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                        Addressing Safety on Locally-Owned and Maintained Roads - A Domestic Scan


            
            In This Section
        Local and Rural Road Safety Program
                Training, Tools, Guidance and Countermeasures for Locals Practitioners
                Crash Facts
                
                Appendices
State Fact Sheets

The following pages contain State briefing sheets that contain information gathered prior to the scan. The information was generally used to provide basic context, regarding the State structure and safety programs, for the Scan Team members visiting each State.



"State of Alabama Seal"Alabama

State Overview:

Alabama covers an area of 54,419 square miles in the Southeastern region of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 4,708,708. The State has approximately 96,045 miles of public roads; close to 87 percent are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The State of Alabama is comprised of the following government offices:

13 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	9 Divisions
	67 CountiesAccording to the State website, the Department of Transportation (ALDOT) is organized into nine geographic regions called Divisions, with a Central Office located in Montgomery. The Central Office is organized into the Office of the Transportation Director and the Office of the Chief Engineer with Bureaus and Divisions reporting to the Chief Engineer. Additionally, the Department has several other boards and committees that operate either within a bureau or as a cooperative effort among several bureaus and/or divisions.

The ALDOT County Transportation Bureau (CTB) has dedicated personnel for local roads and serves as the liaison between the Alabama Department of Transportation and the 67 counties in Alabama. The CTB has about 15 engineers in the Central Office, one engineer in each District, and about three support staff members.

Federal Safety Funding

Alabama received approximately $30.9 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below. The division office of the bureau prescreens local safety projects, provides construction engineering services to the local agencies, and oversees Federal-aid projects.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$28,816,982
			$2,062,489Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 522 fatal crashes on State roads and 427 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 45 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**55%
			45%

"State of Georgia SealGeorgia

State Overview:

Georgia covers 59,425 square miles in the Southeastern region of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 9,829,211.  The State has approximately 117,645 miles of public roads.  Approximately 84 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The State of Georgia is comprised of the following government offices:

15 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	6 Districts
	159 CountiesThe Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) Off-System Safety Program was established as part of the GDOT Safety Action Plan to take assertive action in reducing the number of fatal crashes on off-system or local roadways.

Federal Safety Funding

Georgia received approximately $55 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.   Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below. The Federal funding from the HRRRP is administered through the Off-System Program efforts for distribution to counties and municipalities.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$52,015,784
			$3,149,726Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 850 fatal crashes on State roads and 581 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 41 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**59%
			41%



"State of Illinois Seal"Illinois

State Overview:

Illinois covers an area of 57,918 square miles in the Midwest region of the United States. The United States Census Bureau estimated the State's population was 12,910,409 in 2009.  The State has approximately 138,833 miles of public roads.  Approximately 88 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The Illinois Department of Transportation's (IDOT) Bureau of Local Roads and Streets has about 25 full-time employees in its central office.  Approximately 100 IDOT staff members work on local roadway programs. This includes IDOT District Local Roads and Streets personnel.

The State of Illinois is comprised of the following government offices:

13 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	9 Districts
	102 Counties
	2,000 Municipalities/TownshipsFederal Safety Funding

Illinois received approximately $45.5 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below.  The Federal funding is administered through the IDOT's Bureau of Local Roads and Streets.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$42,434,685
			$3,024,273Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 614 fatal crashes on State roads and 425 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 41 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**9%
			41%

"State of Michigan Seal"Michigan

State Overview:

Michigan covers 97,990 square miles and is located in the Great Lakes region of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 9,969,727. Michigan is the largest State east of the Mississippi River by total area. The State has approximately 121,456 miles of public roads.  Approximately 90 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has two full time employees dedicated to safety.  One of the keys to success of the local safety program is MDOT's Local Safety Initiative.

