akron metropolitan area transportation study annual meeting october 12, 2012
TRANSCRIPT
Building a Case for Safety
Akron Metropolitan Area Transportation StudyAnnual MeetingOctober 12, 2012
Dave Pulay, PE Transportation Engineer AMATS
Dave Griffith, PE Safety Engineer ODOT District 4
Eric Smith, PE, PTOE Engineer and Vice President URS Corporation – Akron Office
Building a Case for Safety
Introduction
Highway Safety 101
Crash Trends
Areas of Special Concern
How To Apply for Safety Funds
Overview
The Ohio Department of Transportation has one of the largest safety programs in the country
About $72 million is available annually for projects and programs that address high and severe crash locations.
Can be used on any public road
Introduction
Funding available for studies, design, right of way, and construction
Typical request is from $50,000 to $5 million
Some safety funding is also available for education and enforcement
Historically our area has done well with obtaining safety funding. Currently there are 27 projects in the 2012-2015 TIP with safety funding worth $29.7 Million.
Introduction
Crashes are usually studied in three year periods
Animal and construction zone crashes are removed, these do not reflect highway deficiencies
Crashes are separated into three primary categories Intersection (46%) Segment or Non-intersection (38%) Freeway (16%)
Highway Safety 101
Crash Severity Levels Property Damage Only (PDO) Injury (Approximately 25%) Fatal (Less than 1%, 0.25-0.30%)
Crash Rate Takes into account the number of crashes and the
traffic volume Expressed in terms of crashes per million vehicles
Highway Safety 101
The four “E’s” of traffic safety Engineering Emergency Response Education Enforcement
Highway Safety 101
Because 93% of crashes involve some driver error
ROADWAY34%
DRIVER93%
VEHICLE13%
Contributing Factors to Crashes
The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) is a new analysis tool to help quantify and predict safety related transportation decisions
Over ten years of research by the Transportation Research Board (TRB)
Mathematical relationship for safety performance based on roadway conditions – how many crashes are predicted vs. actual crashes
Crash reductions factors
Highway Safety 101
Trends - Total Crashes 2002-2011
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 201215,000
20,000
25,00023,117 22,844 22,273
20,812
18,85319,394
18,644
16,454 16,929 17,011
AMATS
Year
Rep
ort
ed C
rash
es
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000 386,076392,683
381,640
358,590
334,206 328,742320,877
298,658 300,163290,248
OHIO
Year
Rep
ort
ed C
rash
es
Trends - Injuries 2002-2011
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 20123,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
6,2926,001
5,6585,448
4,992 4,987 4,885
4,1264,378 4,360
AMATS
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f In
juri
es
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 20128,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
11,858 11,54911,942
11,077 10,70110,469
10,1139,774
10,186
9,482
OHIO
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f In
juri
es
Trends - Fatalities 2002-2011
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 201230
40
50
60
70
63
5660 61
55
68
45
3942
45
AMATS
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f F
atal
itie
s
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
1,417
1,278 1,2851,328
1,239 1,2571,191
1,0221,080
1,015
Ohio
Year
Nu
mb
er o
f F
atal
itie
s
Fatal crashes are more random and evenly distributed than other crashes
Alcohol and/or drugs suspected in 41% of fatal crashes
Failure to Control and Unsafe Speed are the top contributing factors
43% are Fixed Object type crashes
36% occur on weekends
Trends – Fatalities
126 Total
Trends - Top Crash Types (2009-2011)
Rear End
Angle
Fixed Object
Sideswipe - Passing
Parked Vehicle
Backing
Left Turn
Sideswipe - Meeting
Other Non-Collision
Pedestrian
Other Object
30.4%
17.4%
17.1%
11.2%
5.1%
5.1%
4.7%
2.5%
1.9%
1.1%
1.1%
Distracted Driving
Distracted driving is any non-driving activity that has the potential to distract from the primary task of driving
There are three main types of distraction: Visual — taking your eyes off the road Manual — taking your hands off the wheel Cognitive — taking your mind off what you’re doing
Texting and cell phone use involves all three types of distraction
Nationwide it’s estimated that 18 percent of injury crashes and 16 percent of fatalities involved distracted driving
Ohio House Bill 99 (August 31, 2012) prohibits texting while driving for all ages and also prohibits texting and cell phone use for drivers under 18
The new Ohio police report has a specific section to indicate if distracted driving contributed to the crash
Distracted Driving
Ages 16-25
Largest percentage of overall crashes (35%)
Largest percentage of fatalities (22%)
Experience issues, don’t calculate risk well
Drive with others in the car (social driving)
Largest percentage of distracted drivers???
