Noteworthy Practices

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.

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.

Local Road Safety Plans

Problem

While local agencies support safety initiatives, they have limited experience and few resources for conducting system-wide, data-driven crash analysis.

Noteworthy Solution

The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) pioneered new methodologies to supplement their traditional hot-spot/high-crash location analysis based on crash frequency using a systemic analysis based on crash potential. These methodologies were first described in MnDOT's 2008 Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). North Dakota DOT (NDDOT) adapted the Minnesota process to fit North Dakota's needs and developed a Local Road Safety Program (2013-2015). The system-wide crash analysis processes can be applied to other local agencies if their crash analysis experience and resources are limited.

Support for Road Safety Assessments

Problem

There is a limited number of safety professionals within local agencies to analyze and address complex road safety issues.

Noteworthy Solution

Local road authorities submitted requests to Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) for assistance in evaluating road safety issues. IDOT's Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE) provided funding and technical assistance from in-house safety specialists to conduct a large number of Road Safety Assessments (RSAs) along local road systems. The final product was a prioritized list of key findings and recommendations.

Local Agency Safety Program

Problem

Local agencies often do not have the resources/expertise to conduct in-depth crash analyses and/or identify traffic safety solutions.

Noteworthy Solution

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7 (Tampa Bay region) has developed the Local Agency Safety Program to assist local agencies without the resources to identify, develop, and implement safety improvements on local roadways as part of their Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) process.

The Local Agency Safety Program includes:

A yearly traffic safety summit
Access to Safety Ambassadors
A Local Agency Traffic Safety Academy (LATSA)
Project delivery assistance

Implementing New Technology

Problem

Local agencies may have limited expertise with new/innovative safety countermeasures. This limits the agencys ability to address key crash factors.

Noteworthy Solution

In 2012, Thurston County in Washington State conducted a data-driven safety analysis to identify and prioritize potential safety projects that would be eligible for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds.

In late 2013, Thurston County determined that wet/icy pavement contributed to 47% of crashes and identified high friction surface treatment (HFST)a new and innovative technology proven effective at reducing crashes, particularly on wet pavementsas a solution. However, Thurston County had no prior experience with HFST and neither the Washington State Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) nor the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) could answer Thurston Countys questions about local implementation (installation costs, materials, and ongoing maintenance issues). To resolve the unanswered HFST inquiries, Thurston County worked with LTAP and FHWA to coordinate a peer exchange and pilot project.

Local Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Advisory Committee

Problem

Despite a notable percentage of fatalities occurring on local roads, there is low county, city, and local agency participation in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

Noteworthy Solution

In 2014, California formed a local HSIP Advisory Committee to increase local agency participation in California's HSIP and to support the states goal to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries on California public roads. The Advisory Committee provides California's local HSIP and other safety programs with safety guidance on California's local roadways. Committee members include the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) - Division of Local Assistance, U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the Local Technical Assistance Program, and local agencies throughout California.

Safety Training for Local Agencies

Problem

Local agencies find it difficult to identify and develop safety projects for Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funding since very few of their staff are trained in safety analysis.

Noteworthy Solution

State and federal entities acknowledge that some local agencies have limited staff and their responsibilities cover a broad range of work that often monopolizes their time. They frequently are unable to take the necessary training to understand or apply traffic safety methods. In response, agencies have developed tools to help guide local practitioners through the HSIP safety analysis process. Federal and state agencies have developed the following resources to provide local agencies with safety analysis training and tools:

U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Improving Safety on Rural Local and Tribal Roads - Safety Toolkit (2014)
Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) Traffic Safety Fundamentals Handbook (2015)
North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority (NJTPA) training course using the New Jersey Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Manual (2016)

Strategic Highway Safety Plan Involvement

Problem

Local agencies implement few Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)-funded safety projects because project funding applications are seen as too complex and difficult.

Noteworthy Solution

To increase local participation in the HSIP process, the Minnesota and North Dakota DOTs developed Local Road Safety Plans (LRSPs) for each of the state counties (Refer to Case Study 10 for detailed information). To expedite project development, they provided local agencies with the HSIP project forms and required data for projects identified in the two state safety plans (approximately 14,000 specific actions at individual locations in Minnesota [Leuer, 2016, pers. comm.] and 3,000 actions in North Dakota [Kuntz, 2016, pers. comm.]).

The purpose of the Manual is, "to provide documentation and guidance to NHDOT staff and other safety stakeholders involved with implementing the HSIP in New Hampshire." The Manual was developed by an HSIP Committee directed by NHDOT staff and includes representatives from NHDOT, U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), local state agencies, metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs), and regional development commissions.

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