Fall 2022, Volume 16, Issue 3

 Message from the Associate Administrator for Safety, Cheryl Walker

Apply to the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)

Grant Program

Hello to all our safety champions, and welcome to the fall 2022 Safety Compass Newsletter! Our 

shared priority is to make our transportation system safe for all people, so that each person arrives at 

their destination safely. The only acceptable number of deaths and serious injuries on our roadways 

is zero. 

To help us reach zero, the new SS4A program provides dedicated funding to support investment in 

meaningful Safe System initiatives. This discretionary grant program, part of the Bipartisan 

Infrastructure Law (BIL), and administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), 

supports local initiatives to prevent transportation-related deaths and serious injuries on roads and 

streets. SS4A will provide $5 billion over the next 5 years for regional, local, and Tribal safety-related 

plans and projects. In fiscal year 2022, up to $1 billion is available. This SS4A grant program 

supports Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg’s National Roadway Safety Strategy (NRSS), which 

directs attention and funding to address urgent and often overlooked safety needs.

The SS4A program provides funding for two types of grants: Action Plan Grants (at least 40 percent of funds) and 

Implementation Grants (up to 60 percent of funds). Examples of activities that could be conducted as part of an Action Plan 

Grant and Implementation Grant are provided on the SS4A web page. 

The SS4A web page also has a wealth of other resources that will help agencies prepare their applications. We encourage 

agencies that have never before applied for Federal funding from USDOT to consider submitting an application. Take a look at 

the website, review the frequently asked questions (FAQs), watch the webinars, and check out the fact sheets with step-by-step 

instructions. Consider partnering with eligible applicants within your region who have established financial relationships with 

USDOT and who have knowledge of Federal grant administration requirements. 

The deadline for applications for the 2022 grants is September 15, 2022. Award announcements are expected to be made 

by the end of calendar year 2022 or in early 2023. 

SS4A gives us the opportunity to move out of our transportation siloes and to engage a diversity of stakeholders in the work of 

investing in safe, sustainable, equitable, and accessible mobility options and public roads. This program provides an opportunity 

to support enduring roadway safety projects and programs that prioritize walking, biking, and transit use, as well as investing in 

underserved communities. The projects supported by SS4A grants will truly move us toward our goal of zero deaths and serious 

injuries on our Nation’s roads.

Cheryl Walker, Associate 

Administrator for Safety
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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in this issue...

 What’s New.......................................................................................................................................................................... 2

Monthly Spotlights Archive: None of Us Can Reach Zero Traffic Deaths Alone.............................................................................................2

Section 130 Guidance Gets a Makeover..........................................................................................................................................................................3

 Safety-Driven Changes and Improvements................................................................................................................. 3

Safety Circuit Rider Programs: Working to Reduce Fatalities and Serious Injuries on Local and Tribal Roads .................................3

Telling the Highway Safety Improvement Program Story........................................................................................................................................5

 Learning Together.............................................................................................................................................................. 7

Strengthening the Linkages between Operations and Safety................................................................................................................................7

Helping One Another Reach Zero: Cities of Richmond and Tampa...................................................................................................................10

 Data and Analysis .............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Addressing Equity for Underserved Communities and Vulnerable Users with the Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool

........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................11

Roadway Safety Data Improvement Program Technical Assistance Supports States’ Roadway Data Programs............................11

 New Resource Roundup..................................................................................................................................................13

Motorcycle Safety Noteworthy Practices: Infrastructure and Engineering......................................................................................................13

New FHWA Resources for Crash Reduction.................................................................................................................................................................14

New Intersection Informational Guide for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Released ...........................................................................................15

 Announcements.................................................................................................................................................................17

Now Available: "Improving Safety for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Accessing Transit" Guide....................................................................17

2020 State Safety Performance Target Assessment Results Now Available...................................................................................................17

New Pavement Marking Retroreflectivity Rule...........................................................................................................................................................17

What Is Your Safety Story?..................................................................................................................................................................................................17

Upcoming Conferences and Events ................................................................................................................................................................................17

WHAT’S NEW

Monthly Spotlights Archive:

None of Us Can Reach Zero 

Traffic Deaths Alone

By Norah Ocel, P.E., PMP®, FHWA Office of 

Safety, Partnerships-EngagementCollaboration

Partnerships and collaboration 

among roadway safety stakeholders 

are vital to achieving our long-term 

goal of zero deaths on our Nation’s 

roadways.

When Secretary Buttigieg launched 

NRSS in January 2022, he 

underscored the importance of 

USDOT’s partnerships by stating, 

“We need partners in State and local 

governments,” and adding that “none 

of us can do this alone.” Secretary 

Buttigieg was referring to the 

ambitious shared goal of reaching 

zero deaths on our roadways and 

streets, inside and outside the 

vehicle. USDOT has adopted the 

Safe System Approach and is 

promoting its use by State, local, and 

Tribal governments. Transportation 

agencies must commit to designing 

roads that promote safety for all road 

users, make data-driven decisions, 

and incorporate Proven Safety 

Countermeasures.

To highlight our partners that have 

demonstrated an exceptional 

commitment to roadway safety, the 

Office of Safety in 2021 launched 

Roadway Safety Champions – Our 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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Partners for Zero Traffic Deaths. The 

website includes a monthly spotlight 

on a State or local transportation 

agency’s noteworthy efforts to 

advance roadway safety. A NEW

Spotlights Archives section of the 

website includes previous monthly 

spotlights, so it’s never too late to 

find great examples. Spotlight 

topics include working with 

community stakeholders; using 

curve safety assessment devices; 

identifying the right 

locations for installing 

high friction surface 

treatments (HFST); 

using a Safe System 

Approach within the 

Highway Safety 

Improvement Program

(HSIP); and shaping 

standards, policies, and 

practices because of a 

safety implementation 

plan.

FHWA Office of Safety 

encourages you to visit 

Spotlights Archives and 

learn what many 

roadway safety 

champions are doing. 

For more information, please contact 

Norah Ocel at norah.ocel@dot.gov. 

Section 130 Guidance Gets a 

Makeover

By Esther Strawder, FHWA Office of Safety 

Signed on November 15, 2021, BIL

is landmark legislation that will 

benefit our transportation system for 

years to come. FHWA has several 

programs that are directly affected 

by BIL. The Railway- Highway 

Crossing Program (Section 130 

Program) is one such program.

The Section 130 Program remains a 

State administered, data-driven, 

Federally funded program. But 

thanks to BIL, it now offers more 

flexibility and a higher Federal share. 

BIL updates to the Section 130 

Program also improve some of the 

set-aside allowances, such as 

increasing the allocations for data 

collection and projects beyond 

protective devices. BIL also clarifies 

that funds are eligible for projects to 

reduce trespassing at rail crossings. 

