December 5, 2011Presented by: Sue D’Agnese Region 1 Traffic Manager

Overview of:

ROAD SAFETY AUDIT (RSA) PROCESS & APPLICATIONS

TV Highway at 185th Ave

Road Safety Audit – Kick off Meeting

Presentation OutlinePresentation Outline

What is a Road Safety Audit (RSA)?Overview of Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) RSA ProcessRSA Projects in Region 1– Mt. Hood Highway RSA– US 30 Safety Corridor– Hwy 212 @ Dubarko– US 30 2 Rural Sections– Mt Hood Hwy Timberline- Meadows

Benefits of RSAs

What is a Road Safety Audit?What is a Road Safety Audit?

A road safety audit is aformal safety performance examination

of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent multi-disciplined audit team.

What is a Road Safety Audit?What is a Road Safety Audit?

Formal: Procedures and documentation

Safety performance: Focus on safety

Independent: Auditors detached from project team

Audit team: General experience and specialists

A road safety audit also…A road safety audit also…

Considers the safety of all road users

Examines the interaction of project elements

Considers interactions at the borders or limits of the project

Proactively considers mitigation measures

A road safety audit is NOT….A road safety audit is NOT….

… a standards check, examining adherence to design guidelines.

… a backdoor to redesign the project.

What is a Road Safety Audit?What is a Road Safety Audit?

A road safety audit seeks to identify opportunities to improve safety

FHWA RSA ProcessFHWA RSA Process

RSA Process – 2 Pre-Audit MeetingsRSA Process – 2 Pre-Audit Meetings

Pre-Audit Meeting: Kick Off MeetingPre-Audit Meeting: Kick Off Meeting

Meeting with Project Owner and RSA team to provide goals of the RSA

Define the RSA processDrawings and AerialsBackground reportsDesign criteriaCollision historyTraffic volumesProject objectives (owner)– Why is RSA being conducted?

Project design elementsProject design constraints (owner)

Pre-Audit Meeting: RSA Start up MeetingPre-Audit Meeting: RSA Start up Meeting

Presentation of Data to RSA Team by RSA Team Facilitator

Detailed DrawingsKey Resource member’s data and inputKey Stakeholder inputAerial photographsBackground reportsDesign criteriaCollision history Detailed crash analysisTraffic volumes Project design elementsProject design constraints

RSA Process – Field ReviewRSA Process – Field Review

Field ReviewField Review

Observe road user characteristics

Observe surrounding land uses

Observe link points to the adjacent transportation network

Look for:– driveway issues– roadside hazards– sight distance

obstructions– Anything impacting safety

Field ReviewField Review

Consider all users

Consider driver behavior

Drive the site

Drive all approaches

Make all turns

Walk/bike the project area

Take notes

Take lots of photos

Field ReviewField Review

Observe conditions during:peak and off-peak traffic periodsdry and wet weather conditionsday and night conditions

RSA Process – RSA AnalysisRSA Process – RSA Analysis

RSA Analysis: Conducting the RSARSA Analysis: Conducting the RSA

Workshop setting

Review background reports, crash data, and design criteria

Systematically review design drawings and/or other information

Identify, prioritize, and mitigate safety issues

Risk AnalysisRisk Analysis

For each issue:– What potential exists for crashes?– What is the likelihood of crashes?– How severe are the crashes likely to be?

Crash potential? – What exposure exists

Likelihood of a crash?– What probability exists

How severe? – What consequences?

Risk = f (Exposure, Probability, Consequences)

RSA Process – Presentation of FindingsRSA Process – Presentation of Findings

Presentation of Findings: RSA Presentation and ReportPresentation of Findings: RSA Presentation and Report

Documents the results of the RSA

Identifies and prioritizes safety issues

May include suggestions for improvements

Benefits of an RSABenefits of an RSA

Consensus on the problems

Focus for project development teams

Looked at safety improvements that we might not have otherwise identified

Reality check on some design items

All alternatives and safety trade-offs are prioritized

Low cost improvements identified

Improved transportation safety for all users

Thank You – Any Questions?Thank You – Any Questions?

TV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety AuditTV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety Audit

TV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety AuditTV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety Audit

TV Hwy at SW 185th – Crash GraphsTV Hwy at SW 185th – Crash Graphs

Crashes by Year

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2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

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Crashes by Collision Type

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ANGL HEAD REAR SS-M SS-O TURN PARK NCOL BACK PED FIX OTH

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January 2006 – April 2011Peak 2006-2007

66% Rear-ends/SS-O29% Angle/Turn8 Pedestrian-involved crashes

Peak day is Friday, Peak hours 3pm-6pm

TV Hwy at SW 185th – Crash GraphsTV Hwy at SW 185th – Crash Graphs

Crashes by Light Conditions

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23% Dark crashes (Lit and Unlit)

14% Alley CrashesOn-Roadway Crashes by Road Character

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TV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety AuditTV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety Audit

TV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety AuditTV Hwy at SW 185th – Road Safety Audit