michigan department of transportation local safety initiatives dale reed lighthizer, p.e. - mdot...

Michigan Department of Transportation

Local Safety Initiatives

Dale Reed Lighthizer, P.E. - MDOT

Tracie Kalliainen, E.I.T. - MDOT

Wayne Schoonover, P.E. - Ionia County Road Commission

MDOT Local Safety Initiative 2

This Session

• MDOT Local Safety Initiatives

• Example – series of countermeasures

• A local perspective

Michigan Department of Transportation

Local Safety Initiative

Getting the Ball Rolling


For Local Agencies

• On- going safety Efforts• Why local safety?• Process• Tools• Countermeasures


Safety Initiatives …

• AASHTO Strategic Safety Plan• Michigan Strategic Safety Plan• Michigan Intersection Action Plan• Crash Data Improvement• Michigan legislative initiatives• Local Safety Initiative


22 Safety Emphasis Areas

The 4 E’s of Highway Safety

Emergency Response (EMS)

Education Enforcement

Engineering

AASHTO Strategic Safety Plan


Michigan Strategic Safety Plan

• Developed by Governors Traffic Safety Advisory Commission (GTSAC)

• Identifies focus areas• Local emphasis


Crash Data Improvement

• Crash Data Redesign Project

• Goal to give easy access to “High Crash” locations


Michigan Legislative Highway Safety Initiatives

• 0.08 BAC Law (July 2003)500 lives saved yearly – nationwide($3.22 Million incentive to Michigan in Sept. 2003)

• Work Zone LawsSpeed Limits ~ Double Fines (1997)Andy’s Law (2001) ~ Increase Points (2002)Work Zone Defined (2003)

• Graduated Drivers Licensing(In effect April, 1997. Crashes involving 16 year old drivers dropped 25% in 1999).

• Primary Seat Belt Law (March 2000)


The Case for Traffic Safety . . . Michigan has . . .

• 122,000 miles of highway

• 101.8 Billion vehicle miles traveled in 2004

• 370,000+ crashes yearly• 100,000+ crash injuries

yearly• 1,000 – 1,200 fatalities

yearly


Unacceptable Cost in terms of . . .

• Loss of Life – 1,159 Michigan, 2004 (42,000 Nationwide)

• Economic Impact - $9.8 Billion loss to Michigan($230 Billion Nationwide)

• Every tragic eventinvolves someone’s family member!


AASHTO Safety Goal

1.5 Fatalities per 100 Million VMT, 2004(Michigan Fatalities – 1.1 per Million VMT)

The Goal? Reduce to

1.0 Fatalities per 100 Million VMT by 2008(Save 350 lives per year in Michigan)


City & County

122,000 miles

MDOT Freeway

MDOT Non-freeway

Michigan Road Mileage:

92%

6.4%

1.6%


City & County

101.8 Billion vehicle miles2004 Michigan data

MDOT Freeway

MDOT Non-freeway

Michigan Traffic Volume:

31%

46%

23%


373,363 crashes / year2004 Michigan data

MDOT Freeway

MDOT Non-freeway

City & County

Michigan Traffic Crashes:

68%21%

11%


MDOT Freeway 1. 58 crashes / mvm

MDOT Non-freeway 4. 09 crashes / mvm

City & County 6. 61 crashes / mvm

MI Crash Rate - per Million miles driven:

68%21%

11%


1,159 deaths2004 Michigan data

MDOT

City & County

Michigan Traffic Deaths:

61%

39%


Integrated Approach to Highway Safety

• GTSAC established May 2002

• State & Local Governmental Agencies• Safety and Insurance Industry• Safety Advocacy Groups

• Team Approach to

Saving Lives


GTSAC Brings Together The 4 E’s of Highway Safety

• Engineering• Enforcement• Emergency Medical Services• Education


Transportation Focus Areas

• Highways• Truck Transit• Mass Transit• Railways• Aeronautics• Pedestrians/Non-Motorized Travel


Highway Focus Areas • Intersection Safety (29.5% fatal crashes)• Roadway Departure (48.3% fatal crashes)• Traffic Signal Timing and Modernization (15 year cycle)• Geometrics/Hazard Elimination• Young/Elder Driver Groups • Highway Work Zones• Car – Deer/Animal Crashes• Seatbelt Use• Crash Data Improvement


In Addition...The Fifth E – Effective,

Enthusiastic Partnerships

• Share knowledge base• Share solutions• Share ideas


Local Safety Initiative

• Local roadway network• Voluntary• Analyze crash data

• “Topics”• “Yellow Book”

• Suggest fixes• Education• Improve ROADSOFT tools for local use


What We Offer

• Crash review• Review of safety performance• Safety assessment• Engineering countermeasures• Other countermeasures• Follow up evaluations


Finding the Problem Areas

• Data Collection

• Network Screening

• Site Selection


Finding the Problem Areas

• High level analysis of county wide data• Examine safety performance• Target locations• Target other safety concerns

• Detailed analysis of crash data


LTAP

Local Technical Assistance Program


Why ROADSOFT?

