LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PEER EXCHANGE Meeting Notes September 10-11, 2015, Transportation Training and Education Center (TTEC) Auditorium 4099 Gourrier Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA In Attendance A total of 64 individuals attended the peer exchange, 51% were representatives from Parish or city agencies. (See attached sign-in sheet) Day 1 Welcome Dortha Cummins, the Director of the Louisiana Center for Transportation Safety (LCTS) or the Safety Center, welcomed everyone to the peer exchange. She briefly presented about the LCTS s role in providing workforce development, training, safety research development and implementation, and technical support for the Strategic Highway Safety Plan initiatives, including the Local Road Safety Program. She then proceeded with asking the attendees a few questions, to which they responded to using the Turning Point clickers they were each given at the beginning of the conference. Here are the results: On profile of the attendees: Most of the attendees were from Parish governments (42%), which was really the target of this conference. About 27% represented a regional organization (MPO/Regional Planning Commission), 9% were from the cities/towns, and 16% were state employees. The remaining 6% were from private entities (consultants). As far as years of experience in the transportation field (or safety for that matter), 38% have over 15 years, 21% have 1 to 5 years, another 21% have 6 to 10 years, and 15% have 11 to 15 years. The rest have less than one year of experience. On SHSP and LRSP familiarity: A collective total of 72% were very/fairly familiar of the SHSP, while only 28% were not. A collective total of 84% were very/fairly familiar of the LRSP, while only 14% were not. About 85% of the attendees knew that 73% of Louisiana s public roads are owned by local agencies, which is somewhat congruent to the percentage of those who are familiar with the Local Road Safety Program. Only 15% did not know of this fact. Dortha wrapped up by asking the attendees to meet with their peers and introduce their name, agency and title to each other. Early on, they were all grouped by region (based on which regional safety coalition their Parish or city falls under). A color-coded seating chart was flashed on the screen to queue the attendees where to sit. LRSP Milestones April Renard (DOTD Highway Safety Manager) and Marie Walsh (LTAP Director) briefly talked about how the LRSP has come a long way (since 2006) in being able to streamline the process of delivering safety improvement projects on local roads. For 8 years, Louisiana LTAP has established a good network of local participation into the program through its sustainable partnerships with the Parishes and cities. In the past 3 years, LTAP worked with the DOTD in establishing the Local Public Assistance (LPA) Core Training Program which was instrumental to the way processes are more defined and clear. These milestones will be carried on and continued further by the Safety Center, which is now administering the LRSP. A number of improvements were pointed out as: (1) Reduced time for project delivery; (2) Better quality on crash data; (3) Increased number of LRSP Team members; (4) Increased capabilities for technical assistance, training and research development & implementation; (5) More focused and coordinated outreach The Safety Center will continue to work toward expanding outreach activities and working closely with Louisiana DOTD Highway Safety Section personnel throughout the project development and implementation process.
Presentations and Facilitated Discussions (1) Safety Culture; (2) Low-Cost Safety Countermeasures Betsey Tramonte (FHWA Safety Specialist) and Marie Walsh presented on the use of SHSP model to create a safety culture in local communities. Prior to the presentation, the attendees were asked series of questions that would gauge their personal feelings view on driving habits (safety culture). Again, they used their clickers to respond to these questions. Just in summary, the results revealed that: A joint total of 45% felt it s somewhat/completely unacceptable for a driver to talk on a hands-held cellphone. About 41% felt it s somewhat acceptable. A joint total of 80% felt it s somewhat/completely unacceptable for a driver to read a text or email while driving either. A joint total of 98% felt it s somewhat/completely unacceptable for a driver to type text messages or emails while driving. A joint total of 98% felt it s somewhat/completely unacceptable for a driver to read a text or email while driving. Only 86% felt it was completely unacceptable for a driver to drive without wearing a seat belt. All attendees (100%) felt it s completely unacceptable for a driver to drive when they think they may have had too much to drink. About 50% rarely read a text message or email while driving in the past 30 days, while about 30% either read regularly or fairly often. About 20% responded they have never (or just once) read a text or email while driving in the past 30 days. As far as typing or sending text message while driving in the past 30 days, 42% have never done it or just did it once. About 38% replied they rarely did it, while 20% did it regularly or fairly often. A good 83% responded they ve never driven without wearing a seatbelt in the past 30 days, while 15% did say they rarely or just once did it. About 64% said they ve never driven through a light that just turned red when they could