SAFE TRANSPORTATION FOR EVERY PEDESTRIAN CASE STUDY

Virginia Puts Award-Winning Plan Into 

Action to Improve Pedestrian Safety

KEY ELEMENTS:

 Systemic Safety Analysis

 Project Development 

The dispersed nature of pedestrian crashes often 

means that pedestrian safety countermeasures are 

installed in response to pedestrian crashes, rather 

than regularly installed in locations with factors that 

contribute to high pedestrian crash risk. The Virginia 

Department of Transportation (VDOT) combined hot 

spot and systemic analysis to proactively identify 

locations with high risk and known crash problems for 

their Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP).1 In 2020, 

VDOT updated the PSAP with more recent crash and 

risk factor datam generating new priority corridors and 

crash clusters. 

CRASH-BASED AND SYSTEMIC ANALYSIS 

During both the original 2018 PSAP and 

as part of the 2020 PSAP update, VDOT 

performed a crash cluster, or hot spot 

analysis, using the most recent 5 years 

of pedestrian crash data. Clusters were 

analyzed by crash type, density, and 

severity. 

During the 2018 PSAP and 2020 update, 

VDOT performed a systemic analysis of 

the road network to identify corridors with 

higher association with selected crash risk 

factors. Priority corridors were identified 

using a series of weighted criteria, for which 

reliable statewide data was available. The 

key criteria considered are listed below. The 

most heavily weighted criteria under the 

2020 methodology were traffic volumes, 

households with zero-vehicle ownership, 

transit proximity, and the State's Health 

Opportunity Index (HOI). 

• Population and 

employment density. 

• Urban or rural 

context.

• HOI.

• Vehicle ownership 

levels by household.

• Vehicle traffic 

volumes.

• Posted speed 

limits.

• Roadway 

configuraton.

• Proximity to 

schools and 

parks.

• Pedestrian 

crashes.

• Transit route 

proximity.

For more information, please contact:

Mark Cole, P.E., Assistant Division Administrator, VDOT

Mark.Cole@VDOT.Virginia.gov | 804.786.4196

Figure 1. Graphic. Map showing priority corridors, crashes, and 

crash clusters in Roanoke, Virginia.2

"Our PSAP is activating a strategy for safer travel 

by identifying locations where pedestrian safety 

is at risk and then funding safety improvements 

at those locations based on data-driven safety 

analysis." 

– Stephen Brich, P.E., VDOT Commissioner

©2020 VDOT.
STEP: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/step/

Case Study: Virginia Puts Award-Winning Plan Into Action to Improve Pedestrian Safety

INTEGRATING THE VIRGINIA HOI

The Virginia HOI was first developed in 2012 

but later updated to include 13 indicators 

based on social determinants of health. 

VDOT conducted a spatial analysis of the 

HOI to understand the extent to which 

pedestrian crashes were associated with 

areas with a low HOI. VDOT found a strong 

association between pedestrian crash 

history and low HOI, prompting VDOT to 

place high weight on the HOI as a risk factor 

for the PSAP corridors.

COUNTERMEASURE SELECTION 

As part of the 2018 PSAP, VDOT considered 

statewide and national guidance, such as 

the FHWA Guide for Improving Pedestrian 

Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations, 

to identify potential countermeasures for 

PSAP corridors and crash cluster sites. 

Countermeasures described on "cut sheets" 

developed for a subset of priority sites 

included treatments such as Pedestrian 

Hybrid Beacons (PHBs), refuge islands, and 

curb extensions.

RESULTS

VDOT posted the 2018 and 2020 PSAP crash 

cluster and priority corridor sites to an online 

map. VDOT adds priority for projects located 

on PSAP corridors and crash cluster sites. In 

2019, announced funding for new projects 

located on PSAP sites, encouraging local 

agencies to collaborate with VDOT Districts 

to develop competitive pedestrian safety 

projects.

VDOT received 59 project submittals after 

announcing the HSIP funding and hosting 

a series of workshops to explain the PSAP 

process. VDOT selected and delivered 25 

initial projects worth $8 million in 2019 and 

early 2020. FHWA and the Roadway Safety 

Foundation recognized VDOT's PSAP as an 

award winning plan under the Program 

Planning, Development, and Evaluation 

Category.3,4

References 

1

PSAP: http://www.virginiadot.org/business/resources/VDOT_PSAP_Report_052118_with_Appendix_A_B_C. pdf 2 Webmap: https://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=ae073e60495948deafc34d08812dfb20 3

Award: 2019 Noteworthy Practices Guides: https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/roadwaysafetyawards/2019/20200116_Noteworthy%20

Guide-508%20Compliant.pdf

4

FHWA Accelerating Planning and Project Delivery award: https://collaboration.fhwa.dot.gov/dot/fhwa/TPEA/_layouts/mobile/dispform.

aspx?List=8151a10d%2Dcb00%2D4bad%2Db37d%2Dfd1ea0c26f35&View=f372676a%2D4a36%2D4098%2D98e2%2Dd1d1d962b3ad&ID=49

©2018 VDOT.