Roadway Safety Data Program

ROADWAY SAFETY DATA GOVERNANCE 

IN ILLINOIS 

ROADWAY SAFETY DATA AND ANALYSIS

CASE STUDY

FHWA-SA-16-108

Federal Highway Administration Office of Safety

Roadway Safety Data Program

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsdp/

December 8, 2016
ROADWAY SAFETY DATA GOVERNANCE IN ILLINOIS

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Notice

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Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no 

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The U.S. Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or 

manufacturers’ names appear in this report only because they are considered essential to the 

objective of the document.

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ROADWAY SAFETY DATA GOVERNANCE IN ILLINOIS

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TECHNICAL DOCUMENTATION PAGE

1. Report No.

FHWA-SA-16-108

2. Government Accession 

No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

4. Title and Subtitle

Roadway Safety Data Governance in Illinois: Roadway Safety Data and Analysis 

Case Study

5. Report Date

Month Year 

6. Performing Organization Code

7.Author(s) 

James Hall

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc (VHB)

8300 Boone Blvd., Suite 700

Vienna, VA 22182-2626 

10. Work Unit No.

11. Contract or Grant No.

DTFH61-10-D-00022

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

Final report November 2016

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

FHWA

15. Supplementary Notes

The contract manager for this report was Esther Strawder. 

16. Abstract

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has implemented an enterprise data governance approach for managing

data collection, storage, distribution, and use throughout the organization. The Illinois Traffic Records Coordinating 

Committee (ITRCC) works to advance IDOT safety analysis activities, which includes identifying severe crash locations

and segments, prioritizing locations for treatment, and performing systemic safety analyses. The ITRCC also ensures 

availability of complete, accurate, and timely motor vehicle crash data for transportation safety decision-making. IDOT 

offers safety analysis tools, training, and technical assistance to local agencies. Through these various data governance and 

management activities, IDOT integrates a wide variety of safety-related data for decision making in comprehensive 

transportation program development. 

17. Key Words: 

data governance, crash data, enterprise data 

warehouse, SHSP, HSIP, HSP

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this 

page) Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

 16

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION......................................................................................... 1

BACKGROUND............................................................................................................1

AUDIENCE....................................................................................................................1

ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS ........................................................................ 2

ENTERPRISE SPATIAL DATA WAREHOUSE........................................................2

ENTERPRISE DATA GOVERNANCE........................................................................3

DATA GOVERNANCE EFFORTS ............................................................. 3

ILLINOIS TRAFFIC RECORDS COORDINATING COMMITTEE.........................3

DATA QUALITY ..........................................................................................................4

PROGRAM APPLICATION ........................................................................ 5

THE ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS..5

THE ILLINOIS HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM.......................5

LOCAL AGENCIES ......................................................................................................6

RESULTS ....................................................................................................... 7

CHALLENGES ..............................................................................................................7

LESSONS LEARNED....................................................................................................7

REFERENCES................................................................................................ 8

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION .................................................... 8

APPENDIX A—ITRCC MEMBERSHIP...................................................... 9
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ACRONYMS

BSPE IDOT Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering

CIS IDOT Crash Information System

EMS Emergency Medical Services

FHWA Federal Highway Administration

GIS Geographic information system

HSIP Highway Safety Improvement Program

HSP Highway Safety Plan

IDOT Illinois Department of Transportation

IRIS Illinois Roadway Inventory System

ITRCC Illinois Traffic Records Coordinating Committee

LRS Linear Referencing System

MPO Metropolitan Planning Organization

OPP IDOT Office of Planning and Programming

SHSP Strategic Highway Safety Program
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has implemented an enterprise data 

governance approach for managing the collection, storage, distribution, and usage of data across 

the organization. IDOT has also established a spatially-enabled data warehouse to integrate 

crash, roadway, and traffic data. The Illinois Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (ITRCC) 

serves as IDOT’s formal safety data governance group, which include the Engineering 

Subcommittee and the Data Quality Subcommittee. The Engineering Subcommittee is 

developing a comprehensive safety data system to enable safety analyses, which includes 

identifying severe crash locations and segments, prioritizing locations for treatment, and 

performing systemic safety analyses. The Data Quality Subcommittee ensures availability of 

complete, accurate, and timely motor vehicle crash data for transportation safety decisionmaking. IDOT also offers safety analysis tools, provides safety data training and technical 

assistance, and promotes local access to crash and roadway data. Through these various data 

governance and management activities, IDOT integrates a wide variety of safety-related data for 

decision making in comprehensive transportation program development. 
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INTRODUCTION

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has implemented an enterprise data 

governance approach for managing the collection, storage, distribution, and usage of data across 

the organization. IDOT also established a spatially-enabled enterprise data warehouse that 

integrates crash, roadway, and traffic data. As a major benefit, IDOT integrates a wide variety of 

safety-related data for decision making in comprehensive transportation program development.

