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LOW COST SYSTEMATIC SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

Sue Groth

Mn/DOT

Sue.Grothdot.state.mn.us

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Impact of SAFETEA-LU

Shift in Focus From total Crashes to Fatal and Serious Injury Crashes From higher cost site specific projects to

lower cost systematic projects (proactive-reactive) Focus on lane departure and intersection

improvements Shift in funding Federal Safety Programs (FY 2009

and beyond) From Decentralized to Centralized State – Local split based on F & A data Stand alone projects only

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Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology

Edge Treatments

Rumble Strips and StripEs Minnesota Local County Roads

$1.9M in Enhanced Striping funded in 2009/2010

$3.5M in 6” Wide Pavement Markings funded in 2009/2010

$1.5M in Rumble StripEs/Strips funded in 2009/2010

Minnesota Trunk Highways $1.6M planned in Rumble StripEs in

2009/2010 98 miles of Wet Reflective Markings installed

2008 310 miles of Rumble StripEs installed 2008 328 miles of 6” Wide Pavement Markings

installed 2008

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Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology

Cable Median Barrier 139 Miles installed 96 Miles planned for 2009-2011 First before/after study is very

promising

Edge Treatments

I-94 in Maple GroveI-94 in Maple Grove

Safety Edge Proven strategy

Freeborn CountyFreeborn County

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Office of Traffic, Safety and Technology

Horizontal Curves Lane departure crashes more frequent Potential countermeasures

Chevrons/delineation Rumble Strips Wider markings Dynamic Feedback Signs

Edge Treatments

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CSAH 13CSAH 13

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CSAH 22CSAH 22

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Intersections

Rural Lighting Improved signage systems Active warning systems Sight Distance improvements “Black spot” improvements

J-turns Roundabouts

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Systematic Signing for minor leg of intersection

½ distance between Stop Ahead and StopPrioritized/

Phasing

1. Stop bar

2. Stop sign

3. Junction sign

4. Stop Ahead Message

5. Stop Ahead Sign

½ distance between Stop Ahead and Junction sign

450’ (min.) to 750’ back, 1 size larger than Stop (up to 48”)

Stop Bar, 12” to 24” wide,8’ to 12’ back from edgeline

Provide three devices indicating up coming intersection

Add can delineators to Stop sign

36”, reserve 48” for intersections with documented deficiency and where there are RR grade crossings on the CH approach

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Active Warning Sign

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Active Warning Sign

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Intersection Warning SystemCR 47 and Lawndale Lane

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Questions?

Thank-you

Texas – Meg MooreTexas – Meg MooreShoulder Rumble StripsShoulder Rumble Strips

Edgeline Rumble StripsEdgeline Rumble Strips

Centerline Rumble StripsCenterline Rumble Strips

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Horizontal SigningHorizontal Signing

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Fluorescent Yellow Sign Fluorescent Yellow Sign SheetingSheeting

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Cable Barriers in TexasCable Barriers in Texas

2020

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Washington State Highways Centerline Rumble Strips

Before and After Look

Preliminary evaluations of 518 miles of centerline rumble strips that have been in place six months or longer indicate:

• 28% reduction in all fatal and serious injury collisions• 26% reduction in all cross-centerline collisions• 50% reduction in fatal and serious injuries resulting from cross-

centerline collisions.

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Washington State HighwaysCable Median Barrier Before and After Look

• Cable median barriers are installed to reduce the risk of vehicles leaving the roadway and striking hard objects, steep slopes, bodies of water, or crossing into oncoming traffic.

• While it is not possible to prevent all crossover collisions or vehicles leaving the road, cable barriers on the roadside or in the median help reduce the risk of very severe collisions.

• WSDOT installed 43 miles of cable median barrier in 2007, bringing the statewide total to 177 miles. WSDOT engineers analyzed the performance of the state’s cable median barriers from 1995 through 2007 by reviewing nearly 2,550 collisions in the median. They found:

• A 62% reduction of serious injury and fatal collisions (24.8/ year to 9.5/year after installation).

• Annual cross median collisions decreased 73%.

