Presented by: Camelia Ravanbakht, PhD Presented to: Safety Data Analysis Tools workshop TRB Keck Center Washington,

1. Local Data Collection and Analysis Strategies Hampton Roads, Virginia Presented by: Camelia Ravanbakht, PhD Presented to:Safety Data Analysis Tools workshop TRB Keck Center Washington, D.C.March 28, 2006 www.hrpdc.org

2. The Hampton Roads Region • Located in SE Virginia with over 1.6 million residents • Region includes 10 cities, 6 counties, and 2 transit agencies • Economy driven by the military, ports and tourism • Diverse transportation system connected with tunnels, bridges, and ferries

3. Regional Safety Study • In 2001, HRPDC initiated the task of producing a Regional Safety Study • Safety study objectives • Collect, organize, and create a regional crash database with GIS capabilities • Analyze and identify high-crash locations for the region • Develop and examine solutions to address safety problems • Recommend safety projects for inclusion in the Transportation Improvement Program • Few other MPOs were publicly involved with safety planning at that point

4. Data Collection – State Level • General Crash Data • Virginia Traffic Crash Facts • Released yearly by Virginia DMV • Contains general crash data (# of crashes, injuries, and fatalities) for each locality in Virginia

5. Data Collection – State Level • Detailed Crash Data • Virginia DOT maintains a database of all traffic crashes statewide with either a fatality, at least one injury or property damage of least $1,000 • Only records for crashes in counties and on the interstate system contain location information

6. Data Collection – Local Level • Due to limitations of statewide crash data, detailed crash data needed to be collected from each city in the region • Each major city maintained a database of citywide crash data • Departments maintaining databases vary among cities from local police department to traffic engineering and public works

7. Regional Database • Created regional crash databases for all interstate segments and major at-grade intersections included in the CMS network • There were many difficulties developing the regional crash database • Different methodologies from city to city • Different database formats from city to city • Not every city had crash data for all three years

8. Data Analysis • Interstate segments and intersections were analyzed & ranked using both crash frequency and Equivalent Property Damage Only (EPDO) crash rates • Used EPDO crash rate per million VMT for interstates • Used EPDO crash rate per million entering vehicles for intersections

9. The Report • The Hampton Roads Regional Safety Study is broken into three parts: • Part I – General Crash Data and Trends • Part II – Interstate and Intersection Crash Findings • Part III – Crash Analysis and Countermeasures • Report available at: http://www.hrpdc.org/publications/techreports/transportation.html

10. Rural Safety • HRPDC recently completed a study examining roadway safety in the rural areas of the region • Includes those areas not included in the Regional Safety Study • Jurisdictional crash data and trends • Crash locations and countermeasures

11. Data Issues – MPO Perspective • Statewide crash data does not include locations of crashes within the non-Interstate roadways in the Cities. • Crash data is obtained in CD form, which is not available until many months into the following year • No GIS-related connection available

12. Data Issues – VA Perspective • Not all downstream information is captured (citation info, medical results) • The process of collecting crash reports is cumbersome, with substantial manual effort necessary to enter and correct information • Data entry is handled by several departments within multiple agencies • There is a significant backlog of reports • Data is not directly accessible by all stakeholders

13. Safety Improvement Efforts • The Virginia Safety Management System (SMS) Committee was established as a result of ISTEA in early 1990s. • The purpose of this committee was to integrate and coordinate all transportation safety-related programs. • One goal of the SMS Committee is to create and maintain a high-quality, integrated data system for evaluation and analysis. • New Charter created the Surface Transportation Safety Executive Committee in 2005 as a result of SAFETEA-LU

14. Safety Improvement Efforts • Surface Transportation Safety Committee membership: • DMV • VDOT • VSP • Commission of the VA Alcohol Safety Action Program • Department of Health (EMS) • NHTSA • FHWA • Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) • Department of Education • Virginia Transportation Research Council • Department for the Aging • Department of Rail and Public Transportation • Hampton Roads Planning District Commission (MPO)

15. Safety Improvement Efforts • Traffic Records Assessment conducted by NHTSA in July 2005 • HRPDC and City of Norfolk participated • Key findings: • Improve roadway data to capture incident location for all jurisdictions • Improve capture and input efficiency of crash data • Create full driver and vehicle history files • Improve EMS and trauma data systems and integration • Link citation data & create a DUI tracking system • Strengthen the role of the Traffic Record Coordinating Committee (TRCC) • Prepare and implement a traffic records strategic plan

16. Safety Improvement Efforts • The Virginia Strategic Highway Safety Plan is a statewide coordinated plan to meet current safety challenges in the following emphasis areas: • Driver Behavior • Special Users • Safety Conscious Planning • Roadway Departures • Intersection Safety • Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety • Work Zone Safety • Traffic Records • The five-year comprehensive, data-driven plan will integrate the “four E’s” – engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services.

17. Safety Improvement Efforts • Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) • Effort to link existing statewide traffic records with injury outcome and charge data to support highway safety decision-making at the local, regional and state levels. • Cooperative agreement between the Virginia DMV/Governors Highway Safety Office and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

18. Safety Improvement Efforts • The Traffic Records Electronic Data System (TREDS) is being created to address a variety of safety data issues • TREDS planning and oversight is done by the Traffic Records Coordinating Committee, which includes a wide range of stakeholders • DMV • VDOT • FHWA • Medical Community • Funding is being provided by DMV & VDOT • State and Local Police • VCU and UVA • HRPDC

19. TREDS Benefits • Streamline and simplify data collection for law enforcement • Increase the efficiency and data quality by the use of automated edit checks • Provide the ability to process police reports electronically including automated submission to DMV • Eliminate data entry by multiple state agencies of the same crash report

20. TREDS Benefits • Have data in a flexible architecture to address different analysis and report needs • Enable all stakeholders to easily access the data and crash reports via the Internet • Ability to link crash data with downstream data (e.g. medical and citation data) • Eliminate manual data entry backlogs

21. TREDS Timeline • Currently completing the functional requirements portion of the process • Solutions review will commence this month • TREDS is expected to be partially functional sometime in 2008, with full implementation in 2009

22. For More Information:Camelia RavanbakhtKeith NicholsHampton Roads Planning District Commission723 Woodlake DriveChesapeake, VA 23320757.420.8300email: cravan@hrpdc.org or knichols@hrpdc.orgwebsite: www.hrpdc.org