Rosemarie Anderson, Federal Highway Administration, shared information about addressing rural road safety in this session at the 2012 National Rural Transportation Peer Learning Conference, April 25-27 in Burlington, VT.
8. Rural Road Safety
Benefits of LRSP
• An LRSP offers a proactive approach for local road
agencies to address safety issues.
• Promote road safety awareness.
• Develop lasting partnerships that may benefit future
projects.
• Instill or enhance a sense of collaboration among
different disciplines.
• Assist local agencies to better leverage funding.
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9. Rural Road Safety
Some Success Factors
• Champion: A champion advocates for the LRSP and gathers the
political support to assist in its implementation.
• Clear vision and mission: A strategic vision and mission unite all
stakeholders with a common goal.
• Collaborative partners: Partners collaborate to implement the
plan.
• Appropriate resources: Manpower and management are essential
for ensuring a plan’s success.
• Open communication: The LRSP owners should foster open and
frequent communication with stakeholders, community partners,
and citizens as they develop and implement the plan.
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18. Potential Risk Factors
Roadway Features Intersection Features
Number of lanes Intersection skew angle
Lane width Intersection traffic control device
Shoulder surface width/type Number of signal heads vs. number of lanes
Median width/type Presence of backplates
Horizontal curvature Presence of advanced warning signs
Roadside or edge hazard rating Intersection located in/near horizontal curve
Driveway density Presence of left‐turn or right‐turn lanes
Presence of shoulder or Left‐turn phasing
centerline rumble stripsPedestrian‐related Features
Allowance of right‐turn‐on‐red
Presence of lighting Crosswalk presence
Presence of on‐street parking
Crossing distance
Signal head type
Adjacent land uses
Lighting
19. Systemic Problem Identification
• Risk Assessment
– Identify similar facilities
– Document crash history and patterns
– Document physical and traffic characteristics
– Conduct evaluation of system
– Prioritize elements of system
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27. Additional Information
Local and Rural Road Safety
Rosemarie.anderson@dot.gov
202‐366‐5007
Systemic Approach/Tool
Karen.scurry@dot.gov
609‐637‐4207
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