have stopped safely, while 21% admitted in doing so just once, and 13% said they did it but rarely. A collective total of 76% said they regularly or fairly often talked on a cellphone (or any type of phone) while driving. About 92% said they have never driven after thinking they might have had too much to drink. About 8% either did it just once or rarely. None of them did it regularly or fairly often. David Barrow, former CAO of City of Central, presented the city s success in implementing rumble strips and roundabouts. He noted that both countermeasures were proven to have reduced crashes especially the roundabout on Lovett Road which reduced fatal crashes by 90%, that s 12 reduced to only 1 fatal. The road users were also receptive to the installation of center rumble strips. He wrapped up by showing a video of the roundabout on Lovett Road. It works really well, and it can even accommodate large trucks and school buses, he shared. He also pointed out some lessons learned: (1) That the roundabout could have been larger from 100 feet to 110 feet ICD, and (2) that advanced warning signs are very critical to notify motorists that a roundabout is up ahead. Jennifer Ruley, Active Transportation Engineer of LA Public Health Institute/Advisor to the City of New Orleans, presented on their successful implementation of projects such as high visibility (HV) crosswalks and beacons that improved pedestrian safety around the city. She pointed out that HV crosswalks are more easily detected by drivers and have been document to reduce pedestrian related crashes. She shared they ve implemented them at both controlled and uncontrolled intersections as well as around school zones and trail and mid-block crossings. A number of 24-hour pedestrian beacons have been installed around the City Park, which operate when no pedestrian is present. In moving forward, she shared that the city would like to access better guidance on crosswalk selection and application. She also hoped that there would be more research on Louisiana crosswalk and beacon projects (including user behavior and attitudes). Jonathan McDowell, Engineer at AECOM, presented on Louisiana s statewide approach in addressing roadway departure safety. His team is contracted by DOTD to conduct a systemic approach in selecting a total of 282 curves where site-specific projects would be implemented. The criteria in selecting these curves included a shoulder width of 2 to 6 feet, lane width of 12 feet or greater, traffic volume of 2,500 to 7,500 and curve radius at 1640 degrees or less. The countermeasures they d use on these curves are a combination of basic signs (centerline and edge line markings, basic horizontal alignment signs and plaques, post-mounted delineators) and enhanced signs (double up and retro-reflective signs, flashing beacons, raised pavement markers). They d also look into rumble strips, high friction surface treatments, guardrails, barriers, marker delineators and dynamic message signs. Jay Watson, Engineer from St. Tammany Parish, shared how they have embraced a more data-driven approach in their project development process following a Road Safety Assessment initiative they did last year. They ve used their experience in mitigating curve safety issues in their Parish. In the past 6 months, they ve looked at all local curves and submitted them as project applications to the LRSP. So far, these project proposals have been approved by the LRSP Team. Page 2
Jackie Baumann, Engineer from City of Gonzales, facilitated a discussion wherein participants used their clickers to respond to questions. The results are as follows: About 91% of the attendees said they aimed a high and moderate level of priority on safety projects. About 84% said they receive high and moderate level of support from state partners in terms of implementing safety projects on local roads. About 16% feel that they get low support. About 85% said they receive high and moderate level of support from their local administration in terms of implementing safety projects on local roads. About 15% feel they get low support. Of the transportation areas, the attendees picked Capacity as their topmost priority (35%), followed by Economic Development (23%), and Safety (21%). Of the safety engineering focused areas, 32% of the attendees picked Intersection Safety as their highest priority, and 18% chose Roadway Departure Safety, 9% picked Pedestrian Safety, and about 29% picked all of these areas equally. 80% of the attendees have worked with their local MPO or Planning district in terms of identifying and implementing road safety projects. The remaining 20% have not. Of the countermeasures, about 17% have implemented pavement marks (striping), 14% equally on new or enhanced signs, curve delineations and roundabouts, and 12% equally on guard rails and rumble strips. The least implemented countermeasures are signal back plates (7%) and pedestrian hybrid beacons (7%). 