Preparing for a Virtual 

Road Safety Audit (RSA)

Source: FHWA
Technical Report Documentation Page

1. REPORT NO.

FHWA-SA-21-025

2. GOVERNMENT ACCESSION NO. 3. RECIPIENT'S CATALOG NO. 

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit (RSA) 

5. REPORT DATE 

December 2020

6. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 

CODE

7. AUTHOR(S)

Joe Seymour, Annette Gross, and Catherine Chestnutt 

8. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION 

REPORT NO.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME & ADDRESS 10. WORK UNIT NO.

11. CONTRACT OR GRANT NO.

DTFH6116D00040L

VHB

940 Main Campus Drive, Suite 500 

Raleigh, NC 27606 

12. SPONSORING AGENCY NAME AND ADDRESS 

Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety

1200 New Jersey Ave., SE

Washington, DC 20590

13. TYPE OF REPORT AND PERIOD 

14. SPONSORING AGENCY CODE 

FHWA

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

The Task Order Contracting Officer's Representative (TOCOR) for this task was Rebecca Crowe.

16. ABSTRACT

This guide is intended to support agencies that are interested in conducting virtual and hybrid pedestrian-focused RSAs 

and includes information on the RSA process, necessary data, and special considerations to support remote participation. 

It contains recommendations for coordinating virtual reviews of a corridor, collecting data that can partially substitute for 

in-field activities, and integrating small in-field activities. Also included are example virtual RSA agendas and field map 

packets. This guide will aid practitioners to continue RSAs within the constraints of group size limits, travel restrictions, 

and other State and local public health requirements.

17. KEY WORDS

Road Safety Audit, Road Safety Assessment, RSA, pedestrian, bicycle, safety, 

virtual engagement, drone

18. DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT

No restrictions.

19. SECURITY CLASSIF. (OF THIS 

REPORT) Unclassified

20. SECURITY CLASSIF. (OF THIS 

PAGE) Unclassified

21. NO. OF PAGES 

18

22. PRICE

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed page authorized.
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 1

Preparing for a 

Virtual Road Safety 

Audit 

Introduction

The following information is intended 

to assist an agency in preparing for a 

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)-

led pedestrian-focused RSA that is either 

completely virtual or includes a limited and 

optional field review. These instructions and 

recommendations have been modified 

from an in-person RSA format and used for 

several virtual RSAs in 2020. The preparation, 

in-person elements, and meeting format 

are flexible and are intended to be modified 

in accordance with local public health 

requirements on non-essential travel and 

meeting room capacity requirements. For 

a complete overview of the RSA process, 

consult the FHWA Pedestrian and Bicyclist RSA 

Guide and Prompt Lists (figure 1).1

1. Identify a Date of the Event

The FHWA STEP program supports two-day 

RSA events that include instructional training, 

a field visit, and discussions about findings 

and recommendations. These two-day 

events are a significant time commitment 

for RSA participants, so a local host should 

contact participants several weeks in 

advance of the anticipated event. It is a 

good practice to offer multiple options for 

dates when contacting invitees to find a twoday period that works for most participants’ 

availability. While there are time savings from 

a virtual RSA due to reduced field review, 

the structure is still recommended for two 

consecutive days.

2. Identify and Invite Core 

Personnel and Participants

The RSA should be led by a core team of 

local officials consisting of the two or more 

agency staff most directly invested in the 

process and outcomes of the RSA. The 

core team is responsible for planning and 

logistics for the RSA. A full RSA team of six or 

more individuals representing a variety of 

disciplines and perspectives will also attend 

and actively contribute during the RSA. The 

participant team is expected to attend all 

events and may be asked to review draft 

report materials following the RSA. 

FHWA, "Pedestrian and Bicyclist Road Safety Audit (RSA) Guide and Prompt List," (2020), https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/ docs/fhwasa20042.pdf

Figure 1. Graphic. The new FHWA Pedestrian and 

Bicyclist RSA Guide and Prompt List combines 

modes and updates the RSA process. 

Source: FHWA
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 2

However, some participants, such as first 

responders, may only be available for a 

limited time during the two-day event. 