Crashes with Youth
Age 65 and up, rapidly growing %
Driving = Independence
27% of senior related crashes are angle crashes. For all drivers 17% are angle crashes.
Vision and reaction time issues, physical limitations
More likely to be injured
Self regulated, friends, family, and doctors can help
Crashes with Seniors
Bike and Pedestrian Crashes
78% of bicycle crashes and 85% of pedestrian crashes result in an injury
Nearly 36% of pedestrian crashes occur in dark conditions
As non-automobile forms of transportation gain popularity designers are developing “Complete Streets” concepts
A “Complete Street” integrates other modes of transportation into the street design
Bike and Pedestrian Crashes
The Safety Funding Process
1.Determine Location
2.Engineering Study
3.Apply to ODOT District Office
4.Sent to ODOT Central Office
5.Funding Decisions
Yes- Project No or Less-Reevaluate
AMATS analyzes crash data and produces an annual technical memorandum (currently 2009 -2011)
ODOT also produces a statewide list of locations including freeways
Local safety forces
Local maintenance personnel
1. Determine Location
Local residents (use with caution)
Look for clues – Skid marks, broken glass and car parts, damaged to roadside appurtenances
Locations that are also congested
Bottom Line: Minimum of 10 crashes / 3 years and a crash rate of at least 1.0. Others considered on a case by case basis
1. Determine Location
The essential parts of this study are:
Existing Conditions Collision Diagrams Crash Data and Analysis Recommendations and countermeasures Short Term-Low Cost Long Term-High Cost
Costs and rate of return analysis Photos
2. Engineering Study
Condition Diagram
Collision Diagram
Relative Severity Analysis
Rate of Return Analysis
This process must begin at least two months prior to April 30 and September 30
The District Safety Review Team (DSRT) is a multi-disciplinary committee that reviews the applications
The DSRT scores the applications and then produces another safety funding application that is sent to the ODOT Central Office in Columbus
3. Apply to ODOT District Office
Some things that an application is scored on Number of crashes Number of severe injury and fatal crashes Crash rate Congestion (Traffic Volume) Percent trucks Rate of Return on the investment
3. Apply to ODOT District Office
District Safety Application
This is done by the District Office safety engineer
Deadline for this submittal is April 30 and September 30
A Safety Program Committee at the Central Office evaluates the applications from all the districts statewide
Usually a video conference is done between the Central Office and the District Office along with other stakeholders
4. Sent to ODOT Central Office
If a project is approved it is then funded and added to the State Transportation Improvement Program. Funding should be programmed within 30 days.
Sometimes a only part of the funding will be approved and the scope of work will need to be altered
On a large corridor project, a recommendation may be handed down to do it phases with only one phase being funded at the current time
5. Funding Decisions
Ohio has one of the most aggressive safety programs in the country
Around $72 million are allocated toward safety. Can be used on any public road.
Safety funds can also be spent on education and enforcement
Choose your location and countermeasures wisely. You are competing against the rest of the state for safety funds.
Conclusions
AMATS and ODOT do a safety analysis annually using the last three years of complete crash data and the results are on each agencies website
AMATS can do a pre-engineering analysis of any location if requested.
Talk to Dave Griffith about locations you are considering. With his many years of experience working with safety he can help you through the process.
Conclusions