• Already in place – used by counties/ cities• All roads in state• Common referencing• GIS• Easy to use – simple access to data• Basic reporting


Site Study Phase

• Detailed Crash Analysis

• Site Visit

• Safety Assessment

• Geometric Analysis

• Operational Analysis


Engineering Studies• Number of vehicles entering the intersection

• Traffic movement volumes

• Pedestrian volume counts

• Facilities for young, elderly, or disabled

• Speeds (posted and 85%)

• Condition diagram


Feedback Phase

REQUIREMENTS

• Identification of deficiencies

• Selection of countermeasures


Countermeasures

• Situational – NCHRP 500 reports

• Low cost• Signing• Pavement markings• Signal modifications• Improve sight distance/ visibility

• Moderate costs• Signal improvements• Barrier

• Major cost• Construction


Uncomplicated Traffic Control


AAA Michigan Case Study• AAA Michigan, Local governments, Office of

Highway Safety Planning, Regional Planning, Michigan DOT

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Roadway Departure Initiatives

Forgiving Roadside HardwareCrash-Safe Guard Rail Endings


What’s Next?

• Local agency implements various countermeasures

• Performs/ contracts design services• Apply for funding• Apply treatment


Post Report Phase

• Evaluation

• Before/ after analysis


Conclusions

• Clear some action is necessary• LSI is just the beginning• Team effort


Safety is . . .

• Everybody’s business• A coordinated effort• Organization-wide• A strategic focus


To Achieve 1.0 by 2008

Continue:• Engineering, Education & Enforcement• Road, Driver & Vehicle• Partnering

Take advantage of the MDOT LSI!!


PartneringCitizen Groups

Traffic Engineers

Health Care Professionals

Insurance Companies

Local and State GovernmentFederal

Government

Law Enforcement

Local Safety InitiativeA Year in Review


Program Successes

• To date the Local Safety Initiative has worked with 5 counties• 4 additional Counties going through initial

analysis• Including crash analysis within 11

cities/villages• Begin with County Engineer/Rep.

• Countermeasure suggestions provided


Commonalities…

• Larger/brighter signing• Additional signing on curves• Upgraded pavement markings

• Wider lines• Wet/night markings

• Cut back tree line/Improve clear zone• Remove sight distance obstructions at

intersections


Curves

• Improve signing• Improve delineation• Check superelevation


Upcoming Typicals

• Ultra Low Volumes• Defined by MMUTCD

• Outside built up areas• 400 ADT or less• Paved or unpaved

• Less extensive


Intersections

• Unsignalized• Improve sight distances• Control access points• Improve visibility of intersection• Verify choice of traffic control


Sufficient Sight Distance


Intersections

• Signalized• 12” signal lens and improved placement

• Appropriate Clearance Intervals

• Re-timing

• Add turn lane

• Add turn phase


Before a Signal Consider…

Improving visibility:

• Advance warning signs(with or without beacons)

• Relocating stop bars

• Flashing red beacon

• Roadway lighting


Before a Signal Consider…

Improving traffic operation:

• Additional lanes

• Revised geometrics

• Restricted turning movement

Now for Something Completely Different…

Welcome to Ionia County


IoniaCounty


Ionia CountyRural, and growing…


Ionia Safety Efforts

• Developed a “road safety audit”• Team review of locations• Low cost fixes• Funding issues

• Working to define county warrants for various treatments

• Need rational basis treatments• Local Agency Programs (LAP) applications

• Crash review• Input: engineering, maintenance, management


Federal Local Safety Program (MDOT - LAP)

• Upgrading guardrail at structures• Intersection upgrade project

• township jog• Y to T reconstruction• Drain relocation• Guardrail upgrade


LSI - A Local Perspective

• Early involvement can be a benefit• Complacency is a killer ….

• Another pair of eyes

• Saves time – I would not be able to do this level of analysis

• Might be an opportunity• Provides some additional data in support of

safety project applications


In Depth look

• Patterns• Fatals• Intersections• Segments


Site Visits

• Some locations were a surprise• Provide an in depth look at systems• Another set of experts• Supporting data for garnering resources• Uniformity


“Cautious Enthusiasm”

• Maintenance issues• Warranted treatments• Level of long term commitments


Benefits

• Additional expertise• Identification of atypical problem locations• High risk


This is a Journey …

• This program could change how we do business

• Not an end in itself• Could be a way to fund some projects• Low cost solutions• Another way to identify problems

michigan department of transportation local safety initiatives dale reed lighthizer, p.e. - mdot...

Documents

michigan slide

safety efforts

local perspective slide

aashto safety goal

safety emphasis areas

local agencies

michigan fatalities

crashes mvm mdot