Implementation of the new BIL 

revisions were effective as of 

October 1, 2021.

Guidance for BIL updates to the 

Section 130 Program is now 

available online.

For more information, please contact 

Esther Strawder at 

esther.strawder@dot.gov. 

SAFETY-DRIVEN CHANGES AND IMPROVEMENTS

Safety Circuit Rider 

Programs: Working to 

Reduce Fatalities and 

Serious Injuries on Local and 

Tribal Roads

By Rosemarie Anderson, FHWA Office of 

Safety 

The goal of the Safety Circuit Rider 

(SCR) Program is to reduce the 

frequency and severity of roadway 

crashes by providing safety-related 

support to agencies responsible for 

local and Tribal road safety. SCR 

programs are typically operated by 

qualified safety professionals. These 

individuals are referred to as safety 

circuit riders, and they assist local 

and Tribal agencies with their safety 

efforts. The SCR Program has 

expanded, and as of 2022 more than 

20 States have developed SCR 

programs or positions. States 

providing safety-related technical 

assistance similar to an SCR 

program include Arizona, Idaho, 

Nebraska, New Jersey, New York, 

North Dakota, Pennsylvania, South 

Dakota, Tennessee, West Virginia, 

and Wisconsin. 

The SCR Program is an integral part 

of USDOT’s NRSS, a roadmap for 

addressing the national crisis in 

roadway fatalities and serious 

injuries. The roadmap provides 

concrete steps to address and 

Roadway safety champions web page. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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prevent deaths and serious injuries 

while working toward the ambitious, 

long-term goal of achieving zero 

roadway fatalities. The zero goal 

requires action from all levels of 

government so that road users can 

be safe when traveling on the 

Nation’s roadways. This, too, is a 

goal of SCR programs, as they have 

extended their reach to traditional 

and non-traditional safety partners.

The SCR Program in most States is 

administered through the Local 

Technical Assistance Program 

(LTAP). For some, such as 

Colorado, the program is 

administered through the State 

department of transportation (DOT). 

The safety circuit riders act as a 

conduit to local and Tribal agencies 

by performing tasks in training, 

technology transfer, and technical 

assistance.

Training 

Training by SCR focuses on road 

safety and is typically provided to 

local, State, and Tribal agencies 

through LTAP. Training topics 

include low-cost safety 

improvements, signing and 

pavement markings, work zone 

safety, flagger training, safety 

analysis, road safety audits (RSAs), 

and HSIP project development. 

The Connecticut SCR Program 

created a Safety Academy, which

provides free training on local and 

Tribal road safety topics, and a free 

Safety Champion program, which 

enables local and Tribal agencies 

and DOT staff to earn credit for 

taking the trainings. Several SCR 

programs offer a Road Scholar 

Program. This program includes a 

series of classes for 

the participant to be 

certified. States 

offering a Road 

Scholar Program 

include Colorado, 

Connecticut, Indiana, 

Kentucky, Louisiana, 

Minnesota, Missouri, 

New Hampshire, 

Nevada, North 

Carolina, Ohio, 

Pennsylvania, and 

West Virginia. 

Technology Transfer 

Technology transfer involves 

introducing agencies to new and 

innovative technologies, products, 

and methods with the goal of making 

them standard practice. Technology 

transfer involves peer exchanges, 

workshops, conferences, and 

equipment loan programs. 

Equipment loan programs provide 

items such as retroreflectometers, 

ball bank indicators, and radar speed 

detection equipment to local and 

Tribal agencies. 

The following are examples of 

technology transfer activities: 

• The Connecticut SCR Program 

developed free work zone safety 

packages and training and free 

speed feedback signs to most of 

its towns using $1.6 million in 

funding from the DOT’s High Risk 

Rural Roads Program.

• Kansas has an equipment loan 

program that provides 

retroreflectometers, speed 

feedback trailers, ball bank 

indicators, SafetyEdge paving 

shoes, and drones to local and 

Tribal agencies. 

Technical Assistance

Technical assistance includes 

safety-related services to advance 

safety on local and Tribal agencies’ 

roadway systems. Technical 

assistance is especially important for 

local and Tribal agencies that do not 

employ a full-time engineer. Popular 

technical assistance includes data 

collection, the use of various types of 

equipment, data analysis, producing 

crash trends, and identifying routes 

and roadway features to address 

through safety improvements, and 

RSA field reviews. 

Several SCR programs are assisting 

local and Tribal agencies with the 

development of LRSPs. The 

Colorado SCR Program assisted 

with LRSPs by identifying 

countermeasures with the greatest 

potential to reduce traffic crashes. 

Indiana, Ohio, and Alabama’s SCR 

programs provide safety project 

application assistance to help local 

and Tribal understand safety project 

eligibility requirements for safety 

funding and assist them with 

completing safety project 

applications.

Technical assistance. (Source: FHWA)
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Quantitatively assessing the impacts 

of the SCR Program (reduction in 

fatalities and serious injuries) can be 

difficult. There has been a 

preponderance of qualitative 

evidence showing SCR Program 

success and its positive influence on

safety culture. Many programs have 

shown improved safety awareness 

through increases in: 

• Submitted HSIP applications

• Implemented safety projects

• Requested safety tools and 

equipment

• Requested crash data 

summaries/profiles

• Requested RSAs

• Enthusiastic attendance at 

offered trainings

The Office of Safety recently 

released Safety Circuit Rider 

Programs: Working to Reduce 

Fatalities and Serious Injuries on 

Local and Tribal Roads. This 

publication provides an overview of 

existing SCR programs and includes 

the following: 

• SCR activities and contributions 

to local road safety

• Different SCR program structures

• Considerations when starting a 

new SCR program, including 

ways to fund and sustain the 

program

For more information, please contact 

Rosemarie Anderson at 

rosemarie.anderson@dot.gov. 

Telling the Highway Safety 

Improvement Program 

Story

By Karen Scurry, FHWA Office of Safety

The FHWA Office of Safety 

developed a series of fact sheets to 

tell the story of the HSIP. Leveraging 

robust program data from 2020 and 

the stories of noteworthy practices, 

these fact sheets provide practical 

and actionable information that not 

only reviews the story of HSIP so far, 

but also paints a picture for using 

HSIP in the future. 

The Highway Safety Improvement 

Program–2020

Every year, States receive an 

apportionment of HSIP funding for 

highway safety improvement 

projects that are consistent with a 

State’s Strategic Highway Safety 

Plan (SHSP). How a State uses that 

apportionment is based on the 

unique needs of each transportation 

program, but the use is always in 

support of the common goal of 

saving lives with data-driven 

decisions and strategic planning. 

The Highway Safety Improvement 

Program–2020 fact sheet provides 

high-level information about States’ 

HSIPs, including the number, type, 

and cost of projects funded via HSIP 

in 2020. The fact sheet also includes 

an outline of the HSIP funding

process.