Others may be invited to participate in the 

instructional training, but they may not be 

required for full participation in the two-day 

event. A virtual RSA may allow the addition 

of team members who wish to observe 

the process in lieu of full participation; this 

should be approved with the local host and 

facilitator.

The RSA team should include representatives 

from a variety of disciplines or agencies, 

according to the characteristics of the 

community and study area. The full 

participant team (including core personnel) 

should include the following representatives 

from local and/or State departments as 

applicable:

1. Public Works (Streets Maintenance). 

2. Public transit.

3. Law enforcement.

4. Planning or Community Development.

5. Transportation planning (or 

Metropolitan Planning Organization).

6. Transportation engineering or traffic 

safety. 

Additional stakeholders to consider 

inviting to the participant team include the 

following:

1. Emergency medical services (EMS) or first 

responders. 

2. Public health.

3. K-12 schools.

4. Neighborhood associations or community 

leaders. 

5. Elected officials.

6. Economic development or commerce 

agency. 

It is critical to include representation from 

the transportation agency who owns or 

maintains the roadway facilities in the 

study area. For the purposes of an FHWAsponsored RSA, the core team should also 

invite a representative from the State FHWA 

Division office.

3. Select Site(s) for the RSA

A crash analysis is often conducted to 

determine specific locations of interest for 

the RSA—possibly through a hot spot or 

predictive analysis (also known as systemic 

analysis). If the agency or State has a 

Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, the plan may 

identify priority areas for investigation during 

the RSA. During RSAs focused on modes with 

limited crash data, such as pedestrian- or 

bicyclist-focused RSAs, other factors should 

be taken into consideration, including crash 

risk, network connectivity, identification in a 

pedestrian plan, etc. It is also important to 

look at all crashes within a study area, and 
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 3

not just those pertaining to the focus of the 

RSA (such as pedestrians). 

The number and length of locations that 

an RSA covers will vary. As a general 

rule of thumb, the team may be able to 

review—and potentially visit as part of an 

optional field review—a total of four to 

six distinct sites within close proximity of 

each other or focus on 1 to 2 miles of a 

corridor(s) with consistent characteristics 

(e.g. land use context, speed, etc.) during 

a two-day RSA. The corridor will likely be 

divided into segments to support a detailed 

review (see “Create Meeting Materials” 

below). The core team should coordinate 

with the transportation agency that owns 

the roadway facility before finalizing RSA 

locations.

4. Collect Data

The FHWA facilitator will work with the host 

agency liaison to collect the necessary 

data to prepare for the field review. The 

data is necessary to understand potential 

crash risks and specific intersections or 

locations for focused attention. The data 

will also be used to create base maps and 

crash diagrams to be used during the RSA 

site review. A virtual RSA places greater 

emphasis on comprehensive data to 

illustrate conflicts, issues, and trends.

Data sets representing the study area that 

should be provided to the technical team 

before the RSA include the following:

» Corridor imagery, including video of 

pedestrian and vehicular activity, to 

complement the aerial imagery in the 

field packet. Some jurisdictions are 

capable of providing drone footage, 

while others may be limited to footage 

captured during a prep walking tour or 

windshield tour (figure 2). The local host 

and FHWA facilitator will discuss these 

options for capturing imagery prior to 

the RSA.

» Crash data (GIS) and original, full crash 

reports, to include the crash description 

and diagram if possible.

» Roadway characteristics (average 

annual daily traffic, posted speeds, 

etc.).

» Pedestrian and bicycle volume 

estimates.

Figure 2. Photograph. Example drone 

footage image with orientation note 

from City of Albuquerque RSA.

© City of Albuquerque
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 4

» Plans for roadway or safety 

improvements (for example, are there 

any planned improvements that will be 

implemented in the near future). 

» Plans for changes in land use/property 

access. 

» Location and types of pedestrian 

generators and attractors (i.e., 

employers, schools, parks, etc.).

» Transit routes, stops, boarding data. 

» GIS data showing pedestrian and 

bicyclist facilities (if available).

» Community surveys or input (if 

available) about near-misses or 

perceived safety/access issues.

Additional data that may be brought by the 

participant team to the meeting:

» Planned maintenance activities 

(repaving, mowing, sign replacement, 

etc.).

