Boone County’s Local Road Safety Plan

Summary

The systemic approach is particularly apt for specific crash types that occur less regularly or in areas where crashes are more widespread, as opposed to clustered. The systemic approach uses site characteristics to evaluate risk despite limited crash numbers. This is especially applicable for Kentucky’s Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP) program due to the lack of sites with a history of severe crashes. As one example, Boone County’s LRSP sought to reduce deaths and serious injuries within the county by recognizing and prioritizing roadway safety improvements through the systemic approach.

Montana Department of Transportation’s North of Kiowa North

Setting Credible Speed Limits – New Hampshire DOT

Background

New Hampshire DOT (NHDOT) is working to promote “reasonable and safe” speed limits for conditions and in a number of instances found that raising the existing speed limit was the appropriate solution.

Establishing and managing credible speed limits impacts safety. Community safety often suffers when we reduce speed limits in reaction to an event without considering the context and operations of the roadway. Educating the public one town or one highway segment at a time takes a lot of effort and it is not always received well. However, when explaining why a speed limit should fit the character of the roadway, the NHDOT has been pleasantly surprised by the number of people that seem to “get it.” (B. Lambert, interview with the author, December 30, 2019).

New Data-driven Approach to Support Safety Countermeasures with Short Service Lives

Problem

Local agency engineers have declined participation in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) because the one-time infusion of safety funds is overshadowed by increasing maintenance costs, which are the sole responsibility of the local agency.

Noteworthy Solution

FHWA's Minnesota Division partnered with Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) and Minnesota's county engineers to develop a new project funding approach for the state that removes the maintenance funding barrier. This approach changes the classification for some projects typically classified as maintenance so they are eligible for HSIP funding.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Comprehensive Approach to Local Road Safety

Problem

Local agencies manage a high percentage of roads but have varying levels of expertise and funding to develop and implement traffic safety projects.

Noteworthy Solution

Local road safety improvements are emphasized in Ohio€™s Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) and in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) spends about $102 million each year on improving high-crash and severe-crash locations on local roads.

ODOT also works with local partners to fund investments that improve safety on Ohio roads (ODOT, 2017). ODOT collaborates with the Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), the County Engineers Association of Ohio (CEAO), metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and local governments and agencies to comprehensively expand training, technical assistance, and funding opportunities to local partners. These collaborative relationships have evolved into resources that can help local agencies when applying for federal HSIP funding:

• District Office Highway Safety Resources
• Statewide Steering Committee
• Program Resource Guide
• The Township Sign Safety Program
• County Roadway Safety Audits Program
• County Engineers Association Funding

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Dedicated Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Funding Support for Local System Safety Projects

Problem

Some local agencies believe that local road safety projects cannot compete for funds with state road safety projects on an even playing field.

Noteworthy Solution

Minnesota and North Dakota committed to support local system safety projects by dedicating federal safety funding from their states€™ Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Each state dedicates a portion of its HSIP funding for local system projects to address severe crashes (involving fatalities plus incapacitating injuries) that occur on local systems. The funding designated for local systems is set aside so that local agencies are only competing with each other, and not competing with the state system for the same allotment of funding.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Local Safety Engineering Assistance Program

Problem

Participating in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) requires a major effort to prepare construction documents and plans. This can be a barrier to local agency participation.

Noteworthy Solution

In fiscal year (FY) 2013, the New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) created the Local Safety Engineering Assistance Program (LSEAP) to help implement projects administered under the Local Safety Program (LSP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) (NJTPA, 2013). The LSEAP provides design assistance through plans, specifications, and cost estimates (PS&Es). In order to make LSEAP viable, the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) increased funding for authorizations from $2.8 million in FY 2013 (when LSEAP was implemented) to an average of $17 million per year for FYs 2014-2016.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Bundled Project Strategy

Problem

Complying with U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) guidelines for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding may be time and cost prohibitive for individual (small) projects.

Noteworthy Solution

To help local agencies comply with FHWA guidelines and taking into account the need for cost and time efficiencies given agencies' limited/finite resources, Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) decided to bundle local agency projects collectively by district. Each MnDOT district created one single project containing numerous safety improvements to local roads. This has led to reduced complexity and paperwork. MnDOT has contacted county engineers to share experiences, workloads, and materials with other local agencies to promote more efficient and cost-effective projects.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Environmental Documentation Assistance

Problem

Many agencies do not participate in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) process because they have not previously (or regularly) prepared the complex environmental documentation required for federally funded projects.

Noteworthy Solution

Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) streamlined the environmental documentation process for low-cost safety countermeasures designed for minimal environmental impacts, including:

• Enhanced pavement markings
• Upgraded traffic signs
• Street lighting
• Edge and centerline rumble strips

These countermeasures do not require reconstruction and are typically confined to the existing roadway. If outside the road edge, they do not require grading. Even though the list of project types is short, it represents the majority of projects proposed by local agencies for implementation through the state's HSIP.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.

Systemic Safety Evaluation

Problem

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding is usually allocated to projects meeting an established definition of high-crash location. Local systems tend to experience low-crash density, which can be a challenge in qualifying for HSIP funding.

Noteworthy Solution

Thurston County in Washington State has developed a systemic safety analysis approach that can be used by locations with low-crash density and provide Thurston County with a proactive, data-driven, and defensible method of identifying projects eligible for Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) HSIP funding.

This practice is from the FHWA publication "Noteworthy Practices Manual - For Local Agencies Implementing Federal-Aid Highway Safety Improvement Program Projects." Download a PDF of the entire manual or view the HTML version.