Fun fact: In 2020, States obligated 

more than $5.5 billion to more than 

5,300 highway safety improvements.

Keeping Pedestrians Safe with 

HSIP–2020

With a 44-percent increase in fatal 

pedestrian crashes between 2010 

and 2019, the ability of HSIP to 

support projects designed to improve 

pedestrian safety is another way the 

program is saving lives. 

Fun fact: In 2020, States obligated 

more than $165 million in HSIP 

funds to 313 projects focused on 

pedestrian safety.

Check out the fact sheet for 

information about the types of 

pedestrian safety improvements 

The Highway Safety Improvement 

Program–2020 fact sheet. (Source: 

FHWA)

Improving Local Road Safety with 

HSIP–2020 fact sheet. (Source: 

FHWA)
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funded via HSIP and an example of 

how Arlington County, Virginia, is 

keeping pedestrians safe with HSIP.

Improving Local Road Safety with 

HSIP–2020

HSIP aims to save lives by spending 

safety funds on non-State-owned 

roads. The data-driven and strategic 

decision-making process for HSIP 

funding can help local and Tribal 

jurisdictions better identify and solve 

safety problems on their road 

networks. Some jurisdictions may 

need additional support to navigate 

application requirements and access 

data sources.

Fun fact: In 2020, HSIP funded 898 

projects on local roads. These local 

road projects represented 16 percent 

of the HSIP funding for that year. 

States used both centralized and 

regional processes to allocate the 

funds to local projects. The

Improving Local Road Safety with

HSIP–2020 fact sheet includes 

information about how States 

allocate HSIP funds to local 

agencies, key local road safety 

partners, types of HSIP-funded 

projects on local roads, and an 

example of how Georgia is 

improving local road safety with 

HSIP.

Advancing Speed Management 

Strategies with HSIP–2020

The HSIP can fund proven speed 

management countermeasures to 

save lives by designing roads for 

safe speeds. Designing roads that 

keep speeds at survivable levels is a 

key element of the Safe System 

Approach, which is being 

implemented to advance the road to 

zero deaths. 

Fun fact: In 2020, 38 States used 

HSIP funds for speed management 

projects. 

The Advancing Speed Management 

Strategies with HSIP–2020 fact 

sheet outlines various types of HSIPfunded speed management projects 

and a specific example of how 

Oregon is advancing speed 

management strategies with HSIP. 

Implementing Systemic Safety 

Improvements with HSIP–2020

A systemic approach to safety saves 

lives by proactively seeking to 

prevent crashes before they happen. 

The HSIP can be used to save lives 

by identifying risks and implementing 

low-cost improvements.

Fun fact: In 2020, States obligated 

38 percent of HSIP funds to 

systemic safety projects.

The fact sheet provides additional 

information about the systemic 

safety analysis process, types of 

systemic safety improvements 

funded with HSIP in 2020, and an 

example of how Missouri is 

implementing systemic safety 

improvements with HSIP. 

How Can You Be Part of the HSIP 

Story? 

All States develop and administer 

HSIPs to best meet their needs. 

Contact your State DOT to find out 

how you can save lives in your 

community. 

Implementing Systemic Safety 

Improvements with HSIP–2020 fact 

sheet. (Source: FHWA)

Improving Local Road Safety with 

HSIP–2020 fact sheet. (Source: 

FHWA)

Advancing Speed Management 

Strategies with HSIP–2020 fact sheet. 

(Source: FHWA)
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Do you have an HSIP success 

story? Share your projects on 

Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram 

with #HSIPSavesLives. Stay tuned 

for 2021 fact sheets that will tell the 

HSIP story about data, rural road 

safety, intersections, Proven Safety 

Countermeasures, and more.

For more information about the 

HSIP, please contact Karen Scurry 

at karen.scurry@dot.gov. 

LEARNING TOGETHER

Strengthening the Linkages 

between Operations and 

Safety

By Jim Hunt, FHWA Office of Operations;

and Jerry Roche and Anyesha Mookherjee, 

FHWA Office of Safety

Safety and operations have always 

had clear interdependencies. A welloperated transportation system is 

often correlated with strong safety 

performance. Conversely, a 

transportation system with few 

crashes, especially few severe 

crashes, often performs well from an 

operations perspective. Specific 

operations strategies, such as traffic 

incident management, road weather 

management, traveler information, 

queue warnings, and work zone 

management, are known to improve 

both safety and operations. 

Despite opportunities to expand 

current capabilities and integrate 

emerging strategies to address 

safety more proactively through 

operations, barriers exist to fully 

integrating operations and safety in 

planning, analysis, and operations. 

For example, the analysis methods 

in the American Association of State 

Highway and Transportation Officials 

(AASHTO) Highway Safety Manual

(HSM) do not incorporate daily, 

hourly, or sub-hourly variations in the 

road environment. They also do not

consider traffic characteristics (flow, 

density, speed, capacity) that are 

critical for assessing the safety 

impacts of operations strategies. 

Completed, ongoing, and upcoming 

FHWA projects led by the Offices of 

Operations and Safety are finding 

ways to strengthen the 

programmatic relationships between 

operations and safety. This article 

discusses opportunities for better 

coordinating and leveraging safety 

and operations for the benefit of both 

areas and provides examples of this

in current practice. 

Identifying Operations Strategies 

That Support Safety 

Through FHWA research and 

practitioner interviews, the most 

frequently mentioned strategies that 

intersect safety and operations are 

work zone management, traffic 

incident management, ramp 

metering, variable speed limits, 

traffic signals, intersection conflict 

warning systems, and wrong-way

driving countermeasures. By 

planning and implementing these 

strategies together, agencies can 

address safety and mobility needs, 

mitigate potential impacts, and 

enhance system safety and mobility

at the same time. The Office of 

Operations is completing a 

project that identifies

operations strategies that

address safety concerns 

(inadequate visibility, 

excessive vehicular conflicts, 

speed differential, congestion, 

excessive speeds, vulnerable users,

etc.). The project includes a report 

on the existing supporting 

documentation of safety 

performance impacts. A scan of the 

Crash Modification Factors (CMF) 

Clearinghouse revealed operations 

strategies that have the most 

support with respect to CMF, shown 

in the table below. 

Finding Synergies between 

Operations and Safety in Plans

Including safety objectives in 

transportation systems management 

and operations (TSMO) plans and 

including TSMO strategies in safety 

plans show that safety and TSMO 

programs view operations as a tool

to improve safety. Multiple State 

DOTs reported a crossover of 

operations and safety staff in the 

development of their TSMO and 

safety plans. Many State DOT 

TSMO plans, such as Arizona and 

Nevada’s, explicitly reference safetythemed vision statements, safety 

data, safety performance metrics, 

and safety strategies. For an

example from a metropolitan 

planning organization (MPO), the 

Maricopa Association of 

Operations Tactics

Number of Studies in 

CMF Clearinghouse

Automated enforcement 310

Adaptive signal control 104

Variable speed limits 29

Dynamic warning signs 27

Managed lanes 25
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Governments (MAG) produces both 

an operations plan that explicitly

references safety and a safety plan 

that explicitly references operations. 

Organizational Structure

Considerations

An established organizational 

structure with formal mechanisms for 

intra-agency coordination can enable 

greater interactions among safety 

and operations staff. This can serve 

as a basis for integrated actions that 

improve safety and mobility 

throughout the transportation 

system. Organizations with safety 

and operations in the same unit or 

division benefit from having a 

common director and routine 

interactions with their safety or 

operations counterparts. Residing in

the same unit, however, is not 

necessary to achieve a significant 

level of coordination between TSMO 

and safety. For example, Ohio 

Department of Transportation 

(ODOT) and Florida Department of 

Transportation (FDOT) have 

separate safety and TSMO divisions 

or offices, but also have high levels 

of coordination. States with high 

levels of coordination often have 

leadership support, active 

crosscutting committees, and task 

forces to improve coordination.

Data Opportunities

Agencies that consider both safety 

and operations data develop more 

holistic solutions and strategies to 

address performance issues. 

Identifying common safety and 

congestion hot spots is one of the 

most frequent practices among State 

DOTs and MPOs for bringing 

together safety and operations data. 

FDOT’s operations and safety 

programs use each other’s data to

identify hot spots, implement 

countermeasures, and assist in law 

enforcement. Arizona Department of 

Transportation’s (ADOT) road safety 

assessments rely on both safety and 

operations data to identify issues. 

New Jersey Department of 

Transportation’s operations office 

examines historical crash data when 

evaluating highway locations for 

part-time shoulder use to better 

understand the safety context for this 

TSMO strategy. 

Near Miss Identification Safety 

Systems (N-MISS) 

FDOT is implementing N-MISS, a 

project that uses traditional and 

emerging technology and real-time 

data to detect and analyze near miss 

traffic incidents at intersections.

FDOT combines hard-braking data 

with video to analyze vehicle and 

bicycle/pedestrian trajectories to 

locate safety issues. FDOT will use 

this information to recommend safety 

countermeasures to proactively 

avoid crashes. The project covers 26 

intersections on State roads in the 

City of Lakeland and the City of 

West Palm Beach. This project is 

helping establish the need for realtime data, rather than just historic 

data, for mobility and safety 

improvements.

Transportation Planning and 

Funding Processes

Transportation planning can bring 

safety and TSMO needs, solutions, 

and resources together to benefit 

safety and mobility. ODOT and Iowa 

Department of Transportation

(IADOT) consider both mobility and 

safety performance measures when

prioritizing highway segments for 

TSMO investments. ODOT’s Traffic 

Operations Assessment Systems 

Tool (TOAST) is an example of this 

operations and safety planning 

coordination. TOAST is a 

spreadsheet-based tool that helps 

ODOT prioritize road segments for 

TSMO investments based on both 

operational and safety performance 

measures. TOAST performance 

measures include travel time 

performance, bottlenecks, TSMO 

safety, incident clearance, 

secondary crashes, volume per lane, 

freight corridors, and safety 

performance.

Both ADOT and the Delaware Valley 

Regional Planning Commission 

score projects based on safety and 

mobility (e.g., system reliability) and 

factors such as environmental 

benefits. MAG evaluates TSMO 

projects using safety criteria and 

evaluates safety projects with 

TSMO-oriented criteria. The 

congestion management process 

(CMP) is also an important area for 

connecting safety and operations.

Several CMPs reviewed by the

N-MISS intersection diagram. (Source: 

FDOT)
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FHWA research team use safety and 

congestion factors to evaluate 

potential strategies because the 

MPOs recognize the link between 

incidents and congestion. 

Project Development, Design, and 

Funding

In some agencies, operations and 

safety staff routinely coordinate 

during project development and 

design to ensure projects support 

safety and mobility. For example, 

FDOT uses multidisciplinary teams 

to scope projects, and the team 

provides input at key points during 

project development and design. 

IADOT and FDOT reported regularly 

coordinating with operations, safety, 

and design programs to reduce 

crashes in work zones.

Safety program funding at ODOT 

played a critical role in launching the 

TSMO program. The Highway Safety 

Program, within the Statewide 

Planning and Research Office, 

approved HSIP funding for three 

TSMO pilot projects. One project 

was to improve safety along a 12-

mile section of Interstate 90 (I-90)

near Lake Erie in Lake County. 

Because of lake effect snow, this 

stretch of I-90 had been 

experiencing frequent low-visibility 

and whiteout conditions that were 

causing multivehicle crashes, 

closures, and long delays. The 

TSMO solution was to use cameras 

and weather-sensing stations to 

monitor weather and road conditions 

and to deploy variable speed limits 

and dynamic message signs to 

communicate conditions to 

motorists. 

In other agencies, the safety 

program may benefit from advancing 

projects through a TSMO funding 

pipeline. FDOT reported that 

projects received funding and moved

to implementation more quickly via

the TSMO program than through the 

safety program. 

FHWA and National Efforts to 

Improve Analysis Tools 

Research through the National 

Cooperative Highway Research 

Program (NCHRP), FHWA, and

State DOTs is improving the 

understanding of the relationships 

between operations and safety. The 

research is identifying opportunities 

for closer collaboration and 

integration to achieve mobility and 

safety objectives. The FHWA Office 

of Safety, funded by the HSM 

Implementation Pooled Fund Study,

completed research entitled Safety 

Analysis Needs for TSMO. New and 

ongoing NCHRP projects are 

providing insights into short-term 

safety prediction and the impacts of 

operations strategies. Some of these 

projects include: 

• NCHRP 17-9: Crash Modification 

Factors (CMFs) for Intelligent 

Transportation System (ITS) 

Applications

• NCHRP 17-86: Safety 

Surrogates in the Absence of 

Crash Data

• NCHRP 17-89 Safety 

Performance of Part-Time 

Shoulder Use on Freeways

• NCHRP 17-89A: HOV/HOT 

Freeway Crash Prediction 

Method for the Highway Safety 

Manual

• NCHRP 22-48: Development of 

Crash Prediction Models for 

Short-Term Durations

Emerging Opportunities for 

Improving Safety through 

Operations Data and Tools

The Office of Operations recently 

initiated a new project to explore 

opportunities for using real-time 

operations data and dynamic 

operations strategies to support 

safety intervention. The purpose of 

the project is to showcase how 

operations tools can enable more 

proactive (versus retroactive) safety 

decision-making to address current 

and impending safety concerns. 

Some strategies that will be covered 

in the new project are expected to 

include: 

• Applications that leverage video 

analytics to enable quicker 

identification of freeway and 

arterial operations issues, such 

as near misses at signalized 

intersections

• Wrong-way driver detection and 

notification

• Crash risk visualization and 

prediction tools

• Traffic incident and crash 

prediction systems

• Probe data providing information 

on speed profiles and locations of 

speeding

• Connected vehicle data, which 

provides insights into high crash 

risk locations such as hardbraking events, sudden 

slowdown locations, and 

windshield wiper status

• Connected devices for 

pedestrians and cyclists to help 
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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avoid collisions with other 

travelers or vehicles at high crash 

locations

Safety and operations are closely 

related, complementary disciplines. 

Through intentional coordination on 

plans, data, funding, planning 

process and tools, and project 

development, agencies can identify 

more holistic solutions and 

investments that optimize 

performance in both areas. Exciting 

developments in real-time operations 

data, analytics, artificial intelligence, 

and connected vehicle and device 

capabilities hold great promise for 

shifting the safety analysis paradigm 

from an ex-post model, where 

changes are made based on 

historical crashes and safety 

outcomes, to an ex-ante model, 

where predicted crashes and safety 

issues are proactively addressed. 

For more information, please contact 

Jim Hunt at jim.hunt@dot.gov, Jerry 

Roche at jerry.roche@dot.gov, or 

Anyesha Mookherjee at 

anyesha.mookherjee@dot.gov. 

Helping One Another Reach 

Zero: Cities of Richmond 

and Tampa

By Chimai Ngo, FHWA; Michael Sawyer, City 

of Richmond; and Alana Brasier, City of 

Tampa

In December 2021, FHWA started a 

1-year Vision Zero Community 

Pairing Pilot with three pairs of 

communities that want to help one 

another plan and implement safety 

efforts to reach their Vision Zero 

goals. The pilot program provides a 

platform for sharing information and 

best practices, assessing strategies 

and actions, and forging beneficial 

learning relationships among Vision 

Zero peers. The ultimate goal of the 

pilot program is to create and foster 

long-term partnerships to save lives 

from traffic-related crashes.

FHWA introduced two types of 

partnerships. The first type is a 

mentor-mentee partnership in which

a more experienced Vision Zero 

community is paired with a less 

experienced one. In this partnership,

a mentee community receives a 

learning opportunity from a mentor 

community. The mentor community

may get fresh ideas to improve its 

current Vision Zero-related activities.

In the second type of partnership, 

both communities learn from one 

another and use each other as a 

sounding board to address concerns 

and goals. Both types of 

partnerships connect communities at 

the staff level. 

One of the pairs consisted of the City 

of Richmond, Virginia, and the City 

of Tampa, Florida. They entered the

pilot program with a mentor-mentee 

partnership. The cities’ current 

practices and compatibility provide

many opportunities for meaningful 

learning and collaboration. 

Richmond adopted its Vision Zero 

Action Plan in 2018 and has been 

implementing the action plan since 

then. Richmond also mentors 

several new Vision Zero cities. 

Tampa adopted Vision Zero in 2019 

with strong support from the city’s 

leadership. Tampa was looking for 

insights to develop and implement its 

action plan, which was later adopted 

in early 2022. While Richmond also 

wanted to gain knowledge, skills, 

and abilities to further its year-4 

priorities in its action plan, 

Richmond’s experience 

implementing action plans was a 

great asset to Tampa. Both

communities wanted to expand their 

networks of peer cities and develop 

new partnerships from this pilot 

program. Each city strives to engage 

local, regional, State, and Federal 

partners to institutionalize Vision 

Zero and to grow a safety culture in 

the city and region. 

To give cities clear directions at the 

start of the partnership on how to 

assist one another and grow their 

capabilities, Vision Zero coordinators

in each city developed a 1-year work 

plan. The plan is based on their 

priorities and strengths. Topics in the 

work plan include: 

• Connection between 

maintenance resurfacing 

program and quick-build bike 

infrastructure

• Speed management programs

• Partnership development

• Reporting metrics

• Safety improvements for all ages 

and abilities through a complete

streets approach

The pilot program is more than 

halfway through. The Vision Zero 

coordinators have exchanged 

information through discussions and 

presentations in virtual meetings. 

They have also traveled to their 

respective partners’ cities to hold inperson visits and meetings. The inperson events have allowed for lively 

exchange of ideas to leverage 

opportunities and overcome the 

status quo. Richmond’s visit to 

Tampa provided an opportunity for 
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Tampa city staff to meet with 

someone who had been leading 

Vision Zero efforts for several years. 

The outside perspective and relevant 

feedback sparked new ideas, and 

additional follow-up conversations

have ensued. For Tampa’s visit to 

Richmond, many of Richmond’s 

Vision Zero partners were present to 

discuss their perspectives and 

contributions to implementing the 

action plan. In one case, Tampa was

interested in Richmond’s transit 

system; as a result, the Greater 

Richmond Transit Company with the 

city’s Office of Equitable Transit and 

Mobility was on hand to offer solid 

advice about zero fares, bus rapid 

transit deployment, and transit 

routing updates to underserved 

communities.

The goal of the pilot program is to 

forge life-long partnerships to save 

lives and prevent serious injuries 

from traffic-related crashes. 

Richmond and Tampa have 

developed a place to exchange 

ideas and lend a helping hand to 

each other through this pilot 

program. By observing another city, 

both cities have created a space to 

modify their current organizations. 

They can now pivot toward a 

structure that better binds the 

involved disciplines to work together 

for a comprehensive Safe System 

Approach.

FHWA continuously evaluates the 

effectiveness of the Vision Zero 

Community Pairing Pilot and adjusts 

it as necessary during the pilot. 

When the pilot program ends in 

December 2022, FHWA will collect 

final feedback from participating 

Vision Zero communities to 

determine if the pilot program should 

continue as a permanent program.

For additional information, please 

contact Chimai Ngo at 

chimai.ngo@dot.gov or visit 

https://rspcb.safety.fhwa.dot.gov/Visi

onZero/Community_Pairing_Pilot 

program.aspx. 

DATA AND ANALYSIS

Addressing Equity for 

Underserved Communities 

and Vulnerable Users with 

the Pedestrian and Bicycle 

Crash Analysis Tool

By Ana Maria Eigen, D.Sc.; and Carol Tan, 

Ph.D.

The Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash 

Analysis Tool Version 3.0 (PBCAT 3) 

is a web application developed to 

help agencies generate objective 

descriptors of non-motorist crash 

types, location context, and other 

crash circumstances. In turn, the 

descriptors can be used to inform 

crash and injury prevention 

strategies. Based on the Fatality 

Analysis Reporting System and 

FHWA Roadway Departure 

Definition/Attributes, pedestrian and 

bicycle crashes consistently 

comprise around 20 percent of U.S. 

traffic fatalities. PBCAT 3 is ideally 

suited to examine the large numbers 

of pedestrians in lesser served 

areas, which allows for targeted 

assessment of vulnerable areas and 

the development and application of 

appropriate safety countermeasures.

