According to the U.S.DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics for 2014, approximately 76% of all road miles in the United States is owned and maintained by local entities. In addition, NHTSA’s Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) for 2013 reports that approximately 54% of all fatal crashes occur on rural roads; 72% of which are owned by local entities. Hence, many states are facing challenges in addressing safety issues on locally owned roads. This synthesis documents the state programs and practices that address local agency road safety. Of particular interest to this study has been information on state program size, funding sources, and administrative procedures; changes in local road safety programs since the legislation of Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century (MAP-21); noteworthy local and state program partnerships and initiatives to improve safety; and the use of 4E (Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Services) approaches to local road safety. The findings of this synthesis will provide state departments of transportation (DOTs) and their local agencies with useful information on successful partnerships to address the reduction of crashes on local roads. The information for this synthesis was gathered through a comprehensive literature review, a survey of state DOTs, and subsequent interviews with a handful of state and other organizations such as local public agencies, local technical assistance programs, and metropolitan planning organizations in ten states that were selected for further study. A listing of noteworthy practices of state coordinated programs aimed at local road safety was developed from the state survey and analysis of ten states whose safety programs have achieved reductions in local road crashes. Forty-seven DOTs responded to the survey, a response rate of 94%. The following major observations were made based on the DOT survey data, detailed interviews, and literature review: • MAP-21 has positively affected states in their ability, through significantly increased funding levels especially in the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), to address local road safety and the need for data-driven decisions that implement proven countermeasures to reduce crashes on local roads. Through the survey, federal funding was identified as the major source in many states (more than 80% of fund source) for the local road safety programs. • Thirty-three states have experienced a reduction of fatal and serious injury crashes since the implementation of MAP-21 legislation and reported the promotion of systemic lowcost safety improvements and initiation or expansion of state coordinated local road safety programs and partnerships as key factors in crash reduction. Increased HSIP funding and improved access to crash data for local agencies were also identified as elements that contributed to crash reductions. • States are using a variety of approaches to engage local government agencies. Many states are holding summits, conferences, workshops, and meetings to help educate and train local agencies in applying for safety funds and discussing safety requirements. In addition, many states are coordinating with their Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) centers to address issues with local agencies on local road safety. • Many states have adopted and/or support the Toward Zero Deaths Initiative within its own Strategic Highway Safety Program (SHSP), in which states address reducing crashes on all public roads by employment of a 4E approaches. Survey results revealed that most states (32) include an element in their SHSP that identifies and addresses goals and initiatives to improve the safety on local roads. • The majority of states responded that the administration and reporting requirements for the use of federal-aid dollars have been a deterrent to the participation of local agencies. Practices identified to encourage such involvement were a year-round fund application timeframe, streamlining and consolidating the solicitation process [e.g., a universal application (one application) for federal safety funds]; lowering local match requirements (e.g., providing state funds to match federal funds so that a local match is not required); and providing training, technical assistance, and certification programs for local public agencies. • Key challenges faced by state DOTs in addressing local safety projects were the lack of local agency resources (44 states), followed by the limit of state DOT resources (29 states). Tools identified to address these challenges were providing workshops, training, and technical assistance; enhancing communication; outreach and engagement with local agencies; procedures documented in local road manuals; and comprehensive guidance and policy for local agencies. This synthesis identified the following future research needs to support local road safety: • Development of a cost-effective traffic and roadway inventory database system to facilitate the implementation of a data-driven systemic safety approach. Advances in sensor technology (e.g., Utah DOT’s LiDAR pilot study) and research initiatives on effective traffic counts on local roads (e.g., traffic count estimation based on small scale sample counts and land use variables) are reported as possible solutions to address the lack of a roadway inventory system. Iowa DOT’s Statewide Traffic Records Coordinating Committeesupported traffic record program and Ohio’s geographic information system crash analysis tool system are examples of the geographic information system applications that could contribute to the data-driven systemic safety approach. • Development of new performance indicators for program/practice evaluation in addition to the currently used crash fatality and serious injury numbers and rates. The corresponding research results will also assist in establishing an effective methodology to document and estimate the level of safety enhancement at the project location or program level other than one based on crash numbers or rates. Research results will also assist in developing proactive safety methods for enhancing the safety on local roads. Possible future performance measures for further study have been addressed in the Minnesota SHSP entitled Minnesota’s Traffic Safety Tracking Indicators by Focus Area (presented in web-only Appendix D). • Further analysis is needed on driver’s behavior on all roads to identify countermeasures and/or strategies that would have significant impacts on human behavior. For example, there is a need for detailed observations of vehicle speeds on local roads in order to establish and post realistic speeds and driver behavior changes as they transition from interstate, state, and local roads. Research results will help provide guidelines for implementing safety programs targeted at reducing human factor attributed crashes. • The use of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) by local agencies has been very limited. Although the state of Michigan, through the LTAP, developed and has been implementing a training program to educate local agencies in the use of the HSM, future efforts could be explored for ways to make this important safety tool more readily usable by local agencies. • Investigation on the impacts of various advances in technology, such as autonomous vehicles and the use of low-cost intelligent transportation systems technology [e.g., Advanced LED Warning system for Rural intersections (ALERT) rural two-way stop control intersection warning system by the Minnesota DOT and Local Road Research Board] to improve local road safety. (Author/publisher)
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