Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan Meeting Summary Virginia Reginal Transprtatin Safety Rad Shw Nrthern Virginia Meeting December 1, 2016 ATTENDEES Asma Ali, T3 Design Ivan Hrdyskyj, VDOT Sree Nampthiri, NVTA Brittany Cmer-Mathis, PWC Karen King, FHWA Waqas Siddiqui, VDOT DOT Gina Dbestani, VDOT - TP Carl Lew, Ludun Cunty Aleksandra Tuliszka, VDOT Sherriff s Office Pete Elias, Vienna PD Greg Linenfelser, Transurban Bb Weakley, DMV/HSO Cindy Engelhart, VDOT Bbby Mangcleth, VDOT Kelley Westenhff, RA MTAC Bb Felt, ATSSA Richard McEaglin, Fairfax Alan Yung, FABB Cunty PD Michelle Gre, Ludun Cunty Public Schls Allen Muchnick, Active Prince William Jessie Yung, FHWA MEETING SUMMARY Welcme and Meeting Outcmes Stephen Read, Highway Safety Imprvement Prgram (HSIP) Manager fr VDOT Central Office, welcmed participants t the meeting and discussed the purpse and utcmes f the meeting, which included: Cllabratin Cntinuing, and in sme cases, initiating cnversatins with state and reginal representatives frm VDOT, DMV s Highway Safety Office, the State Plice and lcal law enfrcement, educatrs, health prfessinals, representatives frm emergency medical services, cmmunity activists and thers t reduce transprtatin related fatalities and serius injuries in the Nrthern Virginia regin. SHSP Update Hear abut the cntents f the updated 2017-2022 Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) including the statewide infrastructure and behaviral emphasis areas, supprting strategies and actins, and subsequent prgrams and prjects. Participants will prvide input n whether anything is missing frm the plan and if s, suggestins t imprve it.
Reginal Safety Pririties Evaluate the reginal crash data t identify the three mst serius transprtatin safety issues (behaviral and/r infrastructure) in the Nrthern Virginia regin and decide hw these can be further addressed thrugh the implementatin f strategies, actins, prgrams, and prjects. Strategic Highway Safety Plan Statewide Activities Overview A brief verview f the SHSP was given back in 2005, Cngress included a requirement in transprtatin legislatin fr states t develp safety plans. This was based n reductins ther cuntries had seen in traffic related fatalities and serius injuries thrugh the develpment f a safety plan. The key t thse effrts was crdinatin and cperatin amng the fur Es f safety engineering, enfrcement, educatin, and emergency medical services t determine the majr traffic safety prblems and where the greatest difference can ccur. A review f the SHSP s Visin, Missin, and Gal was prvided and it was nted that the Tward Zer Deaths (TZD) visin is pssible cnsidering it is the gal fr every persn, every time they get behind the wheel f a car. T reach that gal, the SHSP perates as the crdinating plan fr the ther plans that deal with safety including the Highway Safety Plan (HSP) develped by DMV s Highway Safety Office and includes the behaviral safety plans cnducted in the state; the Highway Safety Imprvement Prgram (HSIP), develped by VDOT and includes the infrastructure prjects; and the Cmmercial Vehicle Safety Plan. The SHSP is currently being updated and a schedule fr that prcess was discussed, including final apprval by the Gvernr r his designee in March f 2017. The latest SHSP requirement, fr the state t develp a single safety target supprted by bth the DOT and the state highway safety ffice, was als described. Over the next five years, Virginia plans t accmplish a 2% annual reductin fr fatalities and fatality rates and a 5% annual reductin fr serius injuries and serius injury rate. SHSP Infrastructure and Behaviral Strategies Stephen Read, VDOT Central Office and Bb Weakley, DMV Highway Safety Office prvided an verview f the infrastructure and behaviral safety prgrams in the SHSP. Fr each emphasis area in the SHSP (impaired driving, ccupant prtectin, speeding, yung drivers, intersectins, radway departures, pedestrians, and bicyclists) a number f prven strategies are detailed t lwer fatalities and serius injuries in each f these areas. The prpsed strategies fr the updated SHSP were reviewed and participants are encuraged t prvide any cmments they have t Stephen Read (Stephen.read@vdt.virginia.gv r 804-786-9094). Nrthern Virginia Reginal Transprtatin Safety Activities Representatives frm the DMV Highway Safety Office and the VDOT District Office prvided participants with an verview f the behaviral and infrastructure safety prgrams and prjects already ccurring in the Nrthern Virginia regin. The regin mst recently received 60 grants ttaling $2,270,377. Successful grant activities are: Behaviral Prgrams The DMV Highway Safety Office currently funds grants in the regin, fcused n lwering impaired driving, ccupant prtectin, pedestrian, and speed related crashes specifically. Successful grant activities are: Prviding grants t law enfrcement fficials fr vertime and selective enfrcement thrughut the Nrthern Virginia regin; Prmtin and implementatin f the Drive Sber Get Pulled Over prgram; - 2 -
Prmtin and implementatin f Click It r Ticket in the regin (NOVA has the highest seat belt use rate in the state); Prmtin and implementatin f the bicycle and pedestrian Street Smart safety campaign; Prmtin and implementatin f the Operatin Air, Land, and Speed enfrcement initiative; Training child seat technicians t be able t assist parents with prper implementatin f car seats and hsting regin-wide car seat events; Sharing crash data with law enfrcement t fcus effrts arund high crash lcatins r crridrs; and Prviding educatin t law enfrcement n pulling ver and citing cmmercial mtr vehicles fr traffic safety vilatins. Infrastructure Prgrams The Virginia DOT District Office uses HSIP funding t implement safety imprvements t transprtatin infrastructure in the Nrthern Virginia regin. Successful activities are: Flashing yellw arrws have been added t enhance left hand turning mvements at intersectin, where necessary, t reduce crash severity; Reflective backplates have been added t signal heads at intersectins t increase visibility; In crdinatin with the annual repaving prgram, VDOT wrks clsely with ther partners t address safety needs frm rad diets t lane diets t striping t bicycle lanes, and mre; Systemic implementatin f pedestrian imprvements (i.e. HAWK, rectangular rapid flash beacns, push buttns) t intersectins, as needed; Cnversin f hanging signals n wires t mast arms t increase the visibility f signals; and Filling in the trail gaps n shared use bicycle and pedestrian paths. Breakut Grups The reginal crash data fr Nrthern Virginia was explained and shwn n a heat map. Data included cmbined fatality and serius injury crash data fr the biggest safety issues reginally, including impaired driving (drunk, drugged, distracted, drwsy), speeding, ccupant prtectin, bicyclists, pedestrians, yung drivers, intersectins, radway departures, aging drivers, and mtrcyclists. After review, participants identified what they cnsider t be the tp three mst serius cr ash prblems in the regin: Impaired Driving Speeding Intersectins - 3 -
Participants spent 45 minutes in a large grup frum, discussing strategies they are currently implementing r wuld like t implement in the Nrthern Virginia regin t lwer fatalities and serius injuries fr each issue areas. The fllwing summarizes the highlights f the discussin. Impaired Driving Successful prgrams t address impaired driving in the regin include: Selective and vertime enfrcement and checkpints t reduce drinking and driving fatalities and serius injuries; Prmtin and implementatin f the Drive Sber Get Pulled Over prgram; Prmtin and implementatin f the Street Smart campaign; and Use f crash data t better lcate fficers, increasing apprehensin f DUI ffenders. Areas where participants felt mre prgrams r resurces were needed t drive dwn impaired driving include: Avidance Additinal funding and resurces fr law enfrcement t target peple aviding DUI checkpints. Back Rads Targeted use f law enfrcement saturatin patrls n the back rads rather than the primary rads. Behaviral Grants Prviding educatin t MPOs and PDCs n DMV/HSO behaviral grants and hw t apply t address impaired driving in their planning areas. Alternative Transprtatin Prmting and partnering with Uber, and Lyft services in the regin t ffer discunts and deals n rides, especially arund the hlidays. Speeding Successful prgrams t address speeding in the regin include: Use f speed trailers t cntrl speed in a way that is infrmative; Use f advanced warning signs t let the driver knw that lwered speeds are appraching; Prgramming traffic signals t switch t red when a vehicle is appraching at an unsafe speed (Herndn Parkway/Glebe Rad-Alexandria); Successful implementatin f rad diets t slw traffic; and Use f zig-zag pavement markings at mid-blck crssings. - 4 -
Areas where participants felt mre prgrams r resurces were needed t drive dwn speeding crashes include: Speed Cameras Revisit legislatin t allw fr speed cameras and greater implementatin f red light running cameras. Study Cnduct a study t better understand speed issues near r at bus stps. Educatin Develping educatin materials and delivering messages abut the dangers f speeding t clear yellw lights. Technlgy Implement smart signal, where apprpriate t extend clearance intervals at high crash intersectins. Behaviral Campaigns Investigate speed campaigns in ther states (i.e. bey the sign r get the fine) t identify best practices and implement an educatin/enfrcement speed campaign in Virginia. Judicial Actin Sme frm f judicial r prsecutr educatin culd imprve the degree f punishment assciated with speeding ffenses. In many instances, the punishment fr ffenders des nt deter recidivism. Intersectins Successful prgrams t address intersectins related crashes in the regin include: Enhancements t signal timing and creating prgressin thrugh a crridr. This includes readjusting signal timings when incidents ccur; Cnversin f intersectins t rundabuts has reduced the number and severity f crashes at these lcatins; Signal visibility The District has made several advances t enhancing signal visibility. This includes cnverting span-wire signals t mast arms, installing reflective backplates, installing flashing yellw arrws, and larger street name signs. Areas where participants felt mre prgrams r resurces were needed t assist in reducing crashes at intersectins: Driver Educatin Regarding Pedestrians Additinal educatin t remind drivers f pedestrians and pedestrian right-f-way. This wuld include prviding signs t remind drivers t lk fr pedestrians when turning right r prhibit right-n red and nt t blck the intersectin r the crsswalk; Pedestrian Accmmdatins Cnsider prviding pedestrian refuges in medians where nne currently exist, install additinal pedestrian cuntdwn signals, install high visibility pavement markings t mark crsswalks; Intersectin Lighting Cnsideratin shuld be given t installing verhead lighting at intersectins t enhance the visibility f the intersectin and t better illuminate pedestrians and bicyclist. - 5 -
Next Steps The SHSP will be revised, as apprpriate, based n input frm all f the reginal meetings and shared with the statewide emphasis area teams and Steering Cmmittee fr review, fllwed by final apprval frm the Executive Cmmittee. The SHSP will be fficially launched t the public and stakehlders at a planned media event and then implementatin f the strategies and actins in the Plan will begin in May 2017. Participants are encuraged t stay engaged with the SHSP and can d s by jining ne f the statewide emphasis area teams r by participating in reginal safety activities as they arise. Fr thse interested in jining r learning mre abut the emphasis area teams, cntact Stephen Read at Stephen.read@vdt.virginia.gv r 804-786-9094. - 6 -