safetea-lu safe, accountable, flexible, efficient transportation equity act: a legacy for users

SAFETEA-LU

Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy

for Users

David Morris

Safety Engineer

Office of Highway Safety

Texas Division

SAFETEA-LUSafe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act:

A Legacy for Users

SAFETEA-LU

Highways, Highway Safety, Transit, Other

5-year legislation – 2005 – 2009

Signed into law August 10, 2005

Public Law 109-59


A Legacy for Users

SAFETEA-LU Total Funding

FY 2005-2009 FY 2004-2009

Federal-aid Highways $193.0 B $227.4 B

Public Transportation $ 45.2 B $ 52.6 B

Highway & Motor Vehicle Safety $ 5.8 B $ 6.5 B

Totals $244.1 B $286.4 B


A Legacy for Users

New Highway Programs

Coordinated Border Infrastructure Program Delta Region Development Program Denali Access System Program Express Lanes Demonstration Program Freight Intermodal Distribution Pilot Program Highways for LIFE Pilot Program Highway Safety Improvement Program Interstate Construction Toll Pilot Program National Corridor Infrastructure Improvement Program Projects of National and Regional Significance Truck Parking Program Safe Routes to Schools Work Zone Safety Grants


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Discretionary Programs

Highways for LIFE Pilot Programo New programo Innovative technologies, manufacturing processes, financing, or

contracting methods to improve safety, reduce congestion due to construction, & improve quality

o State submits applicationo For 2006-2009, at least 1 project per State with maximum of 15

projects per any one FFY nationwideo Up to 20% but not more than $5 million of total project cost &

can be used as non-Federal share

Highway Programs


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Safety – Key Provisions

“Core” Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) (NEW)

SAFETEA-LU DOUBLES TEA-21 Safety Apportionment

Safety Set Asides

Strategic Highway Safety Plans (SHSP)

Flexibility


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Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) $5 Billion over 4 years (FY06 – FY09)

Fed. Fiscal Year 2006 2007 2008 2009

Fed. Authorization

(formula apportionmnents) $1,005 M $1,256 M $1,276 M $1,296 M

TX HSIP $95.7 M ? ? ?

High Risk Rural Roads $8.5 M $8.5 M $8.5 M $8.5M

TX Hwy-Rail Xing $16.8 M $16.8M $16.8 M $16.8 M

Safety


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HSIP Apportionment Formula

1/3: Total lane miles federal aid highways

1/3: Total vehicle miles traveled on lanes on federal aid highways

1/3: Number of fatalities on federal aid system

Safety


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Purpose of HSIP To achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and

serious injuries on public roads

Safety


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To obligate HSIP funds, States’ must:

Develop and implement a State Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Produce a program of projects or strategies

Evaluate the plan on a regular basis

Submit an annual report to USDOT

Safety


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Strategic Highway Safety Plans

TxDOT developing after consultation with safety stakeholders

Analyzes and makes effective use of crash data

Addresses 4 E’s

Considers safety needs of all public roads

Describes program of projects or strategies to reduce or eliminate safety hazards – 15 critical strategies

Must be approved by Governor or responsible state agency

Safety


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Safety

Texas’s Critical Emphasis Areas

Improving the Design and Operation of Highway Intersections

Lane Departureo Reducing Head-On and Across-Median Crasheso Keeping Vehicles on the Roadwayo Minimizing the Consequence of Leaving the Roadway

Increasing Seat Belt Use and Reducing Impaired Driving

Young Drivers and Curbing Aggressive Driving


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Pavement Edge Drop-Off


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Increased Edge Compaction ?

Without Safety Edge With Safety Edge


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After shoulderhas been pulledback on Safety Edge


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HSIP Flexibility

A State may use up to 10% of HSIP funds to carry out other safety projects identified in the SHSP

The State must certify that:o State has met its needs relating to rail-highway crossingso The State has met its infrastructure safety needs relating to

highway safety improvement projects

Safety


A Legacy for Users

Texas est. $16.8 Million/Year Set Aside (FY06 – FY09)

New Funding Formulao 50% based on STP formula factorso 50% based on # of public

railway-highway crossings

SafetyRailway Highway Crossings


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High Risk Rural Roads

Texas est. $8.5 Million/Year Set-Aside (FY06 – FY09)

Eligible on any roadway

functionally classified as:o Rural major collectoro Rural minor collectoro Rural local road

Accident rate for fatalities & incapacitating injuries > statewide average

Construction and operational improvements

SafetyHigh Risk Rural Roads


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Safe Routes to School (SRTS)

