TRANSP.ORifAl;ION SAFETY 

PLAN ~.IJ~.9: (JSP) WORKSHOP 

Communicating, Collaborating, and 

Coordinating to Advance TSP in South Carolina 

Transportation Safety Planning – National and South Carolina 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, every state Department of Transportation 

(DOT), metropolitan planning organization (MPO), and many local jurisdictions are investing in programs 

and projects to reduce fatalities and serious injuries. South Carolina is addressing transportation safety 

through a “Target Zero” approach, which focuses on zero fatalities 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. 

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Office of Safety and Office of Planning provide technical 

assistance to their partners to address transportation safety. The Transportation Safety Planning (TSP) 

Workshops project is one such effort that facilitated open discussions between safety and planning 

practitioners to further the collaborations on saving lives and eliminating fatalities and serious injuries. 

In July 2018, the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) hosted a workshop in Columbia, 

South Carolina with participants from the Councils of Governments (COGs), MPOs, local safety and 

transportation partners, and FHWA. The workshop was a part of a yearlong project that also included a preworkshop webinar to introduce participants to the concepts of transportation safety and planning 

integration, and prioritize topics to emphasize during the workshop; a post-workshop technical assistance 

webinar to discuss opportunities and challenges identified by participants at the workshop; and a peer 

exchange webinar to share successful practices and broaden collaboration with other states who were 

participating in this yearlong project around the same time. 

South Carolina’s Transportation Safety Planning Strengths 

The TSP Workshops project complemented and highlighted the safety planning work already underway in 

South Carolina and provided new ideas for moving forward. Areas where South Carolina excels in 

transportation safety planning include: 

• Implementation of the Rural Road Safety Program, which is improving 100 miles of road every year 

through systemic safety improvements. 

• Utilizing a data driven safety analysis (DDSA) approach, including the incorporation of safety data 

into the purpose and need for all transportation projects and the development of safety 

performance functions (SPFs). 

• Stressing safety as the number one priority in the project prioritization process. 

• Emphasis on sharing crash data analysis, such as network screening lists and crash stack summaries, 

with regional COG partners. 

South Carolina’s Notable Practices in Transportation Safety Planning 

Project Development Process: SCDOT participated in a DDSA training and developed an Implementation 

Plan to better integrate data into the planning and project development process (PDP). Activities underway 

to enhance transportation safety include: 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Incorporating safety data at the very beginning of a project via a project feasibility report.

• Using crash modification factors and SPFs in design decisions.

• Sharing network screening lists with planning partners.

• Engaging the SCDOT safety office in project scoping discussions.

Regional Comprehensive Transportation Safety Planning 

Approach 

SPATS Takes Multidisciplinary Approach: The Spartanburg Area 

Transportation Study (SPATS) is taking a multidisciplinary approach

to the safety needs in their region. On the behavioral side, they are 

coordinating with the County Coroner, local media, and local 

partners on media outreach spots to raise awareness on safety. 

They have also identified the top factors associated with crashes 

(night conditions, roadway departures, speed, young drivers, and 

unrestrained drivers) and are coordinating with the SCDOT, the 

County Transportation Committee and local partners to identify 

multidisciplinary solutions. On the infrastructure side, SPATS has 

identified the top seven corridors for intersection crashes (where 

55 percent of fatal and serious injuries are occurring) and plan to apply countermeasures at those locations. 

GPATS Incorporates Safety into Engagement 

Activities: For their most recent long range 

transportation plan (LRTP) update, the Greenville-Pickens 

Area Transportation Study (GPATS) encouraged the public 

and other stakeholders to think through how the region 

could improve the safety of the future transportation 

network. The conversations about safety, which occurred 

during extensive outreach activities, suggested that 1) 

safety should be a priority in all projects, 2) safe places to 

walk and bike are important, and 3) maintenance efforts 

should be coordinated with safety efforts. As a result of 

this input, the LRTP stressed safety as the number one 

priority in the project selection process. In addition, 

GPATS accelerated signal timing projects, and allocated 

funding to support the bicycle, pedestrian, and transit 

capital projects. 

Next Steps for Transportation Safety Planning in South Carolina 

• Data Driven Safety Analysis – Continue with the DDSA approach and share the results of the

Implementation Plan activities with state and regional stakeholders.

• Analysis Reports – Develop a template or standardized approach to easily share crash statistics or

crash locations with regional partners, which can be incorporated into the project prioritization process.

• Outreach – Identify creative ways and opportunities in general to communicate the statewide and/or

regional “safety story” to the public and stakeholders.

FHWA-SA-19-020