Lead States Initiative for Implementing the Highway Safety Manual

AASHTO published the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) in the Spring of 2010. The HSM provides new concepts for application by state highway agencies throughout the safety management process and particularly in the estimation of the safety benefits of proposed highway improvement projects. The HSM has the potential to bring about major changes in the accuracy and completeness of safety analyses conducted by highway agencies. However, like any new analysis tool, the HSM will only be effective if it is implemented by highway agencies. Recent experience has shown that one of the best ways to encourage highway agencies to implement new approaches is to show examples of other agencies that are taking a lead role in implementation. A lead states initiative was used successfully as part of NCHRP Project 17-18 in implementing the AASHTO Strategic Highway Safety Plan and peer exchanges are becoming an increasingly common approach to disseminating new information that is ready for implementation by highway agencies. This initiative will bring together representatives of 10 to 12 states that are taking the lead in implementing the HSM in two workshops. These states will benefit directly from the peer exchange and, to provide information and examples to other highway agencies, a User Guide for the HSM will be developed based on the experiences of the lead states. The original objectives of this project were to provide technical assistance to facilitate the implementation of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) and to develop an HSM User Guide based on the experiences and examples of the lead states to assist other highway agencies in implementing the HSM. Accomplishment of the project objective(s) will require at least the following tasks: (1). Contact the participating states to determine the status of implementing the HSM in their state DOT. (2). Convene an initial lead state workshop involving representatives of the selected states and other experts familiar with HSM development and implementation. (3). Monitor progress by the lead states over a period of approximately one year after the Task 2 workshop. (4). Provide technical assistance, as needed, to the lead states and others to assist them in implementing the HSM. (5). Approximately one year after the initial workshop, convene a second meeting involving the same selected states to report on progress, examples, and effective approaches to implementing the HSM. (6). Based on the experiences and examples of the lead states, develop a HSM User Guide to assist other highway agencies in implementing the HSM. The User Guide should serve as a supplement or companion to the HSM and show practical approaches to implementing the HSM procedures in the operating environment of a highway agency. The objective of the continuation phase is to provide, maintain and advance implementation efforts of the HSM. This will occur though the following activities: (1) Hold two additional peer exchanges, with the invitees expanded to include eight (8)-ten (10) support states, and potentially select local agencies. (2) Develop templates that can be used by states to develop polices for HSM implementation. (3) Develop a series of webinars of best practices of HSM Implementation that will be available to all agencies that are interested in sharing best practices and learning from states that have been successful.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=2974

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $299000
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 17-50

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

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

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001
• Project Managers:

  Bush, Mark

• Performing Organizations:

  CH2M Hill

  8501 W. Higgins Road
  Suite 300
  Chicago, IL  United States  60631
• Principal Investigators:

  Silverman, Kim

• Start Date: 20110111
• Expected Completion Date: 20171231
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Best practices; Highway safety; Implementation; Information dissemination; State departments of transportation; Workshops
• Identifier Terms: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; Highway Safety Manual
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01463908
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 17-50
• Files: TRB, RiP
• Created Date: Jan 3 2013 2:32PM