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Washington State HighwaysCable Median Barrier

Effect on cross-median incidents

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Washington State HighwaysReducing fatalities and serious injuries on rural two-lane roads

• Although serious injuries on state highways and interstates have declined by 10.6% from 659 in 2002 to 568 in 2007, the number of serious injuries and fatalities on rural two lane state highways increased 14% (37) from 2005 to 2007. • WSDOT analyzed the type and direction (run off the road, crossing the centerline) of each of these incidents, and subsequently developed location specific strategies.

• To improve safety, WSDOT has undertaken a series of location specific solutions to prevent and reduce the severity of serious injuries and collisions. On highways with a number of cars running off the road, WSDOT has initiated or planned roadside safety improvements, such as replacing or adjusting guardrail, replacing deficient signing or restoring sight distance at intersections, to reduce the frequency and severity of collisions and improve motorist safety.

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Nevada – Fred Droes• Rumble Strips – All

shoulders four foot or wider, $1.9 Project to install centerline rumble strips on 1300 miles of rural roads, concerns with placement and impact on pavement integrity

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Nevada

• Rumble Stripes – Started on the interstate, looking at other locations

• Median Barriers – Beginning use of cable median barrier

• Recovery Area – Project developed to flatten slopes, developing a statewide list of potential projects to widen shoulders and flatten slopes

• Curve Treatments – Evaluating the placement of traffic paint on vertical surfaces such as guardrail and barrier, Ultra Guard from Potters Industries

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South Dakota – John Alder

A large percentage of fatal crashes are single car run off road – Improvements aimed at this problem include:

• Wider edge lines, 8” vs. 4”, on rural roads with narrow or no shoulders

• Delineation along more routes – helps with inclement weather and at night

• Upgraded sign sheeting (DG3) on certain signs including NO PASSING ZONE signs

• Tried deer reflectors with mixed results

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Maryland – Tom HicksSingle Construction Classification

Construction Classification Benefit/Cost Ratio Sample size

     

Signing 74.4 to 1901.3 2

     

Signal timing 411.7 to 23054.7 4

     

Lighting 178.1 1

     

Roadway Grinding 55.2 1

     

Install 3-way stop signs 39.9 1

     

Rumble Strips 182 195 miles

     

Resurfacing 1.5 to 3.2 2

     

Signal Phase Change 103.9 to 2488.1 6

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Combination Construction Classification

Construction Classification Benefit/Cost Ratio Sample size

     

Relocate signs, Remove Trees 1946.7 1

     

Install signs & Pavement Markings 127.3 1

     

Add lighting & signal timing 90.4 1

     

Add signing & upgrade signal 106 1

     

Signal Phase Change & signal upgrade 36.3 1

     

Additional signal Installation & signing 296.5 1

     

Add signing & signal phase change 50.1 to 77.8 2

     

Signal reconstruct & partial signing 12.1 1

     

Add right turn lane, median, signing, phase change 20.9 1

     

Resurfacing, signal reconstruct, phasing change 5.8 1

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Kentucky – Jeff Wolfe

• Rumble Stripes – Only installed centerline rumble stripes on selected routes to date. Expanding use on two-lane rural roads with 12’ lanes

• Rumble Strips - Has installed shoulder rumbles (pavement texturing) for years on the shoulder wedge (rolled in). Pilot project this year (10 locations, 60 miles) to relocate shoulder rumble to the lane edge – rumble stripe

• Skid Treatment – Three Tyre Grip projects to address lane departures on rural curves

• Advanced Warning End of Green Flashers – becoming common in mountainous regions on high-speed corridors

Traffic Engineering Traffic Engineering Countermeasures to Improve Countermeasures to Improve

SafetySafety

Mike Manthey, P.E.Mike Manthey, P.E.State Traffic EngineerState Traffic Engineer

Arizona Department of TransportationArizona Department of Transportation

Every One Counts Safety SummitFebruary 10, 2009

Roadway DepartureRoadway Departure

Wider, durable pavement markingsWider, durable pavement markings Reflective pavement markersReflective pavement markers Rumble stripsRumble strips Cable barrierCable barrier Guardrail end treatmentsGuardrail end treatments Roadside/guardrail delineatorsRoadside/guardrail delineators

