louisiana local road safety program presented by marie b. walsh, director louisiana ltap tom...
TRANSCRIPT
Louisiana Local Road Safety Program
Presented by
Marie B. Walsh, DirectorLouisiana LTAP
Tom Buckley, PELA Local Road Safety Program
Dean Tekell, PE, PTOE
Road Safety Improvement Workshops
The Road Safety Problem in LA
National Rankings:◦ 5th highest fatality rate
Opportunity state in 2008 and focus state in intersection crashes and roadway departures
965 fatalities in 2005158,452 crashes in 2005$5.97 billion in total costs$2,103 for every licensed driver
Source: Cost estimates are based on a study conducted by NHTSA in 2000, “The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle Crashes.”
Crash Clock
A fatality on average every 9 hours
A crash every 3 ½ minutes
The Problem at the Local Level
62,169 crashes in 2005
◦39% of the state’s total
205 fatalities in 2005
◦21% of the state’s total
Kinds of Crashes
Intersection crashes – 30,245
Roadway departures – 3,306
Head on collisions – 912
Using the 4 E’s
Engineering◦ Improved Design and Safety
Enhancements: rumble strips, signs and pavement markings, clear zones
Education◦ Public awareness and training
Enforcement◦ Working with law enforcement as a
partner to identify and solve problems
Emergency servicesLeveraging the Golden Hour
Local Road Safety Program
Designed to reduce crashes & fatalities on Louisiana’s local road system
◦ Increase community awareness
◦ Utilize data
◦ Provide funding for prioritized funds
LRSP Services
Getting Community Initiatives Started
Training and Education
Technical Assistance
Data Evaluation
Road Safety Reviews
Safety improvement alternatives
Road Safety Improvement Project funds
Other Resources
Local Road Safety Improvement Projects
A reimbursement program intended to reduce injuries and fatalities on local roads
Maximum project funding of $500,000 with either a 5% or 10% local match
Application due October 1
Application available at www.ltrc.lsu.edu/ltap
Identifying Problems and Priorities
Session I
Ask These Questions
What is happening in your community?
What are the major road safety issues?
How do you know this?
How can you prove this & make it a priority
Obtain and Evaluate Existing Information
Gather reports & complaints from the community & other agencies◦ Public works
◦ Law enforcement
◦ Emergency responders
◦ Fire departments
◦ School system
◦ Business community
Obtain Historical Crash Data
Contact local law enforcement
Contact LTAP
Use actual crash data to construct a road safety profile for your community
Conduct a RSA on a prioritized location based on data or reports
Road Safety Profile Example
Road Safety Profile Example – Local Roads
What Can Your Data Tell You?
Session II
Information in the Crash Database
Crash and fatality locations
Manner of collision
Roadway characteristics
Severity of crashes
Graphical overview of the roads with the most crashes in your area
Intersection Crash Reports
Crash number, date, & timeAlignmentPrimary contributing factorSecondary contributing factorPrimary roadIntersecting roadLocation typeManner of collisionNumber of injuries
Non-Intersection Crash Reports
Crash number, date, & timeAlignmentLocation typeManner of collisionTotal injuriesRoad nameDistance and directionRoad relation
Example
Limitations of the Data
No absolute locations without GPS
Location data limited to intersections and the roadway for non-intersection crashes
Not all local law enforcement agencies submit their data to LA DOTD
Accuracy only to the crash report itself
Low-Cost Safety Improvements
Session III
Horizontal Curve SafetyMaterial Presented from Low Cost Treatments for Horizontal Curve Safety, FHWA publication number FHWA-SA-07-002
Basic Treatments
Signing:
◦ Centerline
◦ Edgeline
◦ Horizontal alignment signs
◦ Curve speed signs
◦ Advisory speed plaque
◦ Chevron alignment
◦ Delineators
Enhanced Basic Treatments
Getting the motorist’s attention:
◦ Flashing beacons
◦ High retroreflective intensity & fluorescent yellow sheeting on signs
◦ Thermoplastic markings
◦ Raised pavement markers
Rumble Strips
Formed in the pavement surface by grooves or placement of strips of material above the surface
Use Roadway Rumble Strip (RRS) to alert the approaching curve
Minor Roadway Improvements
Paved shoulder treatment◦ Replacement of unstable or
narrow shoulders with paved shoulders
Shoulder drop-off elimination
Widen shoulder
Skid-resistive pavement surface treatment
Speed Displays
Dynamic message signs that use radar to measure speeds of approaching vehicles
Between $5,500 - $20,000 for trailers
Can be used to enforce school zone speed limits
Cable Barriers
Can be used on the roadside to prevent run-off-road (RoR) or in medians to prevent crossover crashes
Flexible system that dissipates impact energy by deflection
Larger, clear areas are needed to be effective
Rumble Strips
Centerline rumble strips (CLRS) to alert driver to crossing into the opposing lane
Shoulder (edgeline) rumble strips (SRS) to prevent roadway departures
Key Application PointsSession IV
Page 1
Project title
Location information
Applicant & sponsor contact information
Page 2
Project description
Identify the problem that is occurring and why
Describe your proposed countermeasure in thorough detail
Page 3
Attach supporting data
List of attempted countermeasures
Page 4
Defining the limits of the project
Roadway description
◦ Lanes
◦ Sketch of modification
◦ Types of traffic
Page 5
Roadway description continued
Nearby property identified
Right-of-way acquisition or drainage issues
Page 6
How the project will reduce crashes
Sponsor maintenance
Itemizing Costs
List of individual costs related to the project
Sources of match
Signature of the applicant
Types of Projects
Data management systems◦ Sign inventory system◦ Crash analysis software
Roadway Improvements◦ Line-of-sight improvements◦ Turn lanes◦ Sidewalks◦ Roadside hazard removal◦ Rumble strips
Signs and pavement markings
2006 Eligible Examples
Variable message boards
Sign management systems
Guardrail installation
Roundabout at hazardous intersection
Signing for parishes
Striping
2006 Ineligible Projects
6 Projects on State Roads
◦ 1 sub-division security/beautification
◦ 2 dust control and embankment improvement projects deemed maintenance issues and not eligible for funding under this program.
◦ 1 school zone
◦ 3 sidewalk construction
What Makes a Successful Project?
Usage of data and statistics to back up the need for the improvement
High impact, low cost
Ability to evaluate, maintain and follow up
Part of an overall community effort to implement local road safety
More Tips for a Successful Project
Involvement of Law Enforcement to identify or confirm high priority issues
Involvement of other stakeholders
Consideration of the 4 E’s