95% of the attendees are very likely to consider low-cost safety solutions to address problem locations. Presentations and Group Activity on Systemic Approach to Safety and Parish Safety Plans (after lunch break) April Renard presented on the Use of Systemic Approach to Address High-Risk Curves. She made a distinctive comparison between systematic and systemic approaches. Systematic is when frequency and rate of crash data thresholds are used for location identification, while systemic is when crash data are used to correlate with risk factors (roadway features) to locate problem areas. She pointed out that systemic is beneficial in a way that it helps implement site-specific improvements regardless of whether or not there s crash history but the risk factors show a high potential for safety improvements (High PSI). Systemic type projects on curves are eligible through the LRSP. Peter Allain, LRSP Crash Data Engineer, presented on developing Parish Safety Plans. The DOTD offers an opportunity for Parishes and municipalities to develop their local road safety plans, a Do-It-Yourself plan. Peter showed some data there are a total of 60,902 miles of roads in the whole state, about 73% local roads and 27% are state highways. The development of Parish Safety Plan will be offered to local public entities, initially tapping the Top 20 High-Crash Parishes, then eventually offering this opportunity to other Parishes and cities not in the list. The LRSP Engineers will work with the Highway Safety Research Group to assist Parishes in developing the plan. While the plan s framework and template are still in the works, the process will generally flow starting from data collection and analysis, then risk assessment, then determining strategies, then developing projects and deliverables. The entities are encouraged to work through their Regional Safety Coalition in coordinating efforts, including the development of safety plan. As next steps, Peter shared that he will be working closely with DOTD in assisting agencies, MPO s and consultants to prepare the plans. He would share example plans and provide crash/roadway data and guidance on countermeasure selection. As of current date, Acadiana Planning Commission is interested to do a plan for Vermilion Parish. Capital Region is currently performing analysis for local roads, and so is Livingston Parish. April facilitated a group activity. She instructed the attendees to break out into their respective regions and discuss among themselves to outline a process that would be used to develop a Parish Safety Plan, and identify sources of data for the plan. After 20 minutes, one spokesperson from each region would report out. Here s what the common denominators of what was shared by the groups: Collect and analyze crash data, and overlay with GIS and roadway characteristics data Coordinate this effort through the Regional Safety Coalition, and solicit buy-in from the MPO thereafter Combine systemic and systematic countermeasures when determining strategies Integrate the Parish Safety Plan into the Regional SHSP Action Plans or any Safety Plan Develop the Plan Apply for funding to implement the projects Throughout the discussion, some of the needs and tools the attendees asked to be provided with are as follows: Funding Reduced Timeline for Project Delivery Crash Data Analysis capability Roadway characteristics data Page 3
Better district coordination Outline of the planning process (a flowchart) Template of the Plan Checklist to Develop a Parish Safety Plan Countermeasure Toolbox Presentation and Facilitated Discussion on Roadway Departure: Back to Basics Ashley Moran, a Planner from Acadiana Planning Commission, presented on Roadway Departure Basic Solutions that address fixed object issues. She conducted a data analysis on Lafayette Region s fatal and serious injury crashes involving fixed objects. She made her query on most harmful event using Crash 1 and Crash 3 data systems and identified locations with multiple crashes, and then developed a list of countermeasures thereafter. These countermeasures include the basic stuff such as removal, moving or marking the fixed objects, and creating clear zones. Rudynah Capone facilitated a discussion using the Turning Point clickers, and here s a summary of results: About 91% of the attendees said they ve got fixed object issues in their area. About 92% said they consider fixed objects as a safety concern. Of the fixed object issues, the most common that the locals deal mostly with are utility poles (23%), lighting (23%) and trees (11%). About 23% also responded Others which in a follow-up conversation, they referred to things like fences, trailer houses, etc. About 22% admitted they ve removed or trimmed trees to address fixed object issues, while 21% said they have relocated utilities, and 20% said they placed object markers. About 97% responded YES to being interested in using the basic solutions if the crash data show that their Region or Parish has an abnormal list of roadway crashes involving fixed objects. Presentation on the Future of LRSP and Day 1 Wrap-Up Rick Holm, LRSP Project Manager, presented on New LRSP Process and Engineering Contract for Future Projects. He shared how the team has addressed some old practices that will help shorten time for project delivery. He announced that in the new process, the program will cover 100% funding in all eligible projects. On contracting side, DOTD will now hold the agreements for construction, engineering and inspection services. April Renard presented on some of LRSP s successes & challenges, and how the entire program is envisioned toward the future. She mentioned how the current project application still applies and will be supplemented by additional efforts that include the development of Parish Safety Plans, network screening for all public roads, and encouraging locals to participate in the regional safety coalitions. She also shared that the next steps the LRSP Team has lined up to work on are: (1) Drafting the HSIP Project Selection Guide; (2) Revising the LRSP