Case Studies for FHWA 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus 

States and Cities

 

 

FHWA-SA-21-021

February 2021
 i FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Notice

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of 

Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government 

assumes no liability for the use of the information contained in this document. 

This report does not constitute a standard, specification, or regulation. 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 this document.
ii FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Technical Documentation Page

1. Report No.

FHWA-SA-21-021

2. Government Accession 

No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

 

4. Title and Subtitle

Case Studies for FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus States and Cities

5. Report Date

February 2021

6. Performing Organization Code

7.Author(s) 

Tamara Redmon, Kara Peach, Catherine Chestnutt, Elissa Goughnour, Luke

Lowry, and Dan Gelinne

8. Performing Organization Report No.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc (VHB)

940 Main Campus Drive, Suite 500

Raleigh, NC 27606

10. Work Unit No.

11. Contract or Grant No.

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, February 2021

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

FHWA

15. Supplementary Notes

The Contracting Officer’s Task Manager (COTM) was Tamara Redmon (FHWA Office of Safety).

16. Pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise throughout the United States, and as more American’s are walking and 

bicycling, many agencies have been working to improve safety for both of these road users. This case study document 

provides information on how agencies have worked with FHWA to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety through the 

FHWA Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program. 

17. Key Words: Bicycle, biking, bike, walk, 

walking, safety, nonmotorized, non-motorized 

18. Distribution Statement

No restrictions.

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this 

page) Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

36 

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72) Reproduction of completed pages authorized 
iii FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Contents

Introduction......................................................................................................................................... 1

Statewide Engagement to Support Pedestrian Safety in Arizona .................................. 3

Austin Develops a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan................................................................ 7

California’s Bicycle Improvement Monitoring Program .................................................. 13

Statewide Engagement to Support Pedestrian Safety in Florida................................. 17

Pedestrian Safety Training and Technical Assistance in Georgia................................. 23

Statewide Engagement to Support Pedestrian Safety in New Mexico...................... 27

Statewide Engagement to Support Pedestrian Safety in New York.......................... 31
iv FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Acknowledgment 

Development of this report required input from transportation agencies at the 

Federal, State, and local levels. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and 

the authors greatly appreciate the cooperation of the staff from the City of 

Austin, Texas and the Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, New York, 

and Texas Departments of Transportation.
 1 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Introduction 

Pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise throughout the United States. In 2018 

pedestrian fatalities increased by more than 3 percent, totaling 6,283 deaths—the 

most deaths since 1990.1 Then in 2019, pedestrian fatalities decreased by 2.7 

percent—169 fewer fatalities.2 Despite the encouraging trend, many agencies 

continue to work on improving safety for pedestrians and bicyclists. This case 

study document provides information on how agencies have worked with FHWA 

to improve pedestrian and bicyclist safety through the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach 

Program. This document includes case studies for the City of Austin, Texas and 

the States of Arizona, California, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, and New York. 

1 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Traffic Safety Facts, 2018 Fatal Motor Vehicle 

Crashes: Overview (DOT HS 812 826), October 2019. Available: 

https://crashstats.nhtsa.dot.gov/Api/Public/ViewPublication/812826 2 NHTSA’s National Center for Statistics and Analysis. Traffic Safety Facts, 2019 Fatal Motor Vehicle 

Crashes: Overview (DOT HS 813 060), December 2020. Available: https://www.nhtsa.gov/pressreleases/roadway-fatalities-2019-

fars#:~:text=Pedestrian%20fatalities%20(169%20fewer%20fatalities,fewer%20fatalities%2C%202.9%25%20

decrease 
 2 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
 3 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) has long 

placed an emphasis on improving pedestrian and bicyclist 

safety. FHWA identified Arizona as a Focus State for pedestrian 

safety in 2006. Arizona participated in some of the first FHWAprovided trainings on pedestrian safety planning and design. 

After developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) in 2009, 

the State made the decision to revisit the plan and update it in 

2017. The updated PSAP took a new approach to identifying 

sites for safety improvements by incorporating a systemic or 

risk-based analysis. The identification of high-risk locations, in 

addition to high-crash locations coupled with the use of proven 

safety countermeasures, provides ADOT with plan for solving 

existing safety problems and reducing future injuries and 

fatalities.

An Updated, Proactive Approach to 

Safety

One of the core features of the updated PSAP is its emphasis on 

pedestrian risk, looking proactively at improving safety even 

where no crashes occurred previously. To accomplish this, 

ADOT and its contractors applied the Pedestrian and Bicycle 

Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT) typology to crashes involving 

pedestrians during the period from 2011 to 2015 and 

ARIZONA

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Statewide Engagement to Support 

Pedestrian Safety in Arizona

To support implementation of its statewide Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 

(PSAP), Arizona DOT is using FHWA assistance, training, and other methods to 

engage with local communities to support pedestrian safety improvements.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2006, Arizona received:

• 6 Designing for Pedestrian 

Safety courses 

• 2 How to Develop a Pedestrian 

Safety Action Plan courses 

• 2 Designing for Pedestrian 

Safety 201 courses 

• 1 Designing for Bicyclist and 

Pedestrian Safety course 

• 1 PSAP Workshop

 
 4 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

categorized them into common crash type groups. Using these groups, ADOT was able to 

understand the types of roadway characteristics, temporal conditions (e.g. time of day), and 

other factors that were associated with pedestrian crashes. This resulted in a set of 18 high-risk 

segments, in addition to high-crash segments and intersections representing locations where 

crashes had most frequently occurred. 

The data analysis set the stage for the countermeasure selection process, which tapped into 

engineering as well as behavioral countermeasure recommendations. ADOT identified a wide 

range of countermeasures in the PSAP, along with information about effectiveness and cost. 

Putting the pieces together, the plan closes with a set of recommendations for specific 

countermeasures along the identified high crash and high-risk segments. 