» Speed study results and/or 85thpercentile speeds.

» Actual speeds, as observed during the 

optional field review.

» Signalized intersection operation (signal 

phasing, turn restrictions, etc.).

» Parking restrictions or requirements. 

» Curbside activities, policies, and 

schedules (i.e. street cleaning, trash 

collection, EMS access).

» Agency policies for consideration 

for pedestrian/bicycle safety 

improvements. 

5. Create Meeting Materials

The host agency and the facilitator will be 

responsible for developing a draft agenda 

or schedule for the RSA. See below for an 

example virtual and hybrid agenda for 

a two-day RSA event. The FHWA team will 

create materials for the event – such as site 

maps for each of the study locations and 

an overall field map packet in PDF or other 

accessible format. The site maps should 

divide the corridor into segments with 

sufficient scale and resolution that allow the 

virtual RSA team members to observe key 

details like pavement markings, sidewalk 

gaps, and worn paths. For example, the 

site maps for a mile-long corridor could 

be depicted in a series of 5 maps each 

showing approximately 1,000 feet. An 

example segmented corridor with smaller 

individual site maps is shown at the end of 

this document. 

The FHWA team will also be responsible 

for preparing presentations that will be 

used during the kickoff and preliminary 

findings meetings. The presentation should 

include information on local plans, pending 

developments, demographics, relevant 

traffic studies, and transit operations, among 

others. The RSA materials—the study area 

maps and map packet—should be shared 

with participants a week prior to the virtual 

event to give team members an improved 

understanding of the corridor. 

6. Conduct the Meeting

The host agency liaison and the FHWA 

facilitator will be responsible for selecting 

the virtual meeting platform for the session. 

Options may include Zoom, Microsoft 
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 5

Teams, and Webex. Each platform has 

its benefits and limitations, and some 

agencies may be prohibited from using 

certain platforms. The chosen technology 

platform should allow for screen sharing 

and chats among all team members. Once 

selected, the host agency will distribute the 

meeting login information to the RSA team 

members. While a subset of the RSA team 

members are not prohibited from sitting in 

the same physical space, the combination 

of mask requirements, office capacity 

restrictions, distancing requirements, and 

remote participation of other team members 

may increase confusion during group 

discussions. Complete remote attendance 

may be encouraged for these reasons. 

Active participation is essential to the 

success of a virtual RSA. Team members 

should have their webcams on throughout 

the RSA. The facilitator will also ask team 

members for feedback, reactions, and 

personal knowledge of corridor conditions 

during review of the map materials and 

data. Team members are encouraged to 

share their screens to describe their findings 

and observations as shown in figure 3 (e.g., 

Bing Maps Streetside or Google Maps 

Streetview). The agenda should include 

frequent breaks to allow participants to 

attend to other demands and reduce 

screen fatigue. However, similar to an inperson RSA, team members should be 

directed to contact the facilitator through 

email or the virtual platform’s chat function if 

they have to leave the session.

The facilitator should orient the RSA team 

members when presenting drone footage, 

aerial imagery, and other imagery to 

support clear understanding. This may 

resemble the inclusion of a north arrow on 

each image, progressing through images 

in a set orientation (i.e., north to south 

through the corridor), and a notation on the 

presentation slides (e.g., “Along Main Street, 

looking north”). 

7. Additional Field Review 

and Data Collection 

There may be an opportunity to conduct 

additional data collection and field review 

to support the virtual RSA’s observations 

and recommendations. RSA team members 

may be allowed—given local guidance—to 

walk the corridor after the completion of Day 

1’s discussions. This is an optional element 

and it should be clearly communicated 

to the team members that it is voluntary. 

Those who wish to participate must notify 

the RSA facilitator, and the group will 

convene at an agreed upon corridor 

Figure 3. Photograph. Google Streetview image 

of marked crosswalk at a signalized intersection 

during RSA corridor review.

© Google
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 6

location. Similar to an in-person event, the 

team members are advised to record their 

observations on the field map packet and 

take pictures and videos of conditions. 

