1

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

Complete by December 31, 2020

1 FHWA Update Pedestrian and Bicycle Road Safety Audit Guide to reflect the latest in 

safety information and innovative technology.

Y N N Y N Y Y N

2 FHWA Develop a pedestrian and bicycle Scalable Risk Assessment Methodology 

(ScRAM) to walk users through systemic safety planning process.

N N N Y N N N Y

3 FHWA Update Pedestrian and Bike Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT), a crash typing software 

that improves walking and bicycling safety through the development and analysis 

of a database containing details on motor vehicles and pedestrian/bicycle 

crashes, using the feedback received from an end users customer service survey.

N N N N N N N Y

4 FHWA Develop a Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) toolbox to lead 

stakeholders through the steps necessary to improve pedestrian crossing 

locations and to learn about all relevant available STEP and pedestrian safety 

materials.

Y N N Y N N Y N

5 FHWA Develop and deliver two Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) campaigns

to increase the understanding of pedestrian crossing safety and what STEP 

countermeasures can be used to improve pedestrian safety by FHWA stakeholders, 

primarily engineering and design staffs at State and local DOTs.

Y N N Y N N Y N

6 FHWA Conduct a U.S. DOT Summit on Pedestrian Safety and produce a summary report

by inviting key stakeholders from across the U.S. to discuss ways to improve 

pedestrian safety and produce a report that summarizes the findings.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

7 FHWA Produce a final short-term U.S. DOT Action Plan on Pedestrian Safety that targets 

actions over the next two years.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

8 FHWA Create Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) STEM (Science, 

Technology, and Math) Lessons for K-8 grade students to advance pedestrian 

safety using engineering concepts and countermeasures.

N N N Y N N Y N

9 FHWA Develop State and MPO non-motorized safety targets by providing resources and 

tools to help States and MPOs set these annual targets.

Y N N N N N N Y

10 FHWA Produce a lighting design guide and implementation policy to promote 

pedestrian safety in an urban street environment (including lighting at walkways 

adjoining schools) that are applicable throughout the country.

Y N N Y N N N N

11 FHWA Update systemic safety analysis training to include a pedestrian module along with 

a discussion and case study that focuses on risk factors identified in NCHRP 893, 

Systemic Pedestrian Safety Analysis.

N N N Y N N Y N

12 NHTSA Produce the Role of Law Enforcement in Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety: An 

Idea Book to describe ways in which law enforcement plays a role in addressing 

pedestrian safety including non-traditional examples and pro-active efforts for 

law enforcement to conduct at the community level.

N Y N N N N Y N

13 NHTSA Provide a community-based bicyclist and pedestrian behavioral safety 

assessment to include a tool, manual and data analyzer for communities 

to assess their pedestrian and bicycle safety issues and identify local 

recommendations; conduct the initial pilot in ten high-risk pedestrian injury 

communities in the NHTSA regions.

N Y N Y Y Y Y Y
2

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

14 NHTSA Conduct Pedestrian Automatic Emergency Braking (P-AEB) test procedures to 

evaluate daytime P-AEB performance. (NHTSA released a Request for Comment 

(RFC) to solicit input on these draft test procedures; stakeholder input is under 

solicitation and will be considered and the procedures updated for policy options 

or for voluntary use.)

N N Y N N N N N

15 FHWA Continue Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (EDC4/5) to help transportation 

agencies address pedestrian crashes by promoting cost-effective countermeasures 

that have known safety benefits including Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHB), pedestrian refuge islands, leading pedestrian intervals and road diets, raised crosswalks, 

crosswalk visibility enhancements, rectangular rapid flashing beacon, etc.

Y N Y Y N Y N N

16 FHWA Create a comprehensive, five-year Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program 

Strategic Plan for FHWA’s pedestrian and bicycle safety program.

Y N Y Y N Y Y N

17 FHWA Develop three Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) short videos (3-5 

minutes) to market the benefits of STEP Countermeasures with the first focusing 

on the rectangular rapid flashing beacon, the second video a white board presentation, and the last on the STEP Campaign—Design Like It.

Y N N Y N N Y N

18 FHWA Conduct a global benchmarking study on pedestrian safety to learn from other 

countries how they successfully address pedestrian safety on urban signalized 

arterials.