Guidelines and Policies, Project Rating Criteria, and Project Application documents; and (3) Collecting estimated AADT on local roads. Discussion ensued after. A positive response was received particularly about 100% funding (no more local match is required). Karen Parsons from New Orleans RPC highly exclaimed Thank You for the 100% coverage. Tim Conner from Calcasieu Parish applauded the program s changes for the better and remarked that we re on the right track for doing so. Martha Collins from Ascension Parish thanked the LRSP Team for running a great program and she appreciated how we re making the process a lot more user-friendly. Terry Arabie from Lafourche Parish shared his joy to see how we re making improvements to benefit the locals. Tim Weaver shared their Parish has had successes with the program and encouraged everyone to take advantage as well. In wrapping up, April thanked everybody for everybody s feedback. Page 4
Day 2: A Recap from Day 1 April Renard did a quick recap and asked each of the participants to share their biggest takeaways from Day 1. Here s what were commonly shared: Good to know there s an opportunity to develop a Parish Safety Plan and see where it can be integrated into their other transportation plans, including Regional SHSP plans Aim more attention on addressing communication gaps between agencies Highlight Safety Culture and bring the message at the local level (Betsey offered to present at the regional coalitions). Possibly, conduct workshops on this one? Learn more about systemic and systematic approaches, and how they actually differ The no local match required in LRSP funding is such a big deal, this will increase opportunity for locals Determine what data gaps there are and what exactly the folks (and regional safety coordinators) can work with Hearing different perspective from other Parishes was enlightening. There s a need to reach out to little municipalities on how to implement projects. Better understanding on LRSP was acquired for the new members of the safety groups. It was important to knowing exactly who to contact and asking the right questions. Great speakers, good information. It s great to put faces to names and learning how people are just as interested in what other Parishes challenges are. Explore further on the use of Systemic Approach (and utilizing data) to develop road safety projects for LRSP. Follow-up on project application examples. Interested in developing more project applications to be considered for LRSP funding Knowing that there s technical assistance and resources available is comforting. Proactive rather than reactive is always great. Presence of regional coalitions will better bridge the gaps between the state and the local agencies. Reach out to politicians and educators (perhaps at the Council meetings) Peer Exchange is a good approach to bring everyone in, talk and listen and gather great ideas. Let s do this again! Communication is key. We can make things work. There s going to be a follow-up after the peer exchange. Training opportunities on Parish Safety Plan and other efforts are forthcoming. Reach out to the LRSP Team for what needs the local folks may have. Hearing the program changes has sparked more interest into submitting more project applications. Presentation and Facilitated Discussion on (1) RSA and (2) Lessons Learned in Project Development & Implementation Rudynah Capone, LRSP Manager at LCTS, did a little briefer on Road Safety Assessment and encouraged how local governments can use it as a tool in mitigating road safety issues and develop appropriate countermeasures based on the field visit findings. She emphasized how RSA is a data-driven, independent and multidisciplinary team review of all factors affecting the safety issues on either an existing or future roadway. It is a proactive investigation, rather than reactive. Other entities have successfully used it to generate projects being funded through the LRSP. Cassie Parker, Regional Safety Coordinator from South Central Planning and Development Commission (SCPDC), presented on how their region used RSA in a more regionalized approach to identify high-crash local roads in Terrebonne, Lafourche, St. James, St. John, St. Charles and Assumption. They conducted an RSA mini-workshop followed by a series of RSA field visits. Majority of the short-term recommendations that came out of the RSA initiative were approved for LRSP funding, of which a few of them in Lafourche and Thibodaux have been completed & inspected. David Rome, Roads & Bridges Superintendent from Terrebonne Parish, vouched as to how the multidisciplinary approach helped them in the process. He also shared some of the lessons learned, including the MUTCD sign installation standards that had to be addressed after inspection. He then encouraged attendees that it was very essential to review the MUTCD manual to make sure everything was done properly. He shared that the RSA effort was beneficial in a way that it fostered teambuilding amongst coalition partners, implemented low-cost projects and promoted safety awareness. Mike Ricca, LRSP Project Manager, presented on Sign Installation. He shared the common problems found in LRSP project installations such as wrong height in relation to the road surface, non-uniformity in appearance and installation, and too close to the road edge or shoulder. Oftentimes, these mistakes are not identified until the final inspection, so then signs have to be removed and reinstalled. He made emphasis on local entities being required by law to follow the MUTCD in sign installation. There s apparently a need for Sign Installation Refresher Course across the board. In LRSP, entities are usually provided guidance on how to install the signs (as attached in entity-state agreements) but oftentimes, the installation crew Page 5