The State of Michigan is comprised of the following government offices:

12 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	83 Counties
	400+ Cities/Villages
	520 Local Agencies
	13 Rural Task ForcesFederal Safety Funding

Michigan received approximately $42 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below.  Michigan Department of Transportation's Local Safety Initiative program administers HSIP and Local Rural Road funds to local agencies using an "Annual Call" for projects.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$39,131,608
			$2,926,006Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 385 fatal crashes on State roads and 568 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 60 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**40%
			60%In order to remain a recognized leader in improving safety on roadways, the State of Michigan Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) has set two ambitious safety goals:

Reduce fatal crashes to fewer than 850 by 2012.
	Reduce serious crash injuries from 7,485 in 2007 to fewer than 5,900 by 2012.

"State of Minnesota Seal"Minnesota

State Overview:

Minnesota covers 86,943 square miles in the Midwest region of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 5,266,214 and 60% of the population resides in the Minneapolis - St. Paul metropolitan area. The State has approximately 132,048 miles of public roads.  Approximately 89 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The State of Minnesota has the following jurisdictions/agencies at the local level:

8 Districts
	8 Area Transportation Partnerships (ATPs)
	87 Counties
	854 Cities
	1,786 Organized TownshipsThe Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) is headquartered in St. Paul, MN.

Federal Safety Funding

Minnesota received approximately $26.8 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below.  The Mn/DOT State Aid for Local Transportation (SALT) administers funding allocations to local agencies.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$24,940,307
			$1,810,055Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 224 fatal crashes on State roads and 219 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 49 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**51%
			49%



"State of New Jersey Seal"New Jersey

State Overview:

New Jersey is located in the Northeast region of the United States and covers 8,729 square miles. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 8,707,739 and is the highest population density of any of the United States. The State has approximately 38,552 miles of public roads.  Approximately 93 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The State of New Jersey is comprised of the following government offices:

3 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	4 District Offices
	21 Counties
	566 MunicipalitiesOne of the keys to success of the local safety program is the integrated relationship between the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) and the regional Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs).  NJDOT has a separate division, the Division of Local Aid and Economic Development, which works with county and municipal government officials to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the State's transportation system.

Federal Safety Funding

New Jersey received approximately $25 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below.  The Division of Local Aid and Economic Development administers HSIP and Local Rural Road funds to local agencies primarily through MPOs.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$23,356,592
			$1,666,605Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 270 fatal crashes on State roads and 344 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 56 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**44%
			56%



"State of Washington Seal"Washington

State Overview:

Washington State covers an area of 71,342 square miles in the upper northwest corner of the United States. According to the United States Census Bureau their population in 2009 was estimated at 6,664,195. Sixty percent of the State's population resides in the Seattle metropolitan area. The State has approximately 83,381 miles of public roads.  Approximately 81 percent of the State's roadways are locally owned and maintained.

Government Structure Related to Transportation

The State of Washington is comprised of the following government offices:

10 Metropolitan Planning Organizations
	14 Regional Transportation Planning Organizations
	39 Counties
	200+ Cities/VillagesWSDOT has approximately 7,200 full-time employees, including engineers, vessel captains, maintenance technicians, environmental specialists, planners, and many others.  WSDOT has a well-defined local roads program. The WSDOT local roads program employs 30 full-time employees in the headquarters office and 30 in the field distributed among 6 regional offices.  Local roads staff includes bicycle/pedestrian specialists, safe routes to school specialists, and bridge specialists among others.

Federal Safety Funding

Washington received approximately $19.6 million in Federal safety funding in 2009.  Funding is divided between the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) and High Risk Rural Roads Program (HRRRP) as shown in the table below.  The Federal funding is administered through Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) for distribution to all public road agencies.

**HSIP**
			**HRRRP**$18,071,911
			$1,572,286Safety Data

The State's two year average of fatal crashes, using FARS data for 2007 and 2008, was 230 fatal crashes on State roads and 276 fatal crashes on locally owned and maintained roads. As shown in the following table, approximately 54 percent of fatal crashes occurred on locally maintained roads.  Route signing was used to determine roadway classification.

**Federal/State Roadways**
			**Local Roadways**46%
			54%

Key Contacts in Host States

This report would not be possible without support from our host States. Host States provided preliminary information prior to the visit, organized participants for the scheduled scan date, and supplied subsequent follow up information.  The key participants in each State are presented below.

