FHWA-SA-18-015

Transportation Safety Planning – National and Virginia Context

Safety is a national transportation performance goal area, but more importantly, it is the number one 

priority for all transportation system users. For this reason, state Department of Transportations (DOT), 

metropolitan planning organizations (MPO), and regional transportation planning organizations (RTPO) 

are investing in programs and projects to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. Virginia is addressing 

transportation safety through an “Arrive Alive” approach, which focuses on zero deaths and the promise 

to move residents and visitors to their destinations safely. Many different stakeholders play a role in 

achieving this commitment, with transportation planners leading the way on stakeholder coordination,

crash data analysis, prioritizing and programming investments, and tracking and evaluating results. 

To assist States and MPOs improve transportation safety, including progress toward zero deaths goals, 

the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Offices of Safety and Planning sponsored a series of 

Transportation Safety Planning (TSP) Workshops. In April 2017, the Virginia Department of Transportation 

(VDOT) hosted a workshop with participants from the Virginia MPOs, the Virginia Planning 

Development Commissions (PDCs), and the FHWA. The workshop provided an opportunity to 

collaborate on transportation safety and integrate safety in the transportation planning process. The 

effort consisted of a workshop to discuss strategies and opportunities for collaboration; a follow-up 

webinar to discuss further opportunities and challenges; and a peer exchange webinar to share successful 

practices in other states and broaden collaboration. 

Virginia’s Transportation Safety Planning Strengths

The Transportation Safety Planning Workshops project complimented and highlighted the safety planning 

work already underway in Virginia and provided new ideas for moving forward. Areas where Virginia

excels in transportation safety planning include:

• The ability and expertise to analyze crash data to prepare reports and identify priority locations or 

projects. 

• The inclusion of safety considerations as part of the scoring/ranking process for all infrastructure 

projects. See SMART SCALE and STARS. 

• The availability of training opportunities/webinars to learn more about safety. 

• The availability of safety data and analysis tools to conduct safety planning.

• The availability of data and an excel workbook to advance safety target setting, particularly for the 

MPOs. 

• The inclusion of safety in many transportation plans, including corridor studies, small area studies, 

and active transportation plans.
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Virginia’s Best Practices in Transportation Safety Planning

Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study: The Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization 

(HRTPO) updates its regional safety study every five years. The study consists of two parts with Part 1 

addressing regional safety trends, crash characteristics, and crash locations. A major component of Part 

1 was the prioritization of the top five freeway segments and top ten arterial intersections that had the 

most potential for safety improvements (PSI). Part 2 of the study looked, more closely at these hazardous 

locations, to determine projects that would be good candidates for Highway Safety Improvement 

Program (HSIP) funding.

Virginia DOT Pedestrian Safety Analysis: VDOT recently updated its Strategic Highway Safety Plan 

(SHSP) and added an emphasis area for pedestrians. To understand the nuances of the issue, address the 

rising fatality trends, and develop 

effective solutions, a Pedestrian 

Safety Action Plan was created. They 

used a six- step process to inform the 

plan, including a policy review, crash 

data analysis, hot spot and risk factors 

identification, countermeasure 

development, project list and final 

report, and outreach and training. 

The crash analysis component details 

pedestrian crash clusters and priority 

corridors on state routes. 

VDOT and MPO Safety Target Setting Coordination: VDOT used Tableau software to provide the 

MPOs with a tool to calculate trend lines and view potential percent reductions for the five safety 

performance measures. This approach allowed the MPOs to look at different options for setting regional 

targets and comparing that information to the state’s targets. VDOT also created a custom letter template 

for the MPOs to use when submitting their safety targets to FHWA. 

Next Steps for Transportation Safety Planning in Virginia 

• Webinars – Share information through webinars on national and Virginia-specific safety practices.

• Safety Plans – Develop regional safety action plans that address all engineering, enforcement, 

education, and emergency response solutions.

• Relationships – Coordinate with the people that participated in the project to coordinate on future 

transportation safety initiatives.

• Tools – Continue information sharing, training, technical assistance, and use of VDOTs analysis tools, 

other predictive tools, performance targets tool, or other tools. 

• Locals – Coordinate with local jurisdictions to understand the safety needs in a planning area and 

identify opportunities for safety improvements using HSIP funds or other resources.

• Public – Utilize the strategies learned in the workshop to provide additional opportunities for the 

public to comment on safety and share safety information through the web and social media.