Y N N Y N N Y N

19 FHWA Identify, develop and promote speed management noteworthy practices that are 

carried out by States and localities to reduce speed related fatalities and cover 

topics such as setting appropriate speed limits for all roadway users and countermeasures that slow traffic down.

Y N N Y N Y N N

20 NHTSA Develop and conduct a Pedestrian and Bicyclist Bystander Care Initiative to 

include informational and marketing materials that educate stakeholders and consumers on bystander care safety tips.

N N N N N Y N N

21 NHTSA Conduct a pedestrian and bicyclist safety literature review to improve the state 

of knowledge and understand pedestrian/bicycle safety’s relationship to traffic 

safety.

N N N N N Y Y Y

22 NHTSA Investigate the effect of electronic device use on pedestrian safety by determining pedestrian and driver use and the magnitude of the involvement of electronic 

device use in pedestrian-involved motor vehicle conflicts.

N N N N N Y Y Y

23 NHTSA Evaluate New Child Pedestrian Curriculum to determine effectiveness and impact. N N N N N N Y Y

24 NHTSA Develop and publish an NPRM on minimum sound requirements for electric and 

hybrid vehicles since automakers are required to have 50 percent of their electric 

car fleets equipped with sound generating technology by September 2019 and be 100 

percent equipped a year later.

N N Y N N N N N

25 NHTSA Launch a Pedestrian Safety Month with media and marketing materials promoting 

pedestrian safety and how State and local efforts support the effort.

N Y N N N Y Y N

26 FHWA Test Vehicle-to-Pedestrian (V2P) communications that can sense the environment 

around them and communicate that information to other vehicles, infrastructure, 

and to personal mobile devices.

N N Y Y N N N Y
3

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

27 FHWA/

NHTSA

Update Speed Management Program Plan (SMPP)/Automated Speed 

Enforcement to reflect current and promising new strategies that address speed 

related motor vehicle crashes and injuries.

N N N N N Y N N

28 OST Determine the potential to estimate pedestrian and bicyclist crash rates through 

a case study that integrates data from the City of Philadelphia with private sector 

Streetlight data that includes pedestrian and bicycle volumes.

N N N N N N N Y

29 FHWA Develop a pedestrian count model that can predict pedestrian volumes at 

locations without this information through the Exploration of Pedestrian Safety 

Through the Integration of HSIS and Emerging Data Sources: Case Study in 

Charlotte, NC

N N Y Y N Y N Y

Complete by December 31, 2021

30 NHTSA Update Countermeasures That Work: A Highway Safety Countermeasures Guide 

for State Highway Safety Offices particularly the countermeasures for pedestrians 

in Chapter 8 and bicyclists in Chapter 9. (Updated biennially, 10th edition Winter 

2020)

N Y N N N Y Y N

31 FHWA Plan for multimodal networks in a connected and automated vehicle future by 

conducting research and describing scenarios on how pedestrian and bicycle 

network planning may change as deployment of this technology becomes more 

widespread.

Y Y Y Y Y Y N N

32 FHWA Produce a guide on effective selection of crosswalk patterns to help practitioners 

prioritize where the placement of high-visibility crosswalks would be most effective.

N N N Y N N Y N

33 FHWA Update Pedestrian Safety Guide for Transit Agencies using customer feedback to 

provide the most recent information and include bicycle accommodation.

N N N Y N N N

34 NHTSA, 

FHWA

Develop a National Pedestrian Safety Partnership Plan with stakeholder involvement that is targeted at reducing pedestrian fatalities in the next 10 years.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

35 NHTSA Develop a new Statewide Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Program Assessment

process that reviews elements of a State’s program and provides recommendations 

for improvement; include an online and in-person review process utilizing national 

subject matter experts.

N Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

36 NHTSA Develop law enforcement trainings on bicycle and pedestrian safety with input 

from law enforcement reflecting current issues and cultural changes.

N Y N N N N N N

37 NHTSA Examine the impact safety in numbers, i.e., more pedestrians and bicyclists on the 

roads, has on crash rates from a literature and programmatic perspective.

N N N N N Y Y Y

38 NHTSA Identify discrepancies in how new pedestrian and bicycle facilities are designed 

to be used versus how they are actually used by pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists 

by examining knowledge of proper facility use, enforcement efforts, and documentation of available educational resources and initiatives.