For transportation agencies, the development and implementation of the annual and multi-year 

transportation program is a complex undertaking involving coordination with multiple 

stakeholders. This effort requires access to a wide variety of information for project selection 

and evaluation. Illinois has addressed these needs through institutionalized data governance 

practices that make transfer of information practical and efficient. This case study demonstrates

the deployment, and resulting benefits, of enterprise data systems for safety-related decision 

making.

BACKGROUND

IDOT’s Office of Planning and Programming (OPP) manages the transportation system plan

development. Nine IDOT District offices and multiple local agencies—including 102 counties

and 16 Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs)—coordinate this effort. IDOT’s Office of 

Program Development through the Bureau of Safety Programs and Engineering (BSPE),

develops and manages a multi-faceted program to reduce traffic-related deaths and injuries. 

IDOT addresses traffic safety needs on both State-owned roads and roads owned by local 

agencies. One key component of improving safety on local roads is enhancing the safety data 

capabilities of local agencies and the District offices. IDOT offers safety analysis tools, provides

safety data training and technical assistance, and promotes local access to crash and roadway 

data. 

To implement Illinois’ Strategic Highway Safety Program (SHSP), Highway Safety Plan (HSP) and 

the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), IDOT and its partner agencies require the 

assembly, review, and use of data describing the safety performance of the highway system.

IDOT compiles and links data from various sources to identify high severity crash locations and 

corridors of interest. IDOT then develops projects that are funded by the HSIP and included in 

the Annual Highway Improvement Program.

AUDIENCE

This case study applies to the following audiences: 
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 State Departments of Transportation: Roadway Data System Managers, Program 

Developers, Safety Engineers, GIS specialists, and IT project managers.

 Local Agencies: Regional Planning Commissions, MPOs, cities, and counties, plus Local 

Technical Assistance Programs (LTAPs).

 Tribal Agencies: including Tribal governments, public agencies responsible for 

transportation safety data in Tribal areas, and Tribal Technical Assistance Programs 

(TTAPs).

 Consultants and private businesses involved with safety data analysis and GIS.

ENTERPRISE SOLUTIONS

ENTERPRISE SPATIAL DATA WAREHOUSE

IDOT has implemented an enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS). This system 

enables safety data integration including crashes, roadway inventory, and traffic characteristics

along with program development data files. IDOT spatially locates crashes for all of the State 

roadway network and a majority of the local network. IDOT receives 55 percent of crashes 

electronically from law enforcement agencies. This percentage is growing as IDOT works to 

improve local data reporting. 

IDOT has a functioning Linear Referencing System (LRS) for all public roadways (approximately 

146,000 miles), which links the following information:

• Roadway, structure, and rail/highway crossing inventories.

• Traffic volume and truck classification information.

• Operations and maintenance activities.

• Annual and multi-year planning and programming information.

• Individual and high crash location identification.

• Video inventory and condition assessment (State system and National Highway System).

• Construction projects (State system only).

IDOT’s spatial information systems infrastructure directly links the LRS with roadway-related

databases using a variety of system identifiers. This linkage enables the complex integration of 

safety and roadway asset-related data files across the enterprise and also provides access to 

historical information. The system readily accommodates changes to the route referencing 

systems without loss of integrative capabilities. The spatial information system can also 

accommodate for newly available internal and external spatial information layers when 

referenced to IDOT’s linear referencing system or to State plane coordinates. Outputs include 

a variety of user-developed safety analysis products such as Heat Maps, which display areas 

experiencing high levels of a specific safety problem.
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An important feature of data warehouse functionality is access to historical data through the 

creation of year-end archives for the roadway inventory files. IDOT personnel access these 

archived files to acquire prior information such as crash, traffic levels, and roadway 

condition/rehabilitation histories for pavement network analysis and research. Thus, IDOT staff 

can also make comparisons over the same section of roadway by using the LRS, even if the 

route name or milepost convention has changed.

