Traffic & Safety Engineering
Project Selection Process
By Neil E. Boudreau
State Traffic Engineer– MassDOT Highway Division
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Traffic & Safety Programs
Highway Safety Improvement Program
Statewide Freeway Signing Upgrades
Traffic Signal Upgrades
Highway Lighting Upgrades
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Highway Safety
Improvement Program
MAP-21 funding (approximately $25M / year)
Multi-Agency HSIP Task Force:
Regional Planning Agencies
MassDOT Office of Transportation Planning
MassDOT Highway Division
FHWA – Massachusetts Division
$10M allocated for the regions (project selection
determined by MPOs but must be HSIP eligible)
$15M allocated to larger scale / more regional
projects or systemic projects
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March 13, 2014
HSIP Project
Selection Criteria
Locations must originate from a comprehensive list of the highest crash
locations at the State level or Regional level
Candidate projects must be locations where the data indicates a high
incidence of crash severity based on the Equivalent Property Damage
Only (EPDO) index:
Property Damage = 1 Point
Injury = 5 Points
Fatality = 10 points
MassDOT generates a High Crash Locations Report which includes
Intersections, Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Clusters
MassDOT’s official HSIP Project Selection Criteria states that all
candidate locations will require that an accompanying Road Safety Audit
(RSA) report to verify the project will address the safety issues
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March 13, 2014
HSIP Interactive Map
Web-based tool to evaluate HSIP eligibility
Display Statewide Top 200 High Crash Locations and Top 5%
Regional High Crash Locations
Available for HSIP
eligible locations:
• Vehicle Crashes
• Pedestrian
Crashes
• Bicycle Crashes
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HSIP Crash Clusters
Can zoom in and
identify specific
crash breakdown
for a High Crash
Cluster Location
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Statewide Freeway
Signing Upgrades
Program focuses on the replacement and update of all
overhead and ground-mounted guide sign panels, exit gore,
warning, regulatory, and route marker signs
Under agreement with the FHWA Massachusetts Division,
MassDOT maintains a 10-12 year cycle replacement
program for freeway signs
Sign support structures are evaluated and typically replaced
every other cycle to maintain the integrity of the structures
Projects are selected based on the age and condition of the
sign panels and structures
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Traffic Signals
District Traffic Engineers will request consultant support for
the evaluation of existing traffic signal systems
Boston Traffic Engineering Office has retained an on-call
consultant to respond to requests from the District Offices
as well as inquiries from the General Public
Work is focused on making timing and phasing updates at
the signals as well as the upgrading of equipment at
locations under the jurisdiction of MassDOT
Projects are always selected based on operational needs
and the age of the equipment
Design recommendations are then implemented by the
District utilizing their traffic signal betterment contracts
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Highway Lighting
The Boston Traffic Section requests a prioritized list of
lighting systems in need of repair from each District
After an internal review, a list of systems in most need of
repair is prepared and prioritized
Project is then initiated and assigned to a MassDOT oncall Consultant that specializes in highway lighting
design
The project proceeds through the MassDOT project
development process all the way to advertising
Available funding for Highway Lighting projects will often
determine the schedule for construction
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Contact Information:
Neil Boudreau, State Traffic Engineer
MassDOT – Highway Division
Email: neil.boudreau@state.ma.us
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