Safety Emphasis Areas & Safety Project Development Florida Department of Transportation District Seven Tampa Bay Stephen L. Benson, AICP, CNU-A FDOT District Seven Safety Office
Presentation Overview Safety Emphasis Areas Jurisdictional focus Project development considerations Innovative treatments
Safety Emphasis Areas Pedestrians & bicyclists Intersection crashes Lane Departure Motorcycles Aggressive Driving
Crash Trends 500 450 400 350 300 250 200 150 100 50 0 All Traffic Fatalities in District Seven (Tampa Bay) 120 114 114 191 183 182 104 96 112 99 CITRUS HERNANDO PASCO PINELLAS HILLSBOROUGH 81 141 153 151 178 164 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 *2012 *2013 Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System *2012 & 2013 unofficial data only at this time.
Crash Trends 120 100 80 Pedestrian Fatalities in District Seven (Tampa Bay) CITRUS HERNANDO PASCO PINELLAS HILLSBOROUGH 60 40 20 0 30 31 29 25 47 47 30 32 22 33 30 42 34 34 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 *2012 *2013 Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System *2012 & 2013 unofficial data only at this time. 25 22
Crash Trends 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 5 Bicycle Fatalities in District Seven (Tampa Bay) CITRUS HERNANDO PASCO PINELLAS HILLSBOROUGH 4 10 7 6 4 6 10 2 10 11 9 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 *2012 *2013 Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System *2012 & 2013 unofficial data only at this time. 10 13 9 10
Crash Trends 120 100 80 Motorcycle Fatalities in District Seven (Tampa Bay) CITRUS HERNANDO PASCO PINELLAS HILLSBOROUGH 60 40 24 26 27 25 23 24 24 14 20 37 27 31 27 23 36 38 28 0 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 *2012 *2013 Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System
D7 Safety Focus Areas Both state roads & local roads need help! Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System *2012 & 2013 unofficial data only at this time.
Top 10 Bike/Ped. Priority Counties Hillsborough Pinellas Pasco Duval Miami-Dade Orange Broward Palm Beach Volusia Lee D7/ Tampa Bay has 3 of the Top 10 Priority Bike/Pedestrian Safety Counties in Florida
D7 Safety Focus Areas Source: Florida Department of Transportation Crash Analysis Reporting System Both state roads & local roads need help!
FHWA Nine Proven Safety Countermeasures You are encouraged to use FHWA resources as you develop your projects. * * * * http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ 11
Lane Departure Countermeasures Curve safety, rural two-lane roadways, run-off-road crashes http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/provencountermeasures/ 12
Where are roundabouts appropriate? Roundabouts are not an appropriate treatment for all intersections, but may be particularly advantageous at intersections with/near: High-crash rate or a higher severity of crashes intersection/bike/ped Complex geometry (skew, 4+ legs, driveways) Freeway interchanges Closely spaced intersections Three-legs with high left turning volumes Transit corridors Bike/Pedestrian Volumes Transition to a lower speed zone Up to 65% crash reduction compared to conventional signalized* New statewide requirement: 2 roundabouts per district in FDOT 5 Year Work Program 13
Where are road diets appropriate? On most corridors, eliminating travel lanes is not recommended. Road diets should only be considered on corridors with a combination of the following characteristics: High-crash rate or a high severity of crashes Mode split imbalance: High volumes of bikes/peds Excess capacity Surrounding land use and roadway design do not match Right-of-way is constrained Excessive speeding Close proximity to schools Pedestrian generators Transit emphasis corridors 30-50% crash reduction depending on configuration 14
Where are road diets appropriate? On most corridors, eliminating travel lanes is not recommended. When considering a road diet to improve safety, you should take note of impacts to surrounding area & adjacent facilities: Things to look for! Long-term traffic generators Will the nature of planned/new development generate new demand for motor vehicle capacity? Long-term land use vision Will the nature of planned/new development generate new bicycle/ pedestrian activity? Network connectivity Can displaced traffic be accommodated on alternate routes? How will this impact regional connectivity? Is there community support? 15
Where are road diets appropriate? Nebraska Avenue Road Diet Project SR 45 (state highway system) Before: 4 lane undivided After: 2 lane with Two-way left-turn lane & bike lanes 16
Where are road diets appropriate? Nebraska Avenue Road Diet Project SR 45 (state highway system) Post-evaluation Overall reduction in Crash frequency (-68%) Crash rates (-61%) Crash severity (-45%) Traffic dispersion no significant trend Reduction or steady volumes on all parallel adjacent routes (US 41/Florida Ave, I-275, 15 th Street, 22 nd Street) Other concurrent factors influencing route choice & historical volumes: i.e. interstate construction, regional economic trends 17
Mid-block crossings Volume: A 3-day pedestrian count must be submitted with every new mid-block crossing proposal. All new marked crosswalks shall comply with the minimum requirements in FDOT Traffic Engineering Manual Section 3.8*. This should be the first step in any study. www.dot.state.fl.us/trafficoperations Placement: Is there an adjacent intersection with marked crosswalks? All intersections are legal crosswalks, whether marked on unmarked. Florida Statutes 316.003 Always consider marking an adjacent unmarked crosswalk before you introduce a new mid-block crosswalk on a corridor. Configuration: 4 lanes or greater? Consider a raised median and a full pedestrian signal*. Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) 18
Traffic Control at pedestrian crosswalks Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon/ HAWK The HAWK is currently being evaluated in Tallahassee to determine effectiveness over a traditional traffic signal. We currently do not have a standard for HAWK signals in Florida. When proposing a new crosswalk, consider an RRFB or a full traffic signal. All traffic control devices shall comply with the minimum requirements in FDOT Traffic Engineering Manual Section 3.8*. 19
Thank you! Stephen L. Benson, AICP, CNU-A District Bicycle & Pedestrian Safety Specialist Florida Department of Transportation District Seven Stephen.benson@dot.state.fl.us 813-975-6255 We need your support & involvement to address traffic safety for all road users in Tampa Bay.