The PBCAT 3 user guide can be 

found here:

https://highways.dot.gov/sites/fhwa.d

ot.gov/files/2022-06/FHWA-HRT-22-

071.pdf. Please see the following for 

more information about PBCAT 3:

• Presentation: Traffic Records 

Forum 2022, “Supporting DataDriven Road Safety Management 

with the Pedestrian and Bicycle 

Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT)”

(upcoming)

• TechBrief: PBCAT–Pedestrian 

and Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool 

Version 3.0

• Safety Compass

Newsletter: Pedestrian and 

Bicycle Crash Analysis Tool, 

Version 3, Available!

For more information, please contact 

Ana Maria Eigen at 

ana.eigen@dot.gov. 

Roadway Safety Data 

Improvement Program

Technical Assistance 

Supports States’ Roadway 

Data Programs

By Sarah Weissman Pascual, FHWA Office of 

Safety

The Roadway Safety Data 

Improvement Program (RDIP) is a 

component of the Office of Safety's 

technical assistance and outreach 

efforts conducted through the 

Roadway Safety Data Program.

To support quality roadway data 

improvements and the adoption of 

Model Inventory of Roadway 

Elements Fundamental Data 
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Elements (MIRE FDE) at State and 

local levels, FHWA has made RDIPs 

freely available to States that submit 

a request. In an RDIP data review, a 

technical assistance team (TAT) 

reviews State and local agency 

policies, practices, and procedures 

for roadway data collection, 

management, governance, 

integration, maintenance, 

accessibility and interoperability, and 

analysis. FHWA has supported RDIP 

since 2013. The map below shows 

the States that, as of July 2022, 

have completed an RDIP review. 

Another four States are also 

currently taking part in the program.

Technical assistance provided 

through RDIP focuses on helping 

agencies better integrate roadway 

and traffic data to: 

• Develop relationship of safety to 

roadway features and user 

exposure

• Identify location characteristics 

and their relationships to crashes

• Determine appropriate 

countermeasures and strategies

Evaluate the effectiveness of 

safety treatments

Agencies also receive customized, 

actionable considerations related to 

improving data management, data 

collection and technical standards, 

data quality characteristics, data 

analysis tools and uses, and 

interoperability of roadway data. 

Recent RDIPs identified common 

questions related to MIRE FDEs 

(based on data collection, 

maintenance and updates, 

management, data quality 

standards, and engagement with the 

right stakeholders). 

RDIPs consist of three parts:

• Pre-visit: planning meeting, 

questionnaire, documents 

request, and review of the 

information by TAT members

• On-site or virtual RDIP sessions: 

RDIP training workshop (1 day) 

and roundtable discussions (half 

day each) with State, local, and 

regional agencies

• Post-visit: development of 

considerations matrix, report out 

to State DOT managers, RDIP 

final report, follow up 

(approximately 6 months) to 

gauge progress, and continued 

support if needed

Once pre-visit activities are 

complete, TAT travels to the State to 

conduct a multifaceted review with 

key State DOT and local agency 

representatives. The RDIP data 

review process consists of a 

workshop, two technical transfer 

sessions, a summary report, and a 

presentation of TAT's findings to the 

administrators and managers of the 

roadway inventory database.

The workshop is a highly interactive 

session open to State DOT staff and 

the external stakeholders the host 

agency invites. Typical participants 

include people who collect, use, and 

maintain the State DOT roadway 

database, as well as non-DOT users 

such as city or county engineers, 

MPO planners, university 

researchers, and representatives 

from interest groups or associations. 

The workshop addresses noteworthy 

practices for roadway data 

collection, use, and management. 

The workshop allows ample time for 

open discussion and for identification 

of key issues to discuss during the 

technical roundtable session the 

next day.

The roundtable sessions provide an 

in-depth discussion on critical issues 

identified. The sessions also provide 

a venue for an open dialogue 

Map of completed RDIPs by State. (Source: FWHA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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between the State DOT and the 

external partners on data sharing, 

access, and safety analysis support. 

Increasing engagement and support 

from all stakeholders, along with 

future needs, is also discussed. 

For more information about RDIP 

technical assistance, please contact 

Sarah Weissman Pascual 

at sarah.pascual@dot.gov, or 

contact the FHWA division office in 

your State.

NEW RESOURCE ROUNDUP

Motorcycle Safety

Noteworthy Practices: 

Infrastructure and 

Engineering

By Guan Xu, FHWA Office of Safety

Motorcycles comprise only 3 percent 

of registered vehicles and 0.6 

percent of vehicle miles traveled. 

But, more than 5,500 motorcyclists 

were killed in traffic crashes in 2020,

accounting for 14 percent of motor 

vehicle traffic fatalities. It is clear that 

motorcyclists’ safety issues must be 

addressed if we want to achieve the 

goal of zero fatalities, and efforts 

must be made to ensure that our 

transportation system is designed 

and operated to provide safe mobility 

for all road users. 

To address this challenging safety 

issue, FHWA has been leading a 

Motorcycle Safety Program to 

conduct research and to provide 

technical assistance, outreach and 

education, and 

resources to States on 

a variety of important 

motorcycle safety 

topics. One of the 

most recent efforts is 

the development of 

Motorcycle Safety 

Noteworthy Practices: 

Infrastructure and 

Engineering. These

noteworthy practices

aim to transfer 

roadway infrastructure 

countermeasures that 

researchers have 

examined, and that 

State and local agencies have used 

to improve motorcyclist safety, to 

practitioners so that more agencies 

can broadly implement the 

countermeasures.

The noteworthy practices contain 

summaries on nine infrastructurebased countermeasures that 

address specific road and barrier 

design, pavement design and 

construction, and maintenance 

issues related to motorcycles. The 

nine noteworthy practices include:

• Work Zone Safety Training 

Specifically Related to 

Motorcycles (National Work Zone 

Safety Information 

Clearinghouse)

• Temporary Steel Plates (City of 

Atlanta DOT)

• Friction and Pavement Markings, 

Southern States (FDOT)

• Friction and Pavement Markings, 

Northern States (Minnesota 

DOT)

• Motorcycle Advisory Sign 

Guidance (Montana DOT)

• Detecting Motorcycles at Traffic 

Signals (ODOT)

Motorcycle advisory sign on Montana Highway 200. 