ENTERPRISE DATA GOVERNANCE

IDOT employs formal data governance principles in the development and oversight of 

architectures, policies, and procedures to manage the spatial data resource. The data 

governance process addresses data collection, storage, security, inventory, quality control, and

distribution. IDOT maintains a complete data dictionary for all enterprise database resources.

The data dictionary identifies data linkage variables (such as location codes). 

IDOT continuously collects, maintains and distributes crash data compiled from crash reports.

The Crash Information System (CIS) houses the crash data. OPP maintains the Illinois Roadway 

Inventory System (IRIS) database, which provides detailed roadway information on all roadway 

segments, spot locations, and highway-railway crossings. Roadway information includes travel 

lane, pavement, and shoulder types and characteristics, and also traffic count data with truck 

classifications. The CIS and IRIS databases provide the primary information used to identify 

projects for the HSP and the HSIP. IDOT integrates CIS and IRIS information through a Safety 

Data Portal to provide users with preformatted reports and the ability to perform ad-hoc 

analysis. OPP maintains an inventory of highway-railroad crossings that help identify high risk 

highway-railway crossing locations.

The external availability of the Safety Data Portal has improved crash data accessibility and 

allows users to produce a variety of reports as well as map-based output from the IDOT’s GIS. 

The Safety Data Portal provides an interactive query tool allowing users to generate their own 

statistics and maps using a series of drop-down menu selections. 

DATA GOVERNANCE EFFORTS

ILLINOIS TRAFFIC RECORDS COORDINATING COMMITTEE

The Illinois Traffic Records Coordinating Committee (ITRCC) serves as IDOT’s formal safety 

data governance group. The vision of the ITRCC is to “enable the discovery of life-saving 

strategies by ensuring that complete and timely traffic safety data is available for in-depth 

relational analysis.” With executive oversight, the ITRCC consists of knowledgeable managers 
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and data users who regularly meet to provide overall direction and leadership for ITRCC 

activities. Appendix A displays the areas represented within the ITRCC. 

The Engineering Subcommittee of the ITRCC plays a major role in safety data governance 

activities. The Engineering Subcommittee is developing a comprehensive safety data system to 

perform safety analysis, problem identification, and countermeasure selection for all public 

roadways. These analyses include identifying severe crash locations and segments and

prioritizing locations for treatment. The Engineering Subcommittee helps ensure relevant data 

is integrated and accessible for IDOT to perform systemic safety analyses, which consist of 

identifying contributing factors, evaluating the effectiveness of safety improvements, and 

establishing performance measures and targets.

IDOT integrates this information to develop specific GIS safety asset management products 

such as:

• HSIP top five percent locations.

• Spatial products for annual and multi-year safety and capital program development, by 

District offices.

• Systemic network analysis (e.g., identification of rumble strip and cable median 

locations).

• Network screening and project identification for HSIP projects.

For more information about ITRCC, please visit http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportationsystem/safety/illinois-traffic-records-coordinating-committee.

ITRCC’s data integration efforts extend beyond the core safety data sources of crash, roadway, 

and traffic volume. They are working to deploy an automated, statewide citation/conviction 

system for use by law enforcement and courts. ITRCC is also working to integrate crash and 

injury surveillance data including the National Emergency Medical Services Information System

(NEMSIS).

DATA QUALITY

The Data Quality Subcommittee of the ITRCC ensures availability of complete, accurate, and 

timely motor vehicle crash data for transportation safety decision-making. The Subcommittee 

works with data owners and the ITRCC to develop a set of data quality measurements of

system performance.

Illinois, with the support of FHWA and NHTSA, implemented data quality performance 

measures to address timeliness and accuracy of the statewide crash data (based on data quality 

issues recommended by NHTSA’s Crash Data Improvement Program and Traffic Records 

Assessment teams).
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Electronic crash reporting is a high priority for IDOT. Currently, IDOT receives 55 percent of 

State and local crashes electronically through law enforcement agencies using a variety of offthe-shelf solutions. IDOT has also developed an automated process to provide electronic large 

truck-related crash file for FMCSA’s SAFETYNET system and another upload file to support 

FARS data reporting. The Illinois Secretary of State uses CIS file extracts to post crash 

involvement into the driver history file and to send notices of suspension for failure to provide 

proof of financial responsibility. Additional data initiatives include vehicle identification, driver 

status, and property damage reports with the Illinois Secretary of State. Future efforts include 

the integration of forensic lab findings from the Illinois State Police and access to prehospital/trauma data and death certificate information.

