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                Integrating Safety in the Rural Transportation Planning Process
**Description:**
        This guide outlines ways to integrate safety analysis into the regional planning organization (RPO) planning process. The process includes identifying issues and needs within the region related to mobility, safety, asset condition, and economic development. These needs are often formalized in a regional plan, or as contributions to a statewide transportation improvement plan or long range transportation plan. There are opportunities to consider safety in identifying locations with potential for safety improvement, diagnosing safety concerns, selecting appropriate countermeasures, economic analysis, prioritizing projects within a program, and monitoring and evaluating constructed projects. Additionally, RPOs can set and measure safety performance metrics to track progress in achieving safety goals within their region and across the State.
RPOs often are in a better position than DOTs to coordinate and collaborate with municipal safety stakeholder agencies and organizations such as town governments, police departments, and emergency medical services due to their local involvement. Guidance for working with these types of agencies is discussed. RPOs are also encouraged in this guide to develop a local safety improvement plan that coordinates with the State’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), other local plans, and other modal plans.
The guide also presents several case studies and an example implementation action plan to assist agencies with carrying out the strategies discussed in this tool.
    
          **Tool Type:**
        Application Guide
    
    
    
          **Owner Source:**
        federal
    
          **Sponsor/Owner:**
        Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)
    
        **Published:**
      2014
    
        **Availability:**
      The guide is available free of charge at the following link: Integrating Safety in the Rural Transportation Planning Process. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

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