N N N N N Y Y N
4

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

39 NHTSA Develop a CIREN (Crash Injury Research) trauma center-based crash data 

collection program by modernizing pedestrian crash data collection protocols, 

and collecting data on a small number of pedestrian crashes in a pilot study to 

determine feasibility of different approaches in obtaining detailed and relevant 

pedestrian crash data to support research needs.

N N Y N N Y Y Y

40 NHTSA Review comments on DOT’s December 26, 2018 Federal Register notice on connected 

vehicles that requested feedback on how this technology will impact vehicle-to-everything (V2X) including pedestrian technology and the Department’s role in 

encouraging the integration of V2X.

N N Y N N N N N

41 NHTSA Finalize rulemaking for Adaptive Driving Beam Headlamps (ADB) and establish performance requirements that enable intelligent headlighting systems to 

increase seeing distance for drivers in certain conditions without increasing glare 

levels, including the ability to see other road users.

N N Y N N N N N

42 NHTSA Publish a Federal Register notice in 2020 that will seek comment on planned 

upgrades to the New Car Assessment Program (NCAP), including new technologies 

expected to contribute to the safety of pedestrians.

N N Y N N N N N

43 PHMSA, 

FHWA, 

FRA, 

NHTSA

Produce a streamlined test protocol and testbed for public and private institutions to evaluate public safety awareness technologies that mitigate risks in the 

transportation system; use pedestrian trespass on railroads as a case example for 

the test protocol. This collaborative effort is in response to the National Petroleum 

Council’s recommendation that the DOT should create an agile pathway for 

evaluation and regulatory acceptance of new technologies that can improve transportation safety and shorten the research, deployment, and adoption cycle time.

N N N N N N Y N

44 FHWA Build upon efforts to advance datainformed decision-making using continuous friction measurement (CFM) as the 

state of the practice in the U.S. in combination with a friction management framework to address safety performance at locations where there is a higher demand 

for friction such as intersections and approaches to crosswalks.

N N N Y N N N N

45 FHWA Foster innovation in Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Pooled Fund Study, 

which focuses on bicycle and pedestrian network planning, safety, and design 

issues, by addressing short term research needs of interest to the practitioner 

community. Participants will decide on a new round of projects to be funded by 

the pooled fund by June 2020.

Y N N Y N Y N N

46 FHWA Assess, with NCHRP, the current state of practice of pedestrian and bicycle 

planning, design, and operational issues at alternative intersections, synthesize design guidance, and compile them into a comprehensive reference on how 

to effectively and safely accommodate pedestrians and bicycles at innovative 

intersections.

N N N Y N N Y N

47 FHWA Develop Pedestrian-Intersection Crash Modification Factors by determining the 

safety effectiveness of medium to low-cost pedestrian engineering countermeasures in reducing non-motorist fatalities and injuries at controlled intersections 

specifically the study of the corner radius utilizing crashes and right-turning 

speeds in the evaluation.

N N N Y N N N Y
5

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

48 NHTSA Depict the highest risk behaviors by motorists, pedestrians, and cyclists utilizing 

crash animation videos in drivers’ education courses.

N N N N N N Y N

49 FHWA Conduct a safety study on the pedestrian crossing warning MUTCD W11-2 sign 

or the school crossing warning sign with embedded light emitting diodes (LEDs) 

that can be applied at uncontrolled pedestrian crossing locations (mid-block and 

unsignalized intersections).

N N N Y N N N Y

50 OST Develop and implement a data analytics and visualization dashboard using 

mobile device location data to better understand pedestrian travel volumes and 

their exposure to risk through a partnership with the Maryland Department of 

Transportation State Highway Administration.

Y N N N N N N Y

51 OST Refine and expand USDOT’s existing Pedestrian Fatality Risk Map through a partnership with the City of New Orleans, Louisiana to help the City make defined, targeted 

decisions around small-area and corridor-level investments with the greatest potential to prevent serious injuries and fatalities for vulnerable road users.

Y Y N Y N N N Y

52 FHWA Develop Supplement to the Intersection Informational Guide Series: Designing 

Intersections for Walking and Bicycling to the various intersection informational 

reports and guides developed and published by FHWA

Y N N Y N Y N N

2022 and Beyond

53 NHTSA Continue to conduct Data Collection and Analysis using annual FARS data on 

vulnerable road users. 