Alabama

The Scan Team met with or talked to several representatives from the Alabama Department of Transportation (ALDOT) including:

Waymon Benifield, Safety Management Section Administrator
	Tim Barnett, Safety Operations Engineer
	Eric Marable, Safety Support Staff
	Wes Elrod, Assistant Chief, Multimodal Bureau
	Sonya Baker, Safety Support Staff
	Sam Poole, Safety Support Staff
	Ed Phillips, Chief, County Transportation Bureau
	Brad Lindsey, P.S. & E. Engineer, County Transportation Bureau
	Walter (Richie) Beyer, IV, Elmore County Engineer
	William L. Wallace, Safety Operations Manager
	Dr. Dan Turner, Professor, University of Alabama, TuscaloosaAdditionally, the Scan Team met with Linda Guin, FHWA Safety & Technology Engineer, Alabama Division.

Georgia

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) including:

Norm Cressman, Safety Program Manager
	Steve Sanders, District Traffic Operations Manager
	Charity Belford, Traffic Operations
	Beverly Fontenot, Staff Development/Training Coordinator
	Kathy Zahul, Assistant State Traffic Engineer
	Derrick Cameron, Traffic Design Manager
	Phil Fergerson, Off-System Coordinator, District 6Additionally, the Scan Team met with the following individuals:

Lokesh Hebbani, FHWA Georgia Division
	Brandi Peck, Douglas County DOT
	Chris Pruitt, Cobb County DOT
	Talya Trudell, Atlanta Regional Commission
	Randy Clayton, Georgia Office of Highway SafetyIllinois

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) including:

Priscilla Tobias, State Safety Engineer
	Darrel Lewis, Bureau Chief, Local Roads and Streets
	Rob Robinson, Data Management Unit Chief
	Kim Cummins, Local Roads Engineer
	Terry Fountain, Local Roads Engineer
	Traci Sisk, Special Programs Manager
	David Piper, Safety Design EngineerAdditionally, the Scan Team met with the following individuals:

Jay Keeven, Commander, Statewide Patrol Support Command, Illinois State Police
	Rita Morocoima-Black, CUUATS Manger, Transportation Engineer, Champaign County Regional Planning Commission
	Alan Ho, Mobility & Safety Engineer Team Leader, FHWA Illinois Division
	Greg Piland, Safety Program Specialist, FHWA Illinois Division
	Meesa Otani, Transportation Engineer, FHWA Illinois Division
	Mike Staggs, Engineering Team Leader, FHWA Illinois Division
	Bob McCurdy, Lieutenant, Williamson County Sheriff's Office
	Brian Davis, Planning Engineer, Sangamon County Highway Department
	Tim Zahrn, County Engineer, Sangamon County Highway Department
	Jim Webb, County Engineer, Williamson County Highway DepartmentMichigan

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) including:

Dale Lighthizer, Safety Programs Section Manager, Michigan DOT
	Tracie Leix, Safety Programs Unit Supervisor, Michigan DOT
	Dalrois McBurrows, Supervisor, Statewide Planning Section, Michigan DOT
	Jim D'Lamater, Local Agency Programs Safety Engineer, Michigan DOTAdditionally, the Scan Team met with the following individuals:

Tom Bruff, Manager, Transportation Programs, South Eastern Michigan Council of Governments
	Wayne Schoonover, Ionia County Highway Engineer, Road Commission for Ionia County
	David Morena, FHWA Michigan Division
	Tim Colling, Assistant Director, Michigan Tech Transportation Institute, LTAPMinnesota

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) including:

Dave Engstrom, State Traffic Safety Engineer
	Julie Whitcher, Assistant Traffic Safety Engineer
	Mark Vizecky, Program Support Engineer
	Patti Loken, State Aid Programs Engineer
	Ken Schroepfer, Traffic Standards Specialist
	Kelvin Howieson, District 3 State-Aid Engineer
	Sue Groth, State Traffic EngineerAdditionally, the Scan Team met with Rick West, the County Engineer in Ottertail County, Minnesota.

