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Low Cost Safety Improvements Pooled Fund Study (PFS)
presented by
Kim Eccles, P.E.Senior Engineer, VHB
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Background
• AASHTO’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan• Leading to development of NCHRP
Report 500 Guidebooks– 22 are planned, 17 are published and
available– Guidebooks contain safety “strategies”
• 80% of strategies are ‘tried’ or ‘experimental’
• After lead states developed their safety plans, they were encouraged to implement the guidebook strategies
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Purpose of Study
• Safety practitioners continuously voice the need for safety effectiveness data– Accident Modification Factors (AMFs)
• Study will perform rigorous before-after evaluations of strategies found in NCHRP Report 500 Guidebooks
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Project Status
• Current committed participants (26): • AZ, CA, CT, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD,
MN, MS, MT, NC, ND, NY, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA
• Total state committed funds: $2,880,000• FHWA funding is $1.5 Million• Total anticipated project funds: $4,380,000• To date, there are 3 contracts initiated for this
project• NCHRP 17-35, Low Cost Safety Improvements
project
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Completed Activities
• Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met in March 2005 to develop a prioritized list of strategies to be evaluated– 60 Strategies from the following guidebooks:
• Aggressive Drivers• Unsignalized Intersections• Lane Departure (Run Off Road, Hazardous Located
Trees, Head On)
• From these strategies, installation data were collected from all states for the 30 highest priority strategies (based on TAC ranking)
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• Scoping Study resulted in four strategies that had enough installation data to perform evaluations– Center two way left turn lanes on two lane
roadways (2 to 3 lane conversions)– Pavement markings with supplementary
message “STOP AHEAD”– Flashing beacons at stop controlled
intersections– Higher retro-reflectivity sheeting for stop signs
Completed Activities
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Installation Databases
• It is crucial to collect installation data and before conditions to evaluate safety effectiveness
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Installation Databases
• Records of dates and locations of safety improvements difficult to locate– Records may not be kept or may be in
paper file– Local offices may maintain records– Information may be incomplete
• Developed a simple database for maintaining implementation records– Can be used directly or as a model
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• Information entered separately based on type of strategy– Intersection– Segment – Spot
• Microsoft Excel or Access– Access form to facilitate data entry
• Logmile, GIS, or Link-Node System
Installation Databases
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• Location information– Jurisdiction, county, streets, milepost
(or similar)– Roadway or intersection type– Surrounding area (e.g. rural)
• Prior condition– Volume and year– General condition information
Information in Database
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• Treatment information– Treatment (drop down list or write-in)– Description– Cost– Construction dates– Other changes
• Other information– User can add or modify database as
needed
Information in Database
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• Read-Me File– Explains use of CD– Provides explanation of all variables
• PDF copies of 500 Series Volumes 1-6
• 2-page information sheet on study
Other Information on CD
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
• VHB mailed two CDs to each participating state– Will provide additional copies upon
request
• Available on project website
Copies of Information
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Project Website
www.tfhrc.gov/safety/evaluations
• Update on current activities• Installation databases available for
download• Links to other ongoing studies • Will eventually house comprehensive list of
Accident Modification Factors
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Current Activities
• Final data collection and evaluations
are ongoing for the four strategies in Phase I– What impact does the treatment have– Crash type considered– Various safety effects of treatments
• Draft results will be available at the beginning of 2007
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Current Activities
• Kickoff of Phase II of evaluation at the second TAC meeting (June 1-2, 2006)– Older Drivers, Trucks, Pedestrians,
Horizontal Curves, and Utility Poles– States ranked strategies prior to
meeting, resulting in “Top 16”– Few states brought installation data on
top 5-10 strategies– Currently in search of data
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Current Activities
• Strategies with high potential for evaluation during Phase II (based on the second TAC meeting, June 1-2, 2006)– Various lane width versus shoulder width
configurations (for a given roadway width) – Advance warning signs at intersections,
particularly effect on older drivers – Modifying sight distance on horizontal
curves (most likely through reconstruction)
Low Cost Safety Improvements PFS
Future Activities
• Contractor will complete the evaluations of the first four strategies (Phase I)– Draft results January 2007
• New contract just signed to continue with the next group of evaluations (Phase II)– Draft results early 2008
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