Collaboration with Local Communities

The updated ADOT PSAP resulted in several key outcomes in 2017. One of these was a strategy 

to begin engaging with local agencies across the State on pedestrian safety priorities identified 

in the plan. The majority of high-crash and high-risk sites identified in the ADOT analysis were 

located in local communities, rather than on State-owned roadways. ADOT personnel worked 

collaboratively with local agencies to identify appropriate countermeasure solutions for these 

areas. “Like many States, most of our pedestrian crashes and pedestrian safety 

improvement opportunities are found on roads controlled by local public agencies 

where ADOT does not have direct jurisdiction. Many of these local agencies 

look at ADOT for guidance and assistance with pedestrian safety issues,” said 

Kerry Wilcoxon, the State Traffic Safety Engineer for ADOT. 

ADOT tapped into FHWA technical assistance to support the training courses 

and workshops in local communities, including Flagstaff, Tucson, and Phoenix. 

Through these sessions, ADOT helped local agencies and its own staff connect 

observed problems at identified locations with proven countermeasures. 

ADOT received further support from the FHWA Safe Transportation for Every 

Pedestrian (STEP) program, which provided ADOT and local agencies 

additional technical assistance on pedestrian crossing improvements. FHWA 

and its consultants worked with ADOT to develop a countermeasure selection 

tool based on existing PEDSAFE and STEP guidance, which local agencies used 

to determine the most appropriate countermeasures for crossings identified as 

being high-risk for pedestrians (figure 1). 

These recommendations set the stage for further engagement with local and tribal 

communities, and ultimately countermeasure deployment. 
 5 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Figure 1. ADOT Countermeasure selection tool for uncontrolled crossings.3

3 Arizona Department of Transportation, AZ STEP Guide Safe Transportations for Every Pedestrian. 

https://azdot.gov/business/tsmo/operational-and-traffic-safety/az-step. 
 6 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

ADOT’s engagement with local communities on the topic of pedestrian safety, and crossings in 

particular, resulted in an increase in successful applications for pedestrian safety projects in the 

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)—the Federal-aid program for highway safety—

funding and prioritization process. Due to the severity of pedestrian crossing crashes, HSIP 

applications are largely successful in being funded because of the benefit/cost calculation for 

solving these problems with relatively inexpensive countermeasures like raised pedestrian 

refuge islands and Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (PHBs). Local communities are submitting more 

projects for consideration for these pedestrian safety improvements, and ADOT is exploring 

methods to treat these sites more quickly than what is typical with its traditional HSIP process. 

Lessons Learned

Since the development of the PSAP and subsequent statewide engagement on pedestrian safety 

issues, ADOT has continued to make progress in its efforts to improve pedestrian safety. Their 

engagement with local communities has resulted in more pedestrian safety projects in the 

pipeline. “Providing this expertise to our local safety partners has been a force multiplier for 

conveying the benefits of the larger pedestrian safety community down to the local level,” said 

Wilcoxon. 

Beyond the traditional training and workshop methods of engagement, ADOT is also working to 

develop videos to continue promoting the use of STEP countermeasures. These videos are 

intended to reach both a non-technical audience (such as local decision makers) and planning 

and engineering staff. ADOT is continuing to explore options for quick delivery of low-cost 

safety countermeasures to treat high-risk locations around the State.

For more information, contact:

Kerry Wilcoxon, P.E., PTOE 602.712.2060 kwilcoxon@azdot.gov 
 7 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

In 2011, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) identified 

the City of Austin as a Pedestrian Safety Focus City due to its 

high pedestrian fatality rate relative to the national average. In 

2011, the Dangerous by Design report from Smart Growth 

America identified the Austin-Round Rock Metro area as the 

18th most dangerous in the country for pedestrians. The City 

has taken numerous steps to improve pedestrian safety 

conditions, including the creation of a Pedestrian Program in 

2016. As a Focus City, Austin has received technical support 

from FHWA in the form of webinars, workshops, and in-person 

courses on various safety topics. City staff attended and also 

hosted a Peer Exchange in 2019 that brought together 

numerous cities to discuss pedestrian and bicyclist safety issues. 

In 2013, FHWA led a three-day workshop in Austin on “How to 

Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.” The workshop 

brought together representatives from various City 

departments, regional transportation partners, public health 

professionals, and pedestrian safety advocates to identify the 

City’s top pedestrian safety concerns and make 

recommendations for improving pedestrian safety in Austin. 

AUSTIN, TEXAS

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Austin Develops a Pedestrian 

Safety Action Plan 

To guide citywide efforts to improve pedestrian safety and support its Vision 

Zero goal of eliminating traffic fatalities and serious injuries, the City of Austin 

developed a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP) with assistance from FHWA 

and other partners and stakeholders in 2018. The City has since implemented 

numerous safety initiatives and countermeasures based on the Plan’s 

recommendations.

Technical 

Assistance 

Summary 

Since 2015, the City of Austin received: 

• 3 Designing for Pedestrian 

Safety 201 courses 

• 1 Designing for Bicyclist and 

Pedestrian Safety courses 

• 1 Road Safety Audit 

• 1 Law Enforcement course 

• 2 Peer Exchange events
 8 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

“Between 2010 and 2015 there were nearly 1,900 pedestrians involved in traffic crashes in 

Austin, resulting in 121 fatalities.”4

PSAP Development 

After the creation of the Pedestrian Program, City of Austin staff initiated development of the 

Austin PSAP, and the plan was officially completed in 2018. The plan—which includes 21 action 

items related to a variety of program areas—provided the City with a blueprint for reducing 

pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries. The plan includes a robust sociodemographic analysis 

to highlight the racial, class, and gender disparities that exist with respect to pedestrian safety 

outcomes in Austin. This analysis found, for example, that while Blacks make up only 7 to 8 

percent of the Austin population, they account for nearly 17 percent of pedestrians involved in 

crashes overall, as well as 18 percent of pedestrian serious injuries and 24 percent of pedestrian 

fatalities. “The findings from the PSAP analysis have been crucial components of Austin’s 

pedestrian planning framework and project prioritization efforts as we seek to address the 

historical inequities that have led to disparate safety outcomes across the City,” said Joel Meyer, 

Transportation Planner with the Austin Transportation Department and Vision Zero Program. 

The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (the city-wide transportation plan) in 2019 officially 

incorporated many of the recommendations included in the PSAP, making pedestrian safety a 

component of the City’s broader transportation planning framework. 