Illinois has revised its Emergency Medical Services (EMS) data collection system to one that is 

NEMSIS-compliant and that will allow agencies to submit data electronically. This revision 

enables the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) to begin receiving data from all agencies 

across the State, which improves the timeliness, completeness, accuracy, and uniformity of the 

State’s EMS data. Through an online query system, IDPH makes mortality, hospital discharge, 

crash, and trauma registry data available for safety analysis. The query capabilities are 

constrained and only limited data are available; however, these tools suffice to give easy access 

to summary data and reduce the burden on IDPH and IDOT analytic staff.

PROGRAM APPLICATION

THE ILLINOIS TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

In developing the multi-year and annual programs, IDOT District offices frequently refer to 

crash history and roadway condition data. Illinois’ State Transportation Plan covers a six-year 

period. It reviews a full range of transportation and mobility options and assesses the current 

infrastructure. IDOT then prioritizes improvements based on system performance metrics 

(including safety) and, within available revenue sources, integrates them into the overall IDOT 

transportation strategy.

Each year, IDOT develops the Annual Highway Improvement Program. This presents a more 

detailed account of the fiscal year’s highway program element. The annual program provides a 

current listing of all projects to inform the general public and to aid local transportation 

stakeholders and business partners in specific planning activities.

THE ILLINOIS HIGHWAY SAFETY IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM

In order to achieve the goals of the SHSP, IDOT endeavors to reduce fatalities and serious 

injuries resulting from crashes through various steps in the program planning process. 
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Developing an effective statewide program is a collaborative and integrated effort. The BSPE 

develops, implements, and maintains the SHSP, and integrates the efforts of the SHSP into the 

HSIP. At both the State and local levels, the BSPE encourages the engineering communities to 

work with their law enforcement partners to identify locations and contributing factors of 

severe crashes. 

The BSPE assists the IDOT Districts in identifying problem areas and in developing costeffective strategies to address problem area locations. The BSPE develops and distributes the 

top five percent HSIP location maps and the fatal and serious injury maps/data. They also 

provide lists and summaries of effective engineering countermeasures and methods for 

evaluating the cost-effectiveness of countermeasures. Districts develop a list of recommended 

projects eligible for HSIP funding according to these guidelines. The BSPE also identifies systemwide safety improvements for certain SHSP emphasis areas for implementation by Districts for 

State highways.

IDOT assembles the HSIP through a planning process conducted by each of the District offices 

and in cooperation with local agencies. Each District has a District Safety Committee 

comprising the following District positions or equivalent persons: Programming Engineer, 

Studies and Plans Engineer, Geometrics Engineer, Operations Design Engineer, and Traffic 

Engineer. The District Safety Committee also coordinates with the law enforcement community 

(State and local) on a regular basis to identify severe crash locations and behavioral and 

engineering related contributing factors to provide integrated solutions to address the severe 

crash location. 

LOCAL AGENCIES

Because local public roads constitute approximately 125,000 of the 146,000 centerline roadway 

miles in Illinois, improving local road safety is a major priority for IDOT. One key component 

of improving safety is the safety data capabilities of local agencies and IDOT District Offices. 

IDOT offers safety analysis tools, provide safety data training and technical assistance, and 

promote local access to crash and roadway data. 

For HSIP, local governments use a process similar to that used by the Districts. The BSPE 

provides maps and roadway data for use by local governments. IDOT provides data element 

definitions, descriptions, and characteristics through database manuals, such as IRIS, and 

through data dictionaries. The IRIS file includes all local roadways and associated data. Local 

agencies can utilize IDOT-supplied maps and reports directly or incorporate the information 

into their process. The local agencies are responsible for supplementing IDOT’s information 

with their own data or field studies to produce the data needed to perform safety analyses.