(Source: Jeremy Wilde, Montana DOT)

Motorcycle attenuator installed in Utah. (Source: Utah DOT)
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• High-Friction Surface Treatment 

for Motorcycle Safety in Curves 

(Rhode Island DOT)

• Motorcycle Road Safety Audit 

(Tennessee DOT)

• Motorcycle Protection System 

(Utah DOT)

Detailed information on these nine 

motorcycle safety noteworthy 

practices can be accessed at 

https://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/motorcycl

es/docs/FHWA_MAC_Recommenda

tions_Project_Noteworthy_Practices.

pdf. FHWA will continue working with 

transportation agencies and safety 

stakeholders to promote and 

implement effective safety 

countermeasures for motorcyclists. 

For other FHWA motorcycle safety 

resources, please check out FHWA’s 

Motorcycle Safety Program website.

For more information, please contact 

Guan Xu at guan.xu@dot.gov. 

New FHWA Resources for 

Crash Reduction 

By Joseph Cheung, P.E., FHWA Office of 

Safety

Improving Pedestrian Safety 

During Nighttime Travel

FHWA created Research Report: 

Street Lighting for Pedestrian Safety

to provide lighting recommendations 

for pedestrian safety. In developing 

the lighting recommendations, 

FHWA considered the ability of 

pedestrians to detect hazards on 

walkways and crosswalks, visibility 

of pedestrians to motorists, and 

impacts of lighting on pedestrian 

decisions about whether or not to 

cross a roadway.

FHWA also recently published the 

user-friendly companion document 

Pedestrian Lighting Primer as a 

resource for transportation 

practitioners interested in lighting. 

The primer provides information for 

the safety and security of 

pedestrians. The primer highlights 

how the results from Street Lighting 

for Pedestrian Safety can 

complement commonly used lighting 

design guides. The primer presents 

an overview of a four-step process 

that involves selecting design 

criteria, selecting equipment, 

determining the control strategy, and 

conducting lighting design and 

verification. As the primer illustrates, 

lighting of pedestrian facilities is key 

to increasing the safety performance 

of the roadway network for all users. 

Effective pedestrian lighting is a 

means of addressing the 

vulnerability of pedestrians during 

dark conditions and improving the 

safety and security of all road users 

spanning different ages and abilities. 

The Pedestrian Lighting Primer,

along with Street Lighting for 

Pedestrian Safety, can help 

transportation practitioners realize 

the benefits of lighting designs and 

provide safer facilities for 

pedestrians at night.

An additional resource related to the 

primer is Lighting for Pedestrian 

Safety. This two-pager summarizes 

key elements from the primer and 

brings to the forefront all other 

impacts on providing a well-lit street 

environment.

New Resources for Keeping 

Vehicles in Lanes

HFST is a Proven Safety 

Countermeasure for reducing 

friction-related crashes at curves, 

ramps, intersections, and locations 

with high friction demand. Over the 

past 15 years, more than 44 States 

have deployed HFST for the first 

time, with many States currently 

implementing HFST systemically on 

a large scale. The state of the

practice for HFST site selection, 

Cover of Pedestrian Lighting materials, installation, and 

Primer. (Source: FHWA)

Cover of High Friction Surface 

Treatment Site Selection and 

Installation Guide. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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performance monitoring has 

changed significantly since HFST 

first became an Every Day Counts

safety initiative. 

High Friction Surface Treatment Site 

Selection and Installation Guide is a 

new resource that reflects these 

changes. This guide assists

agencies implementing HFST for the 

first time that may be limited in their 

ability to expand and improve their 

programs, and that may have mature 

programs they would like to further

refine. The guide highlights key 

practices from agencies that have 

realized the greatest benefit from 

HFST deployment (including datadriven approaches for site selection); 

addresses testing requirements; and 

provides recommendations on 

contracting practices, installation 

methods, and performance 

monitoring.

HFST Installation and Inspection 

Pocket Guide summarizes chapter 6 

of the High Friction Surface 

Treatment Site Selection and 

Installation Guide. This pocket guide 

may be downloaded, printed, or 

viewed on mobile devices in the 

field. The pocket guide includes an 

inspection checklist that steps 

through preconstruction, materials, 

surface preparation, pre-application, 

resin binder application, aggregate 

application, aggregate removal, 

traffic and testing acceptance 

opening, and post-installation items.

FHWA High Friction Surface 

Treatments: Frequently Asked 

Questions – 2022 Update has been 

updated from the 2017 HFST FAQs.

It provides concise answers to the 

more commonly asked questions 

related to HFST. This includes 

questions about safety, maintenance 

and operations, cost, environmental 

impacts, material 

specifications/durability, lessons 

learned, and installation.

HFST Training Materials have also 

been updated using the above new 

resources. They are available with 

scripted speaker notes, designed for 

up to 4 hours of training. To 

schedule the delivery of this training 

module, please contact Victoria 

Brinkly at Victoria.brinkly@dot.gov. 

For more information about these 

resources, please contact Joseph 

Cheung at joseph.cheung@dot.gov. 

New Intersection 

Informational Guide for 

Pedestrians and Bicyclists

Released

By Jeffrey B. Shaw, P.E., FHWA Office of 

Safety

The share of bicyclist and pedestrian 

fatalities and serious injuries that 

occurs at intersections is notable. 

Based on data from the National 

Highway Traffic Safety 

Administration, from 2015 to 2019, 

an estimated 57 percent of bicyclist 

and 39 percent of pedestrian 

fatalities and incapacitating injuries 

occurred at intersections or were 

related to intersections.

Compared to people traveling in 

motor vehicles, pedestrians and 

bicyclists are typically at greater risk 

of casualty in the event of a crash. 

Therefore, it is even more critical 

that planning, design, and operation 

of intersections account for the most 

vulnerable. When designed with 

pedestrians and bicyclists explicitly 

in mind, all types of intersections can 

facilitate safe, accessible, 

convenient, and comfortable walking 

and bicycling.

This was the motivation for a new 

guide, Improving Intersections for 

Pedestrians and Bicyclists, recently 

published by FHWA. This guide is a 

supplement to the preceding series 

of informational intersection guides 

and makes direct connections to 

other bikeway and pedestrian facility 

selection guides.

The pursuit of eliminating deaths and 

serious injuries on our Nation’s 

roads relies on the Safe System 

Approach as an integral tool for 

reaching this goal. At intersections, 

this involves minimizing risks to all 

road users by applying a kinetic 

energy management model. The 

model relies on design features that 

lower vehicle speeds, separate road 

Three principles for planning and designing intersections. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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users, remove conflict points, and 

reduce conflict point severity. To 

varying degrees, both traditional and 

innovative/alternative intersection 

designs may exhibit some or all of 

these kinetic energy management 

model characteristics. The new 

guide represents a holistic approach 

to combining innovative/alternative 

intersection designs with the Safe 

System Approach, complete streets, 

Proven Safety Countermeasures, 

and facility selection best practices 

to help agencies create walkable 

and bikeable intersections that are 

safer for all users.