A key early win resulting from recommendations included in the plan was the creation of 

a Pedestrian Crossing Program within the Austin Transportation Department to 

implement low-cost, high-impact pedestrian safety treatments at high-crash and high-risk 

locations throughout the city. In November 2018, Austin voters approved a bond 

referendum which included $4 million for the Pedestrian Crossing Program to rapidly 

expand the number of pedestrian crossings and other safety treatments. 

4 City of Austin, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. 

https://www.austintexas.gov/department/pedestrian-safety-action-plan
 9 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

PSAP Impacts

Since the adoption of the PSAP, Austin implemented numerous pedestrian safety projects 

throughout the City. Some of these included:

• Installing over 50 pedestrian crossing islands.

• Activating Leading Pedestrian Intervals at 110 intersections throughout downtown.5

• Doubling the number of Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (from around 40 to 80).

• Installing pedestrian countdown timers at approximately 600 intersections.

• Receiving City Council approval to reduce speed limits on nearly 900 miles of

neighborhood streets, urban core arterials, and downtown streets.6

• Identifying targeted pedestrian safety countermeasures for ‘High-Injury Roadways’.7

Since the PSAP includes 21 specific action items, the success of the initiative will hinge on the 

City’s ability to implement these actions. The PSAP states that the Austin Transportation 

Department will conduct ongoing evaluations to assess the impact of the PSAP and track 

implementation.

Because it is meant to be a complementary document to the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, the 

City will monitor implementation of the PSAP through the implementation of these two 

documents. Additionally, the Vision Zero website provides updates on new projects and 

initiatives relevant to pedestrian safety. Ultimately, a reduction in pedestrian fatalities and 

injuries will reflect the PSAP’s success. The City of Austin maintains an extensive public crash 

data portal to track pedestrian fatalities and injuries (and other modes) as these initiatives are 

implemented (figure 2). 

5 Vidal, Gariela. Austin Implements ‘leading pedestrian intervals’ to improve downtown traffic safety.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/austin-implements-leading-pedestrian-intervals-to-improve-downtowntraffic-safety. 6 City of Austin, Speed limits change on neighborhood and urban core streets to improve safety for all 

travelers. June 11, 2020.

7 City of Austin, High-Injury Roadways to Receive Safety Improvement. July 7, 2020.
10 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Figure 2. Austin maintains a public crash data portal called the Vision Zero Viewer with 

pedestrian data as part of its Vision Zero program.8

Lessons Learned

The City of Austin continues to implement elements of 

the PSAP. While the focus has primarily been on 

engineering countermeasures such as crossing 

improvements and signalization strategies, the next step 

will be to focus on some of the programmatic and policy 

recommendations, such as the development of a 

Pedestrian Master Plan starting that started in winter 

2020 to serve as a unifying framework for improving 

pedestrian safety, access, and comfort in Austin. 

Coordination with partner agencies to identify solutions 

on highspeed roadways not controlled by the City 

continues to be a challenge, but recent commitments by 

the State of Texas to eliminate traffic fatalities has led to 

increased coordination between the City and State DOT, 

and reconstruction of Interstate 35 in Austin presents an 

opportunity to enhance pedestrian safety and access on 

8 City of Austin, Vision Zero Map. https://visionzero.austin.gov/viewer/map. 
11 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

one of the State’s highest crash corridors. In addition, the City continues to seek innovative 

solutions that could complement the efforts outlined in the PSAP. One example of a more recent 

innovative approach is the Healthy Streets Program which was implemented to provide access 

to active transportation opportunities amid public health responses to COVID-19. 

For more information, contact:

Joel Meyer Transportation Planner Joel.meyer@austintexas.gov
12 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
13 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

Like many other States, California has seen increasing rates of 

bicyclist fatalities and injuries since 2012, and the State has 

been an FHWA-desigated Focus State since 2006. In 2017, the 

number of bicyclist fatalities was the second highest of any 

State (4.1 percent versus the 2.2 percent national average)

(figure 3). Caltrans is currently working to mitigate the high rate 

of bicyclist fatalities and serious injuries on its roadways 

statewide. The organization has adopted a “Toward Zero 

Deaths” framework, and the 2015-2020 Strategic Management 

Plan specifically calls for a reduction in bicyclist fatalities and 

injuries. As part of this strategy, Caltrans began a Pilot Bicycle 

Collision Monitoring Program.9

 

“Safety, and specifically reducing fatalities and injuries among 

users of its highway network, is Caltrans’ No. 1 listed goal in its 

2015-2020 Strategic Management Plan.”10

9 Caltrans, Mile Marker- Summer 2019. https://dot.ca.gov/- 

/media/dot-media/programs/risk-strategic-management/

documents/mile-marker/mm-2019-q2-bike-ped-a11y.pdf. 10 Ibid

CALIFORNIA

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

California’s Bicycle Improvement 

Monitoring Program 

As part of its Bicyclist Collision Monitoring Program, California Department of 

Transportation (Caltrans) has identified corridors for potential safety 

improvements for bicyclists throughout the State. FHWA assisted in the 

completion of Road Safety Audits (RSAs), and Caltrans is installing safety 

countermeasures on State-owned roadways.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2006, California received:

• 5 Designing for Bicyclist and

Pedestrian Safety courses

• 41 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety courses

• 10 How to Develop a

Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

courses

• 8 Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

Workshops

• 1 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety 201 course

• 1 Designing for Bicyclist

Safety course

• 2 Bicycle RSAs

• 69 total FHWA-led courses
14 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Figure 3. Bicyclist injuries and fatalities on State highways in California, 2013-2017.11

Establishing a Pilot Program

In April 2018, Caltrans released its Pilot 2018 Bicyclist Collision Monitoring Program to identify 

and investigate sites in need of safety improvements and systematically work to make needed 

changes at these sites. Using the Caltrans Traffic Accident Surveillance and Analysis System 

(TASAS), Caltrans staff collected data on all collisions involving bicyclists which resulted in 

fatalities or injuries over a 5-year period. The program then identified high collision 

concentration locations and corridors throughout the State and investigated the locations to 

identify potential safety countermeasures. In total, Caltrans staff completed 252 investigations in 

all 12 Caltrans districts.12 

FHWA has been instrumental in the implementation of this program, providing technical 

assistance, training, and a working session. FHWA also assisted with two RSAs. The first RSA, in 