N N N N N N N Y

54 NHTSA Annually update Traffic Safety Facts

for Pedestrians, Bicyclists,

and Motorcyclists.

N N N N N N N Y

55 NHTSA Produce a Research Note on the Geographic Summary of Traffic Fatalities when 

annual FARS data are released.

N N N N N N N Y

56 NHTSA Promote data-driven programs to address vulnerable road user safety by providing technical assistance on awareness campaigns, training and education, and 

enforcement efforts.

N Y N N N N Y Y

57 NHTSA Participate in the Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) processes (with modal 

partners) to ensure vulnerable road users needs are considered and addressed 

with data-driven, proven or innovative countermeasures.

N N N N N N Y Y

58 NHTSA Support states that have adopted Vision Zero/Road to Zero policies. N Y N N N N Y N

59 NHTSA Investigate whether vehicle countermeasures designed to address head and leg 

injuries, which are the most common type of injuries, are also effective in mitigating pedestrian thorax injuries.

N N Y N N N N N

60 NHTSA Conduct a study to determine the usability of automated technologies and 

products inside and outside the vehicle for individuals with disabilities and vulnerable road users utilizing user needs analysis, participatory design, empirical 

research and interface approaches.

Y N Y N N N N N
6

DRAFT CURRENT AND PLANNED U.S. DOT ACTIONS TO ENHANCE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY

Safe System Approach

# Agency Activity

Improved 

Mobility Options

Enforcement, Laws 

and Regulations

Vehicle Design 

and Technology

Street Design 

and Engineering

Land Use 

Planning

Speed 

Management

Education and 

Capacity Building

Data and 

Evaluation

61 NHTSA Evaluate how crash avoidance and crashworthiness countermeasures (safety 

equipment) combine to mitigate pedestrian injury in pre-crash (avoiding/reducing the speed) and post-crash (injury mitigation) phases of a pedestrian-vehicle 

interaction.

N N Y N N Y N N

62 FHWA Continue support for the Highway Safety Improvement Program, which includes 

non-motorized transportation performance measures; state Strategic Highway 

Safety Plans; implementation and evaluation of projects, including ones that 

address pedestrian safety strategies and activities, using a data-driven roadway 

safety management process.

N Y N Y N N N N

63 FHWA Produce a quarterly Pedestrian and Bike Forum newsletter that highlights recent 

pedestrian and bicycle safety activities undertaken by the U.S. DOT.

Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y

64 FHWA Provide technical assistance to pedestrian and bicyclist focus states and cities

through funding for a peer-to-peer Exchange, quarterly webinars, more technical 

assistance and training to focus States and cities.

Y N N Y N N Y N

65 FHWA Produce a Multimodal Connectivity Newsletter that provides transportation 

professionals with real-world examples of ways that multimodal transportation 

investments promote economic revitalization, provide access to jobs, and achieve 

safer communities through support of accelerated project delivery, technology 

and design innovation, and public/private partnerships.

N N N N N N Y N

66 FHWA Produce a Human Environment Newsletter to share the latest information from 

Federal and non-Federal sources on transportation and its relationship to the 

human environment including accelerated project delivery, access to jobs, and 

community revitalization; technology and design innovation; and accountability 

through the use of data-driven decisions and performance-based planning.

N N N N N N Y N

67 FHWA/

NHTSA

Co-sponsor the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center, which develops, 

synthesizes, promotes and distributes accurate and current bicycling and walking 

information; provides expert technical assistance to various audiences to ensure 

that citizens and professionals have access to the best available information; and 

generates a network of informed individuals and organizations who can increase 

the exposure of pedestrian/bicycle issues to the general public.

N N N N N N Y Y

68 FHWA Update Pedestrian Safety Guide and Countermeasure Selection (Pedsafe) to make 

it current with the latest technology, research and data on countermeasures; 

update case studies and add new ones as appropriate.

Y N Y N N Y N N

69 FMCSA Support the Our Roads, Our Safety campaign that educates all drivers, cyclists and 

pedestrians about operational challenges large trucks and buses face, and simple 

actions everyone can take to help improve safety on America’s roadways.

N N N N N Y N N