does not see these documents. In the new LRSP process, traffic engineers will meet with the installation crew prior to the actual installation. The bottom line is that road owners install signs that are uniform, easy to read, meaningful and easy to follow. Presentation and Facilitated Discussion on Every Day Counts innovations Road Diets and High Friction Surface Treatments Cristine Gowland, DOTD District 62 Traffic Operations Engineer, presented on Road Diets (or Roadway Reconfiguration), which is one of the 9 Proven Safety Countermeasures. A Road Diet Informational Guide is available on http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov. She highlighted facts about Road Diets: (1) Involves removal of a through travel lane and dedicates the space for another use (shoulder, turn lane or bike lane); (2) Involves converting a 4-lane undivided roadway to a 3-lane roadway with shoulders; (3) Changes on the road may often be integrated into an existing overlay project; and (4) Changes provide both safety and operational benefits. Not only do road diets reduce number of conflict points at an intersection or within a section of roadway, it also improves sight distance for vehicles, and reduces delays of through vehicles. She shared that DOTD district 62 implemented a Road Diet project on LA 21 in Bogalusa, LA which converted a 4-lane road (1.5 miles long from Rosa Pearl lane to E 2 nd Street) to a 3-lane (one through lane, two-way left turn lane or TWLTL) which was a successful project that reduced crashes from 31 crashes per year (before project) to 12 crashes per year (after project). Louis Haywood, Construction Project Manager from City of New Orleans, shared about the Complete Streets Policy which the City of New Orleans has adopted. He shared their experience and showed pictures of successful projects on various locations. He underscored the fact that a Complete Streets concept provides safe access for all road users, and is very pedestrian and bicyclist friendly. They ve incorporated bike racks, street trees, concrete crosswalks, curbs, benches, bike lanes, sidewalks in most of the projects they ve done. In implementing Complete Streets, it s great to take into account street furniture and trees, brick or stone accents, transit facilities, intersection design for bicyclists, unconventional/creative designs, and shortening of crossing distances. On Lessons learned, he shared to avoid building brick crosswalks because they are difficult to maintain. Peter Allain and Steve Strength (LTAP Manager) presented on High Friction Surface (HFST) Treatments, which is one of the latest innovations under Every Day Counts (EDC) Initiative. The LRSP hopes to implement this type of treatment on horizontal curves. It s predicted that HFST would reduce crashes by 57% on wet roads, 30% if single vehicle, 17% on rear-end crashes, and overall 24% on all crashes. They shared how Louisiana did an HFST project on I-610 at ST. Bernard Avenue which reduced crashes from 127 crashes (Year 2007-2009) to only 33 crashes (2011-2013) after the project was installed. Currently, there s an ongoing HFST project in Metairie. Peter then encouraged the attendees to consider HFST in their future projects. LRSP considers it eligible for funding. As a final P2P activity, Rudynah Capone asked attendees to share within their assigned groups what Next Steps they hoped to achieve in the next year or so. In summary, they shared the following: Discuss with higher ups on working toward the development a Parish Safety Plan Share great information to local constituents Attend the regional coalition meeting in their area Plan to organize an MUTCD Sign Installation Workshop for the region Plan to organize a RSA Mini Workshop Submit project applications for LRSP s next cutoff date Reach out to little municipalities and try to engage them into the SHSP implementation at the local level Work with our DOTD District on potential safety projects Make Safety Culture a huge topic in the next regional safety coalition meetings or other transportation meetings in their area Find avenues where LRSP may be promoted (perhaps at the City or Parish Council Meetings where publicity may be earned considering that reporters and writers are in attendance at these meetings) Mary Stringfellow, FHWA Project Delivery Leader, announced that there will be a Complete Streets Peer Exchange on November 9-10, 2015 at TTEC. More details to follow. Dortha Cummins wrapped up by thanking all partners and attendees. Page 6
Announcements and Opportunities: Next cutoff date for LRSP Project Applications is on September 30, 2015. Visit www.louisianalrsp.org or email Rudynah.capone@la.gov for more info. Louisiana DOTD will host the Statewide Highway Safety Summit themed as Zero: Let s Make it Happen on October 20-22, 2015 at Crowne Plaza in Baton Rouge, LA. https://www.ltrc.lsu.edu/safetysummit/ A Peer Exchange on Complete Streets is scheduled on November 8-9, 2015 in Baton Rouge, LA. Email bbreaux@ltrc.lsu.edu for more info. There is a Systemic Approach to Safety Webinar Series on September 29 and November 18: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/systemic/training.htm Page 7