Synthesis of Information Related to Highway Practices. Topic 56-19. Practices on Coordination of DOT Safety Activities and Governors Highway Safety Offices

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a key federal-aid initiative aimed at reducing fatalities and severe injuries on public roads. States choose and implement projects aligned with their Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) goals to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. While all states adhere to the required regulations, practices and evaluation methods vary. Recent federal highway authorizations have modified the HSIP. Typically, HSIP practitioners analyze state databases for fatal and injury crash data, identifying high crash locations for further analysis and implementation of appropriate safety improvements. These improvements can include various treatments such as capital projects, enforcement, education, planning, and research. Collaboration with stakeholders like Highway Safety Offices and Metropolitan Planning Organizations may be involved. Understanding other state department of transportation (DOTs)' project prioritization processes and funding sources allows states to optimize their HSIP allocations. A synthesis of program practices would demonstrate the effectiveness of DOTs in addressing safety priorities through HSIP, strategic planning, and program management aligned with SHSP and Highway Safety Office programs. The objective of this synthesis is to document how state DOTs incorporate Highway Safety Office practices and associated funding into their processes, including program structure, planning, implementation, evaluation, and reporting. The selection of countermeasures and projects is influenced by various factors such as the DOT's operational methods (e.g., district capital project development, organizational structure, capacity, contracting, planning, etc.). Information to be gathered includes (but is not limited to): Organizational structures of HSIPs and highway safety offices (HSOs); HSIP and HSO evaluation metrics, tools, and influence on other project delivery methods; Incorporation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA)/Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) special rules (Vulnerable Road User Assessment); HSIP planning and capital project selection process; Data sources used by HSIPs and HSOs; HSIP management at HQ or District level; Safety management processes, particularly candidate project identification through network screening; Sub-program project selection processes: Safe Routes to School, Railroad at-grade crossings, High Risk Rural Road, and the new Vulnerable Road User plan; Management of HSOs (NHTSA funding); Public involvement and transparency in HSIP and HSO programs regarding the planning and project selection process; Dashboards and publicly shared data; and Data collection practices, including innovative data sources such as crowd-sourced and Artificial Intelligence analyses. Information will be gathered through a literature review, a survey of state DOTs and follow-up interviews with selected DOTs for the development of case examples. Information gaps and suggestions for research to address those gaps will be addressed.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=5730
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Funding: $55000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 20-05, Topic 56-19

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) Synthesis

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC    20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Nasri, Arefeh

• Start Date: 20240723
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Coordination; Highway safety; Highway safety organizations; Literature reviews; State departments of transportation; Strategic planning
• Identifier Terms: Highway Safety Improvement Program
• Subject Areas: Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01920391
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 20-05, Topic 56-19
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: May 31 2024 8:36PM