Louisiana Local Road
Safety Program
Road Safety Improvement Workshops
Presented by
Marie B. Walsh, Director
Louisiana LTAP
Tom Buckley, PE
LA Local Road Safety Program
Dean Tekell, PE, PTOE
The Road Safety
Problem in LA

National Rankings:
◦ 5th highest fatality rate
Source: Cost estimates are based on a
study conducted by NHTSA in 2000,
“The Economic Impact of Motor Vehicle
Crashes.”

Opportunity state in 2008 and
focus state in intersection
crashes and roadway departures

965 fatalities in 2005

158,452 crashes in 2005

$5.97 billion in total costs

$2,103 for every licensed driver
Crash Clock
A
fatality on average
every 9 hours
A
crash every 3 ½
minutes
The Problem at the
Local Level

62,169 crashes in 2005
◦ 39% of the state’s total

205 fatalities in 2005
◦ 21% of the state’s total
Kinds of Crashes

Intersection crashes – 30,245

Roadway departures – 3,306

Head on collisions – 912
Using the 4 E’s

Engineering
◦ Improved Design and Safety
Enhancements: rumble strips, signs and
pavement markings, clear zones

Education
◦ Public awareness and training

Enforcement
◦ Working with law enforcement as a
partner to identify and solve problems

Emergency services
 Leveraging the Golden Hour
Local Road Safety
Program

Designed to reduce crashes &
fatalities on Louisiana’s local
road system
◦ Increase community awareness
◦ Utilize data
◦ Provide funding for prioritized
funds
LRSP Services

Getting Community Initiatives Started

Training and Education

Technical Assistance

Data Evaluation

Road Safety Reviews

Safety improvement alternatives

Road Safety Improvement Project funds

Other Resources
Local Road Safety
Improvement Projects

A reimbursement program
intended to reduce injuries
and fatalities on local roads

Maximum project funding of
$500,000 with either a 5% or
10% local match

Application due October 1

Application available at
www.ltrc.lsu.edu/ltap
Session I
Identifying Problems and
Priorities
Ask These Questions

What is happening in your
community?

What are the major road
safety issues?

How do you know this?

How can you prove this &
make it a priority
Obtain and Evaluate
Existing Information

Gather reports & complaints
from the community & other
agencies
◦ Public works
◦ Law enforcement
◦ Emergency responders
◦ Fire departments
◦ School system
◦ Business community
Obtain Historical
Crash Data

Contact local law enforcement

Contact LTAP

Use actual crash data to
construct a road safety profile
for your community

Conduct a RSA on a prioritized
location based on data or
reports
Road Safety Profile Example
Road Safety Profile Example – Local Roads
Session II
What Can Your Data Tell
You?
Information in the
Crash Database

Crash and fatality locations

Manner of collision

Roadway characteristics

Severity of crashes

Graphical overview of the
roads with the most crashes in
your area
Intersection Crash
Reports

Crash number, date, & time

Alignment

Primary contributing factor

Secondary contributing factor

Primary road

Intersecting road

Location type

Manner of collision

Number of injuries
Non-Intersection
Crash Reports

Crash number, date, & time

Alignment

Location type

Manner of collision

Total injuries

Road name

Distance and direction

Road relation
Example
Limitations of the Data

No absolute locations without
GPS

Location data limited to
intersections and the roadway
for non-intersection crashes

Not all local law enforcement
agencies submit their data to
LA DOTD

Accuracy only to the crash
report itself
Session III
Low-Cost Safety
Improvements
Horizontal Curve Safety
Material Presented from Low Cost Treatments
for Horizontal Curve Safety, FHWA publication
number FHWA-SA-07-002
Basic Treatments

Signing:
◦ Centerline
◦ Edgeline
◦ Horizontal alignment signs
◦ Curve speed signs
◦ Advisory speed plaque
◦ Chevron alignment
◦ Delineators
Enhanced Basic
Treatments

Getting the motorist’s
attention:
◦ Flashing beacons
◦ High retroreflective intensity &
fluorescent yellow sheeting on
signs
◦ Thermoplastic markings
◦ Raised pavement markers
Rumble Strips

Formed in the pavement
surface by grooves or
placement of strips of material
above the surface

Use Roadway Rumble Strip
(RRS) to alert the approaching
curve
Minor Roadway
Improvements

Paved shoulder treatment
◦ Replacement of unstable or
narrow shoulders with paved
shoulders

Shoulder drop-off elimination

Widen shoulder

Skid-resistive pavement
surface treatment
Speed Displays

Dynamic message signs that
use radar to measure speeds
of approaching vehicles

Between $5,500 - $20,000 for
trailers

Can be used to enforce school
zone speed limits
Cable Barriers

Can be used on the roadside
to prevent run-off-road (RoR)
or in medians to prevent
crossover crashes

Flexible system that dissipates
impact energy by deflection

Larger, clear areas are needed
to be effective
Rumble Strips

Centerline rumble strips
(CLRS) to alert driver to
crossing into the opposing
lane

Shoulder (edgeline) rumble
strips (SRS) to prevent
roadway departures
Session IV
Key Application Points
Page 1

Project title

Location information

Applicant & sponsor
contact information
Page 2

Project description

Identify the problem
that is occurring and
why

Describe your
proposed
countermeasure in
thorough detail
Page 3

Attach supporting
data

List of attempted
countermeasures
Page 4

Defining the limits of
the project

Roadway description
◦ Lanes
◦ Sketch of modification
◦ Types of traffic
Page 5

Roadway description
continued

Nearby property
identified

Right-of-way
acquisition or
drainage issues
Page 6

How the project will
reduce crashes

Sponsor maintenance
Itemizing Costs

List of individual costs
related to the project

Sources of match

Signature of the
applicant
Types of Projects

Data management systems
◦ Sign inventory system
◦ Crash analysis software

Roadway Improvements
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦

Line-of-sight improvements
Turn lanes
Sidewalks
Roadside hazard removal
Rumble strips
Signs and pavement markings
2006 Eligible
Examples

Variable message boards

Sign management systems

Guardrail installation

Roundabout at hazardous
intersection

Signing for parishes

Striping
2006 Ineligible
Projects

6 Projects on State Roads
◦ 1 sub-division
security/beautification
◦ 2 dust control and embankment
improvement projects deemed
maintenance issues and not
eligible for funding under this
program.
◦ 1 school zone
◦ 3 sidewalk construction
What Makes a
Successful Project?

Usage of data and statistics to
back up the need for the
improvement

High impact, low cost

Ability to evaluate, maintain
and follow up

Part of an overall community
effort to implement local road
safety
More Tips for a Successful
Project

Involvement of Law
Enforcement to identify or
confirm high priority issues

Involvement of other
stakeholders

Consideration of the 4 E’s