South Lake Tahoe, was initiated after data analysis revealed the need for safety improvements 

on U.S. 50. Caltrans, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, and the City of South Lake Tahoe 

requested the RSA. After the RSA was completed, FHWA released an extensive report with 

recommendations including high-visibility pedestrian crossings at all signalized intersections, 

maximum-width bicycle lanes, mid-block crossings, and improved pedestrian lighting. Based on 

the results of another RSA in Caltrans District 12, the State decided to install a Class II Bikeway 

11 Ibid

12 Caltrans, 2018 Pilot Bicyclist Collision Monitoring Program. https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dotmedia/programs/safety-programs/documents/ped-bike/f0018147-2018-pilot-bicyclist-collisionmonitoring-program-fact-sheet-version-1-a11y.pdf. 
15 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

and add other bicycle facilities along a 16-mile section of State Route 1. FHWA also assisted with 

an RSA of State Route 49 in Nevada City with similar resulting recommendations. 

Outcomes

As a result of the RSA in South Lake Tahoe, the State provided funding to include roadway 

lighting, colored bicycle-lane treatments, and mid-block crossings on U.S. 50. Nevada City has 

proposed four single-lane roundabouts, improved pedestrian crossings and lighting. These 

projects are awaiting funding but are expected to be completed by end of 2021. 

“Through their technical resource center, FHWA became the partner I didn’t have at 

Caltrans,” said Rachel Carpenter, Chief Safety Officer for Caltrans. “Their staff are experts 

in safety, coming from both practitioner and academic backgrounds and having worked in 

various safety-related disciplines like engineering and enforcement.” 

As Caltrans identifies more priority locations and conducts investigations as a result of this 

program, the State will identify more opportunities to improve safety through countermeasure 

deployment. As an ongoing initiative, the success of the Bicyclist Collision Monitoring Program 

will be determined by the ability of Caltrans to work with local communities to implement safety 

countermeasures and, more long-term, to reach its “Toward Zero Deaths” goal of reducing 

bicyclist fatalities.13

Next Steps

Caltrans continues to hone its Pilot Bicyclist Collision Monitoring Program, and it was 

made permanent within the new Division of Safety Programs led by Rachel Carpenter, the 

Chief Safety Officer at Caltrans. This program is unique in that it supplements 

traditional safety measures and network screening methods with field reviews 

using RSAs to add needed context to aid in the selection of safety 

countermeasures. Moving forward, the program will follow a similar path as the 

Caltrans Pedestrian-Focus Countermeasure Program in that it will utilize both a 

crash-based and a risk-based scheme to identify corridors and locations to 

investigate safety improvements. The pedestrian-oriented program identified 150 high-crash 

and 500 systemic (risk-based) locations statewide for investigation. Throughout both processes, 

Caltrans is continuing to work with municipalities and local planning organizations to identify 

and implement bicyclist and pedestrian safety measures wherever possible. 

13 Ibid. 

For more information, contact:

Rachel Carpenter, P.E. Chief Safety Officer rachel.carpenter@dot.ca.gov
16 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
17 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

Florida has long been known as a place that has been designed 

for vehicles, rather than pedestrians and bicyclists. In 2011, 

Smart Growth America’s inaugural Dangerous by Design report 

ranked the top 10 most dangerous large metro areas for 

pedestrians, and Florida cities appeared as the first four 

locations on the list.14 FDOT and local agencies have been 

working hard to change that. This case study documents a 

variety of mechanisms that FDOT and partners have employed 

to address this safety need. After the inaugural Dangerous by 

Design report, the State partnered with the National Highway 

Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to conduct a statewide 

pedestrian and bicycle safety assessment, which provided key 

recommendations that resulted in Florida’s first pedestrian and 

bicycle strategic safety plan. 

Approach to Safety Culture 

One of FDOT’s first initiatives from the statewide pedestrian and 

bicycle safety assessment was to shift the culture within the 

14 Smart Growth for America, Dangerous By Design 2011. 

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/dangerous-by-design-2011/

FLORIDA

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Statewide Engagement to Support 

Pedestrian Safety in Florida 

As a Focus State, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) used the 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused 

Approach Program trainings to build a culture of safety. The trainings laid the 

groundwork for updating internal statewide guidance and policies to consider 

multimodal safety concerns and developing an external initiative with the focus of 

promoting bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2015, through FHWA’s 

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety 

Focused Approach Program FDOT 

received 25 trainings through 4 

different courses: 

• 20 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety courses

• 3 Designing for Bicyclist Safety

courses 

• 1 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety 201 training

• 1 PSAP Workshop

 
18 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

agency and the public perspective to think of multimodal 

transportation as essential. 

To support this culture shift, FDOT initially requested four 

training courses through FHWA’s Pedestrian and Bicyclist 

Safety Focused Approach Program. These courses included 

Designing for Pedestrian Safety, Pedestrian and Bicyclist 

Safety Action Plan Workshop, Road Safety Audits, and OnDemand Technical Assistance for the State’s Law 

Enforcement Agencies. The first round of trainings 

successfully jump-started the cultural transition and led 

FDOT to request 25 additional FHWA-led trainings. The 

FHWA trainings encouraged FDOT staff and the State 

Secretary of Transportation to change the way the State 

designs the roadways. Leadership at this level, along with 

that of the Division Secretaries responsible for managing the 

seven Districts, was essential in changing how engineers viewed roadway design.

District 5—which includes Orlando-Kissimmee, ranked as the most dangerous large metro area 

in the 2011 Dangerous by Design report—took steps to further support the internal FDOT 

cultural shift and external promotion of bicycle and pedestrian safety. Working with the State 

Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Program Manager in the FDOT Traffic Safety Office, they identified 

champions to help shift the safety culture within the State transportation agencies. The 

approach was two-fold: first, engage with engineers to identify new approaches to traffic 

engineering with a multimodal focus; and second, encourage the vehicle-centric public to begin 

viewing multimodal transportation as essential. To implement this approach, District 5 FDOT 

staff engaged the counties making up the Dangerous by Design areas—Orange, Seminole, 

Osceola Counties. FDOT District Secretaries appointed District Champions to assist with 

communicating the message about bicycle and pedestrian safety with local and regional 

partners, as well as staff within FDOT Districts. 

In 2013, FDOT formed the Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Coalition to externally promote bicycle 

and pedestrian safety with the primary task of implementing the strategies outlined in the 

Florida Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Safety Plan.

15 The coalition was comprised of a diverse 

group of representatives from local, State, and Federal transportation agencies; local and State 

bicycle and pedestrian groups; businesses; and other organizations representing the 4Es 

(Engineering, Education, EMS, and Enforcement). The group branded Florida’s Alert Today Alive 

Tomorrow, Florida’s premiere pedestrian and bicycle safety campaign.16

15 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow. 

https://alerttodayflorida.com/About%20US/FDOT_PBSSP%20Update%20Final_ 

with%20data%20corrections.pdf. 16 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow. https://www.alerttodayflorida.com/
19 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Outcomes

Approximately 90 percent of fatal and serious injury crashes occur in 25 of the 67 counties in 

Florida. Between 2015 and 2019, pedestrian and bicycle fatalities and serious injuries and 

fatalities in those counties decreased from 3,052 to 2,876 (figure 4). 

Figure 4. Pedestrian and bicycle serious injuries and fatalities in Florida’s top 25 priority 

counties, 2015-2019.17

Following the FHWA-led trainings, five FDOT Districts are taking action to improve safety. The 

education efforts laid the groundwork for the City of Orlando to implement their Vision Zero 

Action Plan.

18 The City and District staff are collaborating on projects located on the High Injury 

Network—including rapid implementation coordinating safety improvements with planned 

resurfacing projects.

As a result of the Law Enforcement Agency trainings, law enforcement agencies are showing 

more investment and buy-in to statewide and local efforts through coordinated projects with 

FDOT. The FDOT Traffic Safety Office is developing GIS maps for law enforcement agencies that 

locate five-years of pedestrian and bicyclist fatalities and serious injury crashes and guide 

strategic program investments such as education and enforcement. The mapping will be used to 

identify crash clusters and areas with the highest representation of crashes. This information is 

essential for FDOT when communicating with local law enforcement leadership and provides a 

visualization tool to illustrate the need to improve safety. In turn, local law enforcement can 

provide outreach and assistance in addressing safety issues within those specific communities.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Coalition quickly achieved their first task of the Florida 

Pedestrian and Bicycle Strategic Safety Plan by implementing the five-year plan within three 

17 Alert Today, Alive Tomorrow. https://www.alerttodayflorida.com/. 18 City of Orland, Vision Zero. https://www.orlando.gov/Initiatives/Vision-Zero.
20 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

years. “All are on the coalition voluntarily—they are all part of the solution. The most important 

element is telling people they can—and providing them the tools to make positive changes,” 

Trenda McPherson, State Bicycle/Pedestrian Safety Program Manager for FDOT Traffic Safety 

Office, explained of their successes. Following that accomplishment, the group developed a 

second five-year plan in 2017 and is once again slated to complete that plan in 2021. Marketing 

and education campaigns have also proven successful. Public opinion surveys, observational 

studies, and phone surveys show increased awareness of the need to drive safer and obey traffic 

laws. It is apparent that the materials are resonating with the public and people want to be part 

of the solutions for improving safety for bicyclists and pedestrians. 

Early FDOT guidance and design manuals encouraged localities to integrate new multimodal 

transportation considerations into roadway designs but the local agencies felt slightly inhibited 

in their efforts without accountability at other levels in the State. FDOT took strides to further 

institutionalize the safety culture by creating a Complete Streets policy and implementing a 

context-based approach to street design. District 4 developed guidelines for road diets, which 

FDOT adopted statewide and now maintains a database of completed projects. Additionally, 

FDOT researched lighting solutions and directed $100M to the Districts to replace high sodium 

lighting with LEDs for improved pedestrian visibility resulting in enhancements at approximately 

80 percent of the State’s most dangerous intersections. 

Lessons Learned and Next Steps

FDOT’s updates to the design manuals made the most significant impact on safety culture 

across the State. And, with Florida being such a large State, the League of Cities and word 

of mouth between Districts and local governments creates interest from the ground up. 

Both can be tied directly back to the FHWA trainings. 

The momentum is not stopping. While pedestrian and bicycle 

fatalities and serious injuries in Florida have slowed, it is now time to 

explore how to make significant impacts to further decrease nonmotorized fatalities and serious injuries. One next step is to 

communicate the culture of safety and design manuals to the 

consultants working with FDOT. Hattaway also suggested creating 

meaningful performance measures for transportation leadership 

would create buy-in across all political structures. He noted 

Transportation Safety Awards (either project or program specific), 

creating and implementing data-driven Vision Zero Action Plans, 

and tracking and reducing fatalities and serious injuries on the High 

Injury Network are all quantifiable outcomes. 
21 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

As for the public engagement initiative, an important lesson learned is to speak the right 

language and say the right thing for target audiences to receive the messaging. Floridians 

represent many different cultures and FDOT put much thought into public perception and 

appropriate messaging. Next, Ms. McPherson is working on linking FHWA’s priorities in 

Florida—intersection, roadway departure, and bicycle and pedestrian crashes—to tell a 

complete story about safety. 

For more information, contact:

Trenda McPherson 850.414.4025 Trenda.McPherson@dot.state.fl.us
22 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
23 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

Over the past decade, Georgia experienced high rates of 

pedestrian fatalities and injuries. The 2016 Dangerous by Design 

report from Smart Growth America indicated that Georgia had 

the tenth highest Pedestrian Danger Index in 2016 of all U.S. 

States.19 The Safety Performance Management Measures rule 

developed by FHWA and the National Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration (NHTSA) in 2017 requires States to set safety 

targets for non-motorized users. GDOT, the Georgia Office for 

Highway Safety, and other State organizations partnered with 

FHWA to set forth objectives related to these safety targets. 

Georgia established a ‘Toward Zero Death’ goal of reducing 

pedestrian fatalities long-term, along with a 

short-term goal of reducing pedestrian fatalities by 15 

deaths a year through 2022 (figure 5).

20

19 Smart Growth America, Dangerous by Design 2016. 

https://smartgrowthamerica.org/resources/dangerous-by-design-2016/. 20 Georgia Department 

of Transportation, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 2018-2022. 

http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/Travel/BikePed/BikePedSAP.pdf

GEORGIA 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Pedestrian Safety Training and 

Technical Assistance in Georgia 

As part of its effort to improve pedestrian safety statewide, the Georgia Department of 

Transportation (GDOT) developed a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan (PSAP). To implement 

one of the plan’s recommendations, GDOT partnered with FHWA and PEDS (a Statewide 

advocacy organization) to engage regions across the state with training and technical 

assistance on pedestrian safety topics.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2015, Georgia received:

• 5 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety 201 courses

• 1 Designing for Bicyclist

and Pedestrian Safety 201

course

• 2 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety courses

• 2 Designing for Bicyclist

Safety courses
24 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Figure 5. Pedestrian fatalities projections from the Georgia PSAP.21

PSAP Development 

With the assistance of FHWA, GDOT, the Georgia Office for Highway Safety, and PEDS (a 

Statewide advocacy organization) developed and adopted a PSAP in 2018. The PSAP lays out 

action items in five key areas—Data; Transportation Planning and Policy; Transportation 

Infrastructure Projects; Education, Enforcement, and Outreach; and Funding—that can be 

implemented both statewide and in particular divisions in order to reach its safety goals. 

Additionally, GDOT has rewritten their Pedestrian and Streetscape Guide. Released in 2019, this 

Guide provides a manual for engineers, planners, and advocates working to advance safe 

multimodal travel. The Guide includes all the FHWA STEP countermeasures and information 

from FHWA’s Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled Crossing Locations.

22 

One key recommendation in the plan is to deliver training and technical assistance on 

pedestrian safety topics to a wide variety of stakeholders and professionals around the State. 

Since the plan’s completion, PEDS and GDOT worked with FHWA to schedule and deliver 

Designing for Pedestrian Safety courses in the various GDOT Districts. Four of the Districts have 

received these courses, which provide fundamental training on pedestrian safety planning and 

design concepts. “The credibility of the instructors, together with the quality of the content they 

provided, made the workshops far more impactful than anything PEDS could have provided on 

21 Georgia Department of Transportation, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 2018-2022.

http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/Travel/BikePed/BikePedSAP.pdf. 22 Blackburn, L., Zegeer, Z., and Brookshire, K. (2018). Guide for Improving Pedestrian Safety at Uncontrolled 

Crossing Locations. Federal Highway Administration. 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/step/docs/STEP_Guide_for_Improving_Ped_Safety_at_Unsig_Loc_3-

2018_07_17-508compliant.pdf. 
25 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

its own,” said Sally Flocks, the Founder and then-CEO of PEDS. Each training reached roughly 30 

planners and engineers within those districts, representing both GDOT and local public agency 

staff. 

PSAP Deployment

The completion of the PSAP and subsequent training and assistance led to the successful 

implementation of various crossing countermeasures. One example is Macon-Bibb County. The 

PSAP identified the county as one of its focus regions, and GDOT worked with the county to 

identify locations in need of countermeasures. GDOT selected five locations: Eisenhower 

Parkway, Emery Highway, Gray Highway, Pio Nono Avenue, and Mercer University Drive. 

Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons and other enhancements have been installed at some of these 

locations (figure 6).23 

Figure 6. Construction of new Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon in MaconBibb County.24

The success of the PSAP will be determined by the ability of GDOT and other agencies to 

implement the action items related to Data, Transportation Planning and Policy, Transportation 

Infrastructure Projects, Education/Enforcement/Outreach, and Funding. Each action item has a 

responsible party, timeframe, and local action associated with it. In addition, the PSAP included a 

23 Leedy, Aaron. Following Years of Pedestrian Deaths in Macon, State and Local Leaders Working on 

Changes. WGXA. https://wgxa.tv/news/local/following-years-of-pedestrian-deaths-in-macon-state-andlocal-leaders-working-on-changes. 

24 Macon News, Drivers need to be aware of new crosswalk safety measures. https://maconnewsroom.com/5274/news/drivers-need-to-be-aware-of-new-crosswalk-safety-measures/.
26 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Performance Report Card which will 

be used to track completed action 

items and the number of annual 

pedestrian fatalities (figure 7).25 

The training courses and workshops 

have educated State and local 

professionals, and the sessions have 

been well-received across the State. 

While countermeasure deployment 

has proceeded at different speeds, the 

workshops have also resulted in a 

broad network of professionals 

around the State who are working on 

pedestrian safety issues. 

PEDS enhanced the impact of the value of the trainings by incorporating half-day sessions on 

issues of local and State relevance, including presentations about the PSAP and Temporary 

Pedestrian Access Routes (TPAR). “Transportation professionals who attended the 2018 training 

in Atlanta found the TPAR demonstration project especially valuable,” Flocks said. PEDS staff 

noted that the workshops resulted in attendance at the Statewide Georgia Walks Summit and 

other events centered on pedestrian and bicyclist safety, indicating increasing interest in these 

topics after workshops were held. The statewide training and engagement will continue to 

connect partners with technical information and guidance to support pedestrian safety projects. 

Next Steps

The PSAP set pedestrian safety goals for the State of Georgia through 2022. Upon the 

completion of that timeframe, GDOT and the Georgia Office of Highway Safety will need to 

reevaluate the initiatives implemented through the PSAP and set forth new action items for the 

future. The 2022 pedestrian fatality target of 183 set forth in the PSAP, if achieved, is still far off 

from the long-term goal of zero fatalities in the ‘Toward Zero Deaths’ framework. In the years 

since the Plan was completed, 265 and 247 pedestrians were killed in the State in 2018 and 

2019, respectively. GDOT and the Georgia Office of Highway Safety will need to continue 

working with communities such as Macon-Bibb county to implement the features of its plans. 

For more information, contact:

Larissa Bradburn 404.685.8722 larissa@peds.org

Ian Sansom 404.685.8722 ian@peds.org

25 Georgia Department of Transportation, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan 2018-2022.

http://www.dot.ga.gov/DriveSmart/Travel/BikePed/BikePedSAP.pdf

Figure 7. Excerpt from the PSAP performance 

report card.22
27 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

Background

Early in FHWA’s Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused 

Approach Program, New Mexico was identified as a Focus State. 

New Mexico had also been involved in similar FHWA efforts 

(e.g., Every Day Counts Safe Transportation for Every 

Pedestrian), which helped increase awareness of pedestrians. 

Between 2014 and 2018, the number of pedestrian crashes 

increased 12 percent and pedestrian fatalities increased by 

53 percent in New Mexico. As a Pedestrian Safety Focus 

State, NMDOT was also looking for other ways to improve 

pedestrian safety. They did this through the Highway Safety 

Improvement Program (HSIP)—the Federal-aid program for 

highway safety— and FHWA’s Every Day Counts initiative. 

PSAP Trainings

With over 2,500 staff at NMDOT and a State that is diverse in 

cultures, geography, and crash types, NMDOT sought to reach 

as many people as possible through a variety of methods to 

increase awareness of pedestrian safety. The first resource they 

used from the Focus Approach was to engage in trainings on 

local leadership and transportation agencies with the intent to 

NEW MEXICO

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Statewide Engagement to Support 

Pedestrian Safety in New Mexico

Albuquerque, New Mexico’s involvement as a Focus City for the Federal Highway 

Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program 

led to incorporating New Mexico as a Focus State. New Mexico Department of 

Transportation (NMDOT) was identified as a Focus State and used the Pedestrian 

and Bicycle Safety trainings and technical assistance to increase awareness of

pedestrian safety at the executive and statewide levels.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2015, NMDOT received 

8 FHWA-led trainings: 

• 4 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety courses

• 2 Road Safety Audit courses

• 2 PSAP Workshops
28 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

impact project development processes and encourage broader buy-in from stakeholders. In 

2018 and 2019, the State hosted FHWA’s Designing for Pedestrian Safety in Las Cruces and 

Albuquerque. In 2019, NMDOT also hosted the PSAP Workshop course in Santa Fe and Las 

Cruces and invited representatives from NMDOT, Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), 

Regional Transportation Planning Organizations (RTPOs), tribes, counties and cities. 

Later in 2019, NMDOT turned its focus on internal education and began developing a statewide 

PSAP which includes a focus on educating staff on pedestrian safety issues. One goal of the 

PSAP is to evaluate internal processes and procedures that require updates and to update 

standard operating procedures for a more uniform approach to design and safety. At the local 

level, in 2017, the State developed an HSIP on-call contract to develop regional or local 

transportation safety plans. 

PSAP Outcomes and Funding

NMDOT is on track to complete the statewide PSAP in 2021. To assist with implementation, the 

DOT will fund staff and consultants to conduct trainings on various aspects of the PSAP, 

including STEP countermeasures, broader findings, and action items. NMDOT’s 

goal with the trainings is to foster constructive conversations regarding 

pedestrian safety between planners and engineers throughout the 

roadway lifecycle. 

With the limited State and Federal funding, some local agencies have 

used Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funds for pedestrian 

improvements. NMDOT may partner with the Local Technical Assistance 

Program (LTAP) to engage with local agencies and build their capacity to 

apply and manage Federal funds as well as meet Americans with

Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

NMDOT is educating designers that bicycle and pedestrian safety 

means more than meeting the ADA standards. NMDOT went through 

a substantial update to the ADA Transition Plan, and Design Manual 

which helped to unify NMDOT staff behind that message. Changes to 

the project development process included revamping standard 

drawings and integrating internal oversight into ADA plan review to 

make sure it meets ADA standards and considers broader safety needs. This 

process, to an extent, mimics the process for pedestrian and bicyclist safety action plans. 

Lessons Learned & Looking Ahead 

Shannon Glendenning, Active Transportation Programs Supervisor (NMDOT), said “NMDOT is 

making great strides and has committed to improving the safety of pedestrians in New Mexico.” 
29 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

NMDOT plans to develop detail tracking mechanisms in the implementation section of the 

PSAP. Peer exchanges and trainings have helped NMDOT to better understand its own and local 

agency needs and concerns. On the engineering side, NMDOT would like to engage more 

operations and design staff to talk through utilizing engineering judgement on projects that 

pose design challenges. On the behavioral side, NMDOT is engaging with NHTSA staff to 

provide education and engage law enforcement. 

NMDOT would also like to better understand their agency’s safety culture and what they can do 

to improve. This work will build off of a survey that was sent to design and project development 

staff about currently available resources, information, trainings, and processes that are in place, 

or those that may not yet be available but are of interest to staff. The questionnaire also asked 

respondents to consider how pedestrian fatalities impact communities throughout the State. 

The safety culture enhancement will build upon the PSAP, ADA plan development and 

implementation, trainings, and other safety programs, to help NMDOT address pedestrian and 

bicyclist safety throughout the State. 

For more information, contact:

Shannon Glendenning 505.231.4300 Shannon.Glendenning@state.nm.us
30 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
31 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

PSAP Background

In 2015, NYSDOT conducted a detailed analysis of crash data to 

identify the top priority crash types. The State created a threepronged approach to decreasing fatalities and serious injuries in 

the top three crash types—pedestrians, roadway departure, and 

intersections. While the DOT had previously made strides 

emphasizing the need for pedestrian safety and multimodal 

transportation, the data indicated that a more significant focus 

on pedestrians from a traffic and safety perspective was needed. 

With this knowledge, and as a Focus State in the FHWA 

Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program, 

NYSDOT reached out to FHWA for assistance. FHWA provided 

technical assistance in the form of a statewide systemic analysis 

of pedestrian crashes. This analysis would go on to serve as the 

backbone of the New York State PSAP, which FHWA led the 

development efforts on behalf of the State. 

NEW YORK

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian 

and Bicyclist Safety Focused Approach Program

Statewide Engagement to Support 

Pedestrian Safety in New York 

New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) developed a Pedestrian 

Safety Action Plan (PSAP) using the technical assistance made available through 

Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Focused 

Approach Program. The PSAP directly resulted in systemic countermeasure 

installation and contributed to agency coordination efforts to enhance pedestrian 

safety in New York State.

Training 

Summary 

Since 2006, NYSDOT received 43 

trainings through 7 different 

courses. In 2019, NYSDOT 

requested two trainings on 

Designing for Pedestrian Safety in 

New York City.

• 34 2-day Design courses

• 2 2-day Planning courses

• 2 Designing for Pedestrian

Safety courses

• 1 1-day Design course

• 1 1-day Planning course

• 1 Law Enforcement course

• 1 PSAP Workshop
32 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

In 2016, NYSDOT developed the New York State PSAP with FHWA-provided technical 

assistance.

26The plan’s scope addresses four areas: Complete Streets and the American 

with Disabilities Act (ADA), the statewide pedestrian program, focus communities, and 

coordination. 

Countermeasure Implementation

Since 2016, NYSDOT and partners have worked hard to implement the recommendations in the 

five-year PSAP—with an initial focus on low-cost countermeasures. NYSDOT identified 

uncontrolled crosswalks and intersections as the key to implementation as the improvements 

were inexpensive and easy to install. The State then shifted efforts to signalized intersections 

and anticipates completion in 2021. 

Both State and local components funded PSAP implementation efforts. NYSDOT established 

$40M in Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)—the Federal-aid program for highway 

safety—set aside funding and released a local call for projects in 2017 for local governments to 

implement the same countermeasures as the State on their system. Recommended treatments 

were systemic and simple, including pavement markings, signs, signal timing changes, 

backplates with retro reflective borders, pedestrian countdown signals, and more. With the 

completed data analysis and network screening identifying locations for improvement, 

applicants only needed to identify qualifying locations for eligibility. The ease of the application 

and straightforward engineering made for a very successful program with local governments. 

Agency Coordination

The PSAP prioritized agency coordination between State and local agencies, which contributed 

to a statewide review of policies impacting bicycle and pedestrian transportation. NYSDOT 

recognized silos between departments—such as operations, design, and others—resulting in 

differing design guidance, which they were able to reconcile through the PSAP process. 

Together, the traffic and safety departments explored ways to cohesively emphasize bicycle and 

pedestrian transportation as a safety issue, which results in more buy-in to invest in 

improvements. 

Coordination between NYSDOT departments also includes developing strategies to work with 

designers to address safety issues earlier in project development. By including pedestrian, 

bicyclist, and safety issues early in the design process through mechanisms such as filling out a 

Complete Streets checklist, NYSDOT can increase awareness of the issues and provide education 

and training for staff. Part of this process is understanding what guidance designers and 

engineers need—an element the PSAP addressed when noting additional pedestrian crossing 

26 NYSDOT, Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. https://www.ny.gov/pedestriansafety-action-plan/pedestrian-safety-action-plan. 
33 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

design opportunities to address in the NYSDOT Highway Design Manual. 

Agency coordination within the PSAP focused on a 3E approach—

engineering, education, and enforcement. NYSDOT led all engineering 

in-house and the Department of Health led the education efforts 

such as developing a public safety announcement for television and 

radio and marketing materials for transit stops in 20 communities 

with the highest frequency of pedestrian crashes. NYSDOT was also 

able to provide HSIP funds to the Department of Health to air 

public service announcements related to pedestrian safety. Law 

enforcement assisted with the third prong, conducting a two-week 

enforcement blitz every June focusing on pedestrian safety and issued 

warnings or citations to both pedestrians and drivers. The Governor’s 

Traffic Safety Committee (GTSC) in cooperation with NHTSA, and the 

Departments of Health and Transportation developed a one-day 

training to educate officers on the pedestrian-related laws to enhance 

enforcement efforts. 

Outcomes

In 2018, the Governor’s Highway Safety Association recognized the PSAP with the Peter K. 

O’Rourke Special Achievement Award, which recognizes notable achievements in the field of 

highway safety. Notably, preliminary data showed a 22-percent decrease in pedestrian fatalities 

the first year of the plan. As a result of the PSAP recommendations, NYSDOT is currently revising 

two Highway Design Manual chapters on bicycles and pedestrians to better plan and design for 

multimodal safety. Pedestrians were also added to the annual regional work programs—which 

requires regions to investigate 20 percent of high-crash locations every year. After five years, the 

agency will have investigated all locations. 

NYSDOT is also improving tracking mechanisms, specifically counting number of miles of bike 

lanes, improvements at uncontrolled crosswalks (e.g., number of completed projects, types of 

countermeasures installed), number of Complete Streets projects installed, and others. More 

detailed and timely record keeping reflects the State’s importance of implementing these 

measures and investing in pedestrian safety. The Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee reported 

citations issued (2,600), warning cards issued (4,463), and enforcement hours (3,877.5) from 

participating law enforcement agencies following four, two-week mobilization periods between 

2016 and 2019.

Lessons Learned and Next Steps

The PSAP has helped New York State to broadly address pedestrian safety. However, during 

implementation NYSDOT found that not all communities were enthusiastic about the PSAP 

countermeasures. Several communities found the uncontrolled intersection treatments to be 
34 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

unappealing aesthetically. This highlights the need for education and community engagement 

to successfully implement improvements.

The enhanced focus and attention on multimodal safety has led to more funding support than 

ever before. NYSDOT anticipates advancing additional Complete Streets and ADA improvement 

projects in the coming years. Once the PSAP implementation is complete, the State will review 

the crash data to evaluate the plan’s success and determine where to focus next. 

Regina Doyle, Office of Safety Program Management and Coordination Bureau (NYSDOT), 

shared the biggest takeaway from the PSAP process is acknowledging areas for 

improvement and then seeking solutions. “If you need help, ask for it,” she said, explaining 

that NYSDOT found “there are a lot of good resources available through the FHWA 

program.” After success with the PSAP technical assistance, NYSDOT continues to explore 

what additional assistance is available.

For more information, contact:

Regina Doyle 518.485.0164 Regina.Doyle@dot.ny.gov
35 FHWA Pedestrian and Bicycle Focus Approach

THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK
FHWA-SA-21-021