Program Purpose

Enable and encourage children to

walk and bicycle to school

Make walking and bicycling to school safer and more appealing

Facilitate projects and activities that will o improve safetyo reduce traffic o reduce fuel consumptiono reduce air pollution in the vicinity of schools


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SRTS Funding

Apportionment Ratioo Total student enrollment in primary and

middle schools (K-8) in each state to all states

Minimum: $1,000,000/Fiscal Year

SRTS Coordinator

Fiscal Year 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Authorization $54 M $100 M $125 M $150 M $183 M


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SRTS Requirements

3 Main Requirements

Implement SRTS program nationwide

Create National SRTS Clearinghouseo Develop information and educational programs o Provide technical assistance

Establish a National SRTS Task Forceo Leaders in health, transportation and educationo Study and develop a strategy for advancing SRTS nationwide

(March 31, 2006)o Report to Congress


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SRTS Program Implementation

State DOT responsible for program

State DOT must provide full-time coordinator (salary paid through infrastructure portion of SRTS program)


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Work Zone Safety Grants

National Work Zone Safety

Information Clearinghouse

(http://wzsafety.tamu.ed)

Worker Injury Prevention & Free Flow of Vehicular Traffic

Work Zone Safety


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Final Rule on Work ZoneWork Zone Safety and Mobility

The Final Rule 0n Work ZoneWork Zone Safety and Mobility was published on September 9, 2004, in the Federal Register.

All state and local governments that receive federal-aid highway funding are affected by this Rule and are required to comply with the provisions of this Rule no later than October, 12, 2007.

The full text of the Rule can be found at: http://www.ops.ghwa.dot.gov/wz/docs/wz_rule.pdf

The new Rule was written to be flexible, taking into account different project types.


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Key Differences in Project-Level Provisionso Traffic Control Plan - TCP vs TMP

Former Rule: required development of TCP’s for projects. New Rule: requires TMP’s to be developed and implemented for projects

based upon expected impacts Components of a TMP (Significant Projects)

• TTC Plan• Transportation Operations Component• Public Information Component

o Significant Project: A project the Agency determines will cause a relatively high level of disruption and includes certain projects on the Interstate System.


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Key Differences, Continued:o Responsible Person

Former Rule: required States to designate a qualified person a the project-level who would have primary responsibility and sufficient authority for administering the TCP

New Rule: requires the agency and the contractor to both designate a trained person at the project level to implement the TMP and other aspects.


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Key Differences, continued:o Pay Items

Former Rule: suggested that the PS&E’s consist of unit pay items for implementing all aspects of the WZ Traffic Control, as required by the TCP.

New Rule: allows for both method-based and performance based specifications. Provides individual pay items, lump sum payment or a combination of the two as options for method-based specifications.


A Legacy for Users


Key Differences, Continued:o Responsible Person

Former Rule: required States to designate a qualified person a the project-level who would have primary responsibility and sufficient authority for administering the TCP

New Rule: requires the agency and the contractor to both designate a trained person at the project level to implement the TMP and other aspects.


A Legacy for Users


State Level Processes and Procedureso Develop and Implement processes/procedures for systematic work zone

impact assessment and managemento Use work zone safety and mobility information to manage impacts on

ongoing projects, and to conduct performance assessments across multiple projects to improve state work zone procedures

o Require training for personnel involved in work zone planning, design, implementation, management and enforcement

o Conduct process reviews to assess wide scale performance of work zones with the goal of improving work zone processes and procedures


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Good News!o By following the current Tx Dot Guidelines Memo we are already

accomplishing much of what is required in the Rule. Memo from Amadeo Saenz, Jr. on July 18, 2003

o It Makes Sense!– Aging highway system – more work zones– Growing traffic volumes and congestion– Traveler frustration leading to more aggressive driving


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Goals of the Final Rule:o Expand thinking beyond the Work Zoneo Expand WZ Management beyond “traffic safety and control”o Advocate innovative thinking


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High Visibility Enforcement Program Section 406:

Safety Belt Performance Grants

Section 408:

State Traffic Safety Information System Improvements

NHTSA-Managed Programs


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Pedestrian & Bicycle

SAFETEA-LU continues the call for integrating walking and bicycling into the transportation mainstream

Continued broad eligibility for funding pedestrian and bicycle accommodations

Expanded pedestrian & bicycle consultation requirements for MPO plans


A Legacy for Users

Questions?

Please contact David Bartz, P.E. at:

512-536-5906

[email protected]

safetea-lu safe, accountable, flexible, efficient transportation equity act: a legacy for users

Documents

program of projects

users strategic highway

users purpose of hsip

users new highway programs

users safetealuhighways

mtx hsip

hsip funds

total vehicle miles