Local agencies use the Safety Data Portal to obtain and update their data.
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RESULTS

Advanced project and system safety analysis functions requires access to timely, complete, and 

accurate data integrated from a variety of sources. Through the ITRCC, IDOT’s safety data 

governance activities help to ensure that appropriate data is available to safety analysts and 

highway program developers for effective safety-related decision-making. However, given the 

complexity of relevant data sources, the breadth of potential users, and the advancement in 

data collection and distribution technologies, management of the data governance process is 

challenging.

CHALLENGES

IDOT faces continuous challenges in managing safety data resources and coordinating safety 

activities across multiple State and local agency stakeholders. IDOT continues to work on 

improving data governance processes and integration for vehicle, driver, citation, and injury 

surveillance data. IDOT is also working to improve electronic submission of crash reports and 

to improve accessibility of safety information. The ITRCC is an important leader in these efforts 

since they bring together State and local stakeholders from the multiple traffic records custodial 

agencies.

LESSONS LEARNED

 Enterprise focus: To provide value, data must be a shared organizational resource to 

meet the needs of decision makers internal and external to the organization. IDOT has 

met this need through spatial integration of a wide variety of safety-related State and 

local agency data.

 Data Governance: To ensure comprehensive and consistent use, IDOT’s data governance

process addresses data inventory, storage, archiving, quality control, and distribution.

IDOT also maintains a complete data dictionary for all enterprise data resources.

 Communication and Coordination: IDOT actively coordinates a wide variety of safetyrelated activities and strategically plans improvements through its program development 

process and through the ITRCC.
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REFERENCES

1) Illinois Department of Transportation. 2014 Highway Safety Program Annual Evaluation 

Report. Available online at http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportationsystem/safety/highway-safety-plan. Accessed 6/09/2016.

2) Illinois Department of Transportation. 2016 Highway Safety Plan. Available online at 

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/safety/highway-safety-plan. Accessed 

6/09/2016.

3) Illinois Department of Transportation. 2016 Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP).

Available online at http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/localtransportation-partners/county-engineers-and-local-public-agencies/fundingopportunities/highway-safety-improvement-program. Accessed 6/09/2016. 

4) Illinois Department of Transportation. 2015 Illinois Travel Statistics. Available online at

http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/Network-Overview/highwaysystem/illinois-travel-statistics Accessed 6/09/2016.

5) Illinois Department of Transportation. 2014 Illinois Crash Facts and Statistics. Available 

online at http://www.idot.illinois.gov/transportation-system/safety/Illinois-RoadwayCrash-Data#tabs-7. Accessed 6/09/2016.

AGENCY CONTACT INFORMATION

Priscilla Tobias

Director, Office of Program Development

Illinois Department of Transportation

2300 South Dirksen Parkway

Springfield, IL 62764

Priscilla.Tobias@illinois.gov

Mehdi Nassirpour

Research and Evaluation Chief, Bureau of Safety Engineering and Programs 

Illinois Department of Transportation

2300 South Dirksen Parkway

Springfield, IL 62764

Mehdi.Nassirpour@illinois.gov
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APPENDIX A—ITRCC MEMBERSHIP

Traffic Records Coordinating Committee Members 

Adams County Highway Department 

Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts

CH2M Hill

Chicago Department of Transportation

Chicago Police Department

Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department

DuPage County Circuit Clerk’s Office

Illinois Association of Court Clerks

Illinois Commerce Commission

Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Policy, Planning and Statistics

Illinois Department of Public Health, Office of Preparedness and Response

Illinois Department of Transportation, Bureau of Information Processing

Illinois Department of Transportation, Bureau of Safety Engineering

Illinois Department of Transportation, Division of Transportation Safety

Illinois Department of Transportation, Office of Communications

Illinois Department of Transportation, Office of Finance and Administration

Illinois Department of Transportation, Office of Planning and Programming

Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Driver Services

Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Information Technology

Illinois Secretary of State, Department of Programs and Policies

Illinois Secretary of State, Information Support Services

Illinois State Police • Illinois State Police, Chief Information Service Bureau

Illinois State Police, Traffic Crash Reconstruction Unit

Illinois Toll Highway Authority

Lake County Division of Transportation

Loyola University Medical Center

Menard County Highway Department

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Office of Preparedness of Public Health

Traffic Management Authority

United States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration

United States Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration

University of Illinois at Springfield