The field review includes both daytime 

and nighttime elements. Team members 

should observe local health guidance, such 

as distancing, mask wearing, and group 

size limitations when conducting the field 

review. Additionally, those participating 

in the supplementary field data collection 

should wear the appropriate clothing for the 

conditions, such as a high visibility safety 

vest.

The facilitator should direct those 

participating in the optional field review to 

share their pictures for review on Day 2. This 

sharing may occur through email, text, or 

upload to a cloud platform like Microsoft 

OneDrive. On Day 2, the facilitator will 

summarize the findings from the previous 

day and then ask for discussion on the 

field review’s findings. At this time, the 

team members who embarked on the field 

review will share their observations. The 

observations and ensuing discussion will be 

added to Day 1’s notes and findings.

A virtual RSA can result in screen fatigue that 

reduces momentum towards report drafting 

on Day 2. If the RSA team members lose 

interest or participation stalls, the facilitator 

may opt for the group to adjourn and 

reconvene within a two-week window. The 

facilitator should return to the group during 

this third remote meeting with the RSA 

observations in a draft report format.

The facilitator should screenshare the 

findings and restart the discussion on the 

preliminary recommendations.

8. Additional Information 

For more information on RSAs, please refer to 

the following links for access to the current 

guidebook and case studies. The new FHWA 

Pedestrian and Bicyclist RSA Guide and 

Prompt Lists includes recommendations on 

alternatives to an in-person RSA.

FHWA RSA Resources: 

» FHWA Pedestrian and Bicyclist RSA 

Guide and Prompt Lists: https://safety.

fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/tools_solve/

docs/fhwasa20042.pdf 

» Improving Access to Transit Using Road 

Safety Audits: Four Case Studies: https://

safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsa/resources/

docs/fhwasa16120.pdf

» General RSA Resources: https://safety.

fhwa.dot.gov/rsa/resources/

Figure 4. Photograph. Optional field review on 

Day 1 after remote meeting for Knoxville RSA.

Source: FHWA
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 7

Example Agenda - Virtual Pedestrian RSA

Day 1

Day 1 Description: The RSA team conducts a kick-off meeting and discusses crashes for 

each of the study area segments and overall conditions. After the kick-off meeting, the RSA 

team begins a review of the corridor’s segments with the assistance of aerial imagery and 

drone footage. Following the conclusion of Day 1’s virtual session, local RSA team members 

walk along the corridor and review traffic conditions, and they may remain in the field to 

complete a nighttime corridor review.

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (virtual meeting link)

8:00–10:00 AM RSA Kick-off Meeting

» Introduction of stakeholders and RSA team

» Introduction to the RSA process

» Pedestrian safety overview

» Overview of study area

10:00–10:15 AM Break

10:15 AM–1:00 PM Document Issues

» Segment by segment review

» Assign homework and additional field investigation 

3:00–4:00 PM Additional Field Investigation (optional)

» Meet at ACME Corp, 123 North Way

» Wear high visibility safety vest

» Notify RSA facilitator if going into the field 

7:30–9:00 PM Nighttime Field Review (optional)

» Meet at ACME Corp, 123 North Way

» Wear high visibility safety vest

» Notify RSA facilitator if going into the field
Preparing for a Virtual Road Safety Audit 8

Day 2

Day 2 Description: The RSA team reconvenes to continue discussing the corridor, including 

new field work and the nighttime field review. Discussion includes a review of the STEP 

countermeasures and potential applications.

Join Microsoft Teams Meeting (virtual meeting link)

8:00–10:00 AM Recap Day 1 Findings

» Review field and nighttime field data gathering

» Summarize issues 

» Discuss corridor-relevant countermeasures

10:00–10:15 AM Break

10:15 AM–1:00 PM Team Discussion/Preliminary Findings

» Prioritize sites

» Identify potential countermeasures

» Discuss next steps
Example Map Packet - Virtual Pedestrian RSA

Figure 5. Map. Example overview RSA map with 

five site maps.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Figure 6. Map. Site map for segment 1.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Figure 7. Map. Site map for segment 2.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Figure 8. Map. Site map for segment 3.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Figure 9. Map. Site map for segment 4.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Figure 10. Map. Site map for segment 5.

Source: Knoxville/Knox County
Source: FHWA