New Jersey

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) including:

Patricia Ott, Director, Traffic Engineering and Safety
	William Beans, Section Chief, Bureau of Safety Programs
	Deven Patel, Principal Engineer, Division of Local Aid and Economic Development
	Debbie Kingsland, Project Engineer, Division of Planning and Project DevelopmentAdditionally, the Scan Team met with the following individuals:

Pam Fischer, Director, New Jersey Division of Highway Traffic Safety
	Lois Goldman, Director, Regional Planning, New Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
	Jeff Vernick, Manager, Corridor Studies and Project Planning,North Jersey Transportation Planning Authority
	Tim Chelius, Executive Director, South Jersey Transportation Planning Organization
	Mark Jehnke, Principal Engineer, Ocean County Engineering Department
	John Ward, Associate Director, *Planning* Division, Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission
	Janet Leli, Program Director, Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation
	Sarah Weissman, Program Manager, Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation and Transportation Safety Resource Center
	Caroline Trueman, Safety Engineer, FHWA New Jersey DivisionWashington

The Scan Team met with several representatives from the Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT) including:

Kathleen Davis, Director, WSDOT Highways & Local Programs (H&LP)
	Matthew Enders, Technical Services Manager, WSDOT H&LP
	Aaron Butters, Engineering Services Manager, WSDOT H&LPAdditionally, the Scan Team met with the following individuals:

Dan Davis, Collision Data & Analysis Branch Manager, WSDOT Transportation Data Office
	Don Peterson, Safety/Design Engineer, FHWA Washington Division
	Megan Hall, Local Programs/Research & T2 Engineer, FHWA Washington Division
	Jim Ellison, County Traffic Engineer, Pierce County Public Works
	Scott Davis, Traffic Engineer, Thurston County Public Works
	Angie Ward, Program Manager, Washington Traffic Safety Commission

Scan Team Members

Federal Highway Administration Representatives

Rosemarie Anderson, Transportation Specialist, Local and Rural Roads Program, FHWA Office of Safety Programs, Task Order Manager

Jeffrey Shaw, FHWA Safety Engineer, FHWA Resource Center

Peter Hartman, Idaho Division Administrator, FHWA

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Representative

Tracie Leix, Safety Programs Unit Supervisor, Michigan DOT
Representative of the AASHTO Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety (AASHTO-SCOHTS)

American Public Works Association (APWA) Representative

John Davies, Chief Engineer, Jacksonville Transportation Authority, Jacksonville, Florida

National Association of County Engineers (NACE) Representatives

Albert Letzkus, Chief Traffic Engineer, Pima County DOT, Tucson, Arizona

Jon Oshel, Director of Public Works, Tillamook County, Oregon

National Local Technical Assistance Program Representatives

Cliff Reuer, Technical Assistance Provider, South Dakota LTAP Center, South Dakota State University

John Habermann, Program Manager, Indiana LTAP, Purdue University School of Civil Engineering

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (contractor to FHWA)

Teresa Gardner, Project Manager
Manager, Consultant Services on the project.

Michelle Scism, Project Coordinator

Additional Scan Contributors

Karen Yunk, HSIP Program Manager, FHWA Office of Safety Programs

John Dewar, State and Local Programs Team Leader, FHWA Office of Safety Programs

Robert Hollis, Arizona Division Administrator, FHWA

Larry Dwyer, Vermont Division Assistant Administrator, FHWA
      
  Book traversal links for Appendices
      ‹ Chapter 9: Observations and Conclusions
                    Up
                
                Book:Addressing Safety on Locally-Owned and Maintained Roads - A Domestic Scan
              Executive Summary
                Chapter 1: Introduction
                Chapter 2: Data Collection and Analysis.
                Chapter 3: Local Project Identification
                Chapter 4:  Local Project Administration
                Chapter 5: Funding
                Chapter 6: Training and Technical Assistance
                Chapter 7: Partnerships and Outreach
                Chapter 8: Local Agency Success Stories.
                Chapter 9: Observations and Conclusions
                Appendices U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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