provides practitioners with the knowledge and technical capabilities to succeed in local roadway safety programs.In the scan States, LTAP Centers provided free or low-cost roadway safety training to support States' safety programs.  Transportation safety training and assistance programs improve proficiency among local practitioners involved in project development.  Highly competent local practitioners are more likely to develop projects that reduce crashes and minimize severity.  ALDOT requires county engineers the complete data analysis and low cost safety improvement training to be eligible for safety funds.  MDOT's Local Safety Initiative provides hands-on technical assistance to local practitioners.  Training for elected officials and law enforcement personnel encourages participation from these stakeholders in safety projects and improves efficiency and collaboration.

Outreach and Partnership
Strong partnerships between the State, regional, and local agencies enable peers to share critical safety information.  Many of the scan States have strengthened transportation safety collaboration between the 4Es.  These partnerships include local agency coalitions, such as Minnesota's Towards Zero Death coalition, which have helped pass safety legislation related to reducing drunk driving, seat belt violations, teen driver crashes and fatal crashes.  Partnerships between local agencies can lead to multi-agency projects with broad scopes in multiple jurisdictions at reduced construction costs.  As shown in Illinois, partnerships between engineers and law enforcement have been useful in identifying safety issues and countermeasures to address them.

MPOs are uniquely positioned to address regionally significant safety issues and provide support to member agencies.  In New Jersey, MPOs administer the local road safety funding through the regional TIP.  MPOs provide significant technical assistance to local agencies, such as identifying projects through data analysis or leading RSA programs to develop safety treatments.  MPOs are also well positioned to develop educational outreach programs that promote preventative measures to reduce both total crashes and severity on local roadways. 

To elevate local roadway safety programs and increase public awareness, States must find ways to effectively communicate and reach out to local agencies and other organizations.New Jersey and Michigan hold annual safety summits to exchange safety information and publicly recognize specific accomplishments in roadway safety.  Several States have promoted safety and built partnerships through their technical assistance programs.

Conclusions

Understanding the successful practices experienced in the scan States will provide other States with the impetus to try new or modify existing strategies that best fit their own local roadway safety programs.  States and local agencies can use these documented practices as a model to improve data collection and analysis procedures; initiate new application or funding mechanisms; streamline existing safety programs; institute strong technical assistance programs; or develop valuable partnerships with other stakeholders.  The means exist to significantly improve local roadway safety in nearly every State.  The results of the Local Road Safety Domestic Scan provide a resource for all transportation safety practitioners to use in developing or improving local roadway safety programs.