Pinellas County Safety Initiatives Whit Blanton, FAICP Pinellas - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Pinellas County Safety Initiatives

Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION Whit Blanton, FAICP Pinellas County MPO

• A unique geography
• Multi-jurisdictional
• Key demographics –

seniors and tourists

• Redevelop and retrofit

A Distinctive County

• Goal - Provide for a safe

and secure transportation system for all users

• Objective 3.1 - Reduce the

rate and frequency of fatal and incapacitating crashes for all modes of travel

• