Incorporating Safety Performance Into Project Design

016332692017PDFTech ReportFHWA-AZ-17-651SPR 000-1(173) 651Best practicesCase studiesHighway designHighway safetyImplementationProject managementRecommendationsTransportation planningDesignHighwaysPlanning and ForecastingSafety and Human FactorsArizonaUnited StatesArizona. Dept. of TransportationUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationWemple, ElizabethHull, RobertSchoen, JimGowan, BrelendCambridge SystematicsKittelson & AssociatesUnited States. Federal Highway AdministrationArizona. Dept. of TransportationNTL-SAFETY AND SECURITY-Highway SafetyUS Transportation CollectionThis project provides the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) with recommendations and a framework for integrating the Highway Safety Manual (HSM) methods and tools to quantify safety performance into project planning and scoping and design processes. The research describes and associates types of safety analyses likely to be undertaken at ADOT during the project development process. The research also outlines which of these practices are current and which could be implemented in the long term and preliminary steps to achieve long term implementation. Research for this project was based on interviews with staff from ADOT\u2019s safety, planning, design and pre-design, traffic engineering, and risk management and tort liability business units, case studies demonstrating application of HSM procedures to two recent ADOT pavement preservation projects, interviews with two state DOTs considered leaders in integrating the safety analysis into their project development process and the research team\u2019s practical experience. The project concluded that ADOT can be successful implementing descriptive and quantitative safety analysis by committing to revise applicable policies and guidance documents, establishing an ADOT champion to lead this effort, and by dedicating funds to a comprehensive training program to ensure Department staff has the appropriate skills to meet the safety analysis requirements