Three key principles ground the 

guide and set the stage for planning 

and designing intersections for 

pedestrians and bicyclists:

• Expect pedestrians and bicyclists 

at all intersections

• Use a Safe System Approach

• Provide access for all ages and 

abilities

The guide is heavy on graphic 

representations of the key principles 

and concepts, as reflected in the 

figure to the right. In addition to 

graphics for different intersection 

types, there is also discussion on 

assessment techniques for 

identifying and characterizing 

conditions that impact pedestrians 

and bicyclists. The assessment 

techniques discussed in the guide 

include:

• Pedestrian and bicycle level of 

service and delay

• Crash-based methods, such as 

those reflected in the HSM

• The recent Safe System for 

Intersection method published by 

FHWA

• Design Flag Assessment,

published as NCHRP Report 948

Finally, at the end of the guide a 

section is devoted to resources for 

additional information and a valuable 

list of references published by 

FHWA, NCHRP, AASHTO, Institute 

of Transportation Engineers, and 

National Association of City 

Transportation Officials. There is 

also a companion series of one-page 

fact sheets suitable for printing and 

handing out at public meetings, 

exhibit booths, and similar forums.

For more information, please contact 

Jeff Shaw at Jeffrey.shaw@dot.gov. 

Graphic from Improving Intersections for Pedestrians and Bicyclists. (Source: FHWA)
SAFETY COMPASS NEWSLETTER · Fall 2022: Volume 16 Issue 3

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

Now Available: "Improving 

Safety for Pedestrians and 

Bicyclists Accessing Transit" 

Guide

By Tamara Redmon, FHWA Office of Safety

In an effort to improve safety for 

pedestrians and bicyclists accessing 

transit, the Federal Highway 

Administration (FHWA) and Federal 

Transit Administration (FTA) have 

released a new guide, which 

includes a variety of approaches to 

address common safety issues that 

are likely to arise near transit 

stations, bus stops and other places 

where transit (bus or rail) is 

operated. 

The new guide, Improving Safety for 

Pedestrians and Bicyclists 

Accessing Transit, provides 

agencies with a thorough look at 

pedestrian and bicyclist safety 

considerations in accessing and 

using transit. The guide can 

help transit agencies, state and local 

roadway owners, and regional 

organizations by providing a 

comprehensive understanding of 

how to address pedestrian and 

bicyclist safety concerns related to 

accessing transit. 

Additional resources and information 

on FHWA efforts to improve safety 

for all road users can be found here. 

For further information, please 

contact Tamara Redmon 

tamara.redmon@dot.gov.

2020 State Safety 

Performance Target 

Assessment Results Now 

Available

By Danielle Betkey, FHWA Office of Safety

The 2020 State safety performance 

target assessments results are now 

available. New this year, and to help 

elevate the safety performance 

target results, FHWA added a link to 

enable users to download a file of all 

the States’ data. These data were 

added to support NRSS, a 

comprehensive approach to 

significantly reduce serious injuries 

and deaths for all road users. 

For more information, please contact 

Danielle Betkey at 

Danielle.Betkey@dot.gov.

New Pavement Marking 

Retroreflectivity Rule

By Cathy Satterfield, FHWA Office of Safety

In early August, FHWA released a 

final rule that amends the Manual on 

Uniform Traffic Control Devices

(MUTCD) to include minimum 

requirements for pavement marking 

retroreflectivity. Like the current

MUTCD sign retroreflectivity 

requirements, compliance with the 

pavement marking retroreflectivity 

requirements is based on having an 

appropriate maintenance method in 

place. A compliance date 4 years 

from the effective date of the final 

rule can be found in the Introduction 

to the MUTCD. See Section 3A.03 of 

the MUTCD for the standard, 

guidance, options, and support. 

There is also additional information 

on the rulemaking, which can be 

found in revision 3 of the 2009 

MUTCD. This revision includes new 

provisions for maintaining minimum 

levels of retroreflectivity for 

pavement markings. It can be found 

online here. 

For more information, please contact 

Cate Satterfield at 

cathy.satterfield@dot.gov.

What Is Your Safety Story?

By Chimai Ngo, FHWA Office of Safety

Transportation safety boils down to 

people. People who use the road 

system, design, build and deploy 

safety treatments. We want to 

feature your safety story. 

Do you have a story to share or 

know someone in your organization 

whose life was saved by safety 

treatments or whose career was 

inspired by a safety story? 

If so, please contact Chimai Ngo at 

chimai.ngo@dot.gov.

Upcoming Conferences and

Events

Intelligent Transportation Systems 

(ITS) World Congress

ITS World Congress will be held 

September 18–22, 2022, in Los 

Angeles, CA.

National Safety Council (NSC) 

Safety Congress & Expo

2022 NSC Safety Congress & Expo 

will be hosted September 19–21, 

2022, in San Diego, CA.
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25th IEEE International Conference 

on Intelligent Transportation 

Systems (ITSC)

25th IEEE ITSC conference will be 

hosted October 8–12, 2022, in 

Macau, China.

American Public Transportation 

Association (APTA) TRANSform 

Conference

APTA's TRANSform Conference will 

be hosted October 9–12, 2022, in 

Seattle, WA.

International Conference on 

Transportation and Safety

Hosted by the World Academy of 

Science, Engineering and 

Technology, the International 

Conference on Transportation and 

Safety will be hosted October 13–14, 

2022, in London.

AASHTO Annual Meeting

AASHTO Annual Meeting will be 

held October 19–23, 2022, in 

Orlando, FL.

American Society of Civil Engineers 

(ASCE) 2022 Convention

ASCE 2021 Convention will be 

hosted October 23–26, 2022, in 

Anaheim, CA.

National League of Cities (NLC) City 

Summit

NLC City Summit will be hosted 

November 17–19, 2022, in Kansas 

City, MO. Preconference activities 

and executive education sessions 

begin November 16, 2022. 

2023 Annual Transportation 

Research Board (TRB) Annual 

Meeting

TRB 102nd Annual Meeting will be 

held January 8–13, 2023, in 

Washington, DC.

The Safety Compass Newsletter is a publication of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA).

FHWA publishes the Safety Compass Newsletter 3 times a year. We can be reached at:

FHWA Office of Safety

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Room E71-320

Washington, DC 20590

The Safety Compass Newsletter is available online at the FHWA Office of Safety website at:

http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/newsletter/safetycompass/. 

We welcome your comments and highway safety-related articles. The purpose of this newsletter is to increase highway safety awareness and 

information and to provide resources to help save lives.

We encourage readers to submit highway safety articles that might be of value to the highway safety community. Send your comments, 

questions, and articles for review electronically to Tara McLoughlin at: tara.mcloughlin@dot.gov.