IntersectionsIntersections

Signal headsSignal heads Pedestrian countdown signalsPedestrian countdown signals Access managementAccess management Transverse rumble stripsTransverse rumble strips Street name signsStreet name signs Speed feedback signsSpeed feedback signs RoundaboutsRoundabouts

FreewaysFreeways

Directional signingDirectional signing Route decalsRoute decals LightingLighting Raised pavement markersRaised pavement markers

Pavement MarkingsPavement Markings

6-inch wide lane and edge lines6-inch wide lane and edge lines DurableDurable 3% CRF (from 4 to 6 inch)3% CRF (from 4 to 6 inch)

Reflective Pavement Markers Reflective Pavement Markers (RPMs)(RPMs)

16% nightime crashes16% nightime crashes Freeways: left edge line (20-foot spacing) and Freeways: left edge line (20-foot spacing) and

lane lines (40-foot)lane lines (40-foot)

RPMsRPMs

Recessed in groove for snowplow areasRecessed in groove for snowplow areas

Rumble StripsRumble Strips

25% CRF head-on/sideswipe (centerline)25% CRF head-on/sideswipe (centerline) 18 to 35% road departure (shoulder)18 to 35% road departure (shoulder)

Cable BarrierCable Barrier

90% CRF for freeway cross-median crashes90% CRF for freeway cross-median crashes

Guardrail End TreatmentsGuardrail End Treatments

System-wide replacement of BCTsSystem-wide replacement of BCTs

Roadside/Guardrail DelineatorsRoadside/Guardrail Delineators

25% CRF 25% CRF Initiating statewide roadside delineator project Initiating statewide roadside delineator project

Texas Transportation Institute spacingTexas Transportation Institute spacing Maintainable systemMaintainable system

Signal HeadsSignal Heads

Larger (42% CRF for angle crashes going Larger (42% CRF for angle crashes going from 8 to 12 inch LED lens)from 8 to 12 inch LED lens)

Backplates and visors (20% to 50% CRF)Backplates and visors (20% to 50% CRF) Optic (15% CRF)Optic (15% CRF)

Pedestrian Countdown SignalsPedestrian Countdown Signals

25% CRF for pedestrian crashes25% CRF for pedestrian crashes

Access ManagementAccess Management

Statewide Access Management Plan being Statewide Access Management Plan being developeddeveloped

Raised medians 40 to 60% CRFRaised medians 40 to 60% CRF

Transverse Rumble StripsTransverse Rumble Strips

28% CRF for stop condition28% CRF for stop condition

Street Name SignsStreet Name Signs

Easier to readEasier to read Clearview fontClearview font Capital and lower case lettersCapital and lower case letters

Advance Street Name signsAdvance Street Name signs

Speed Feedback SignsSpeed Feedback Signs

Speed reductions of 5 mphSpeed reductions of 5 mph Each 1 mph reduction in speed may reduce Each 1 mph reduction in speed may reduce

injury crashes by 5%injury crashes by 5%

RoundaboutsRoundabouts

76% CRF for injury crashes76% CRF for injury crashes 89% CRF for fatal/incapacitating injury crashes89% CRF for fatal/incapacitating injury crashes

Directional SigningDirectional Signing

Lane assignments from 2 miles in advanceLane assignments from 2 miles in advance

Route DecalsRoute Decals

LightingLighting 20% CRF for nighttime crashes20% CRF for nighttime crashes Replaced Type H and I breakaway light poles on Replaced Type H and I breakaway light poles on

interstates (high weight caused excessive vehicle interstates (high weight caused excessive vehicle damage)damage)

Other Other

OtherOther

OtherOther

Wrong-way movementsWrong-way movements

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For more information:For more information:

www.wsdot.wa.gov/safety

Ted Trepanier, P.E.Director

Traffic Operations360.705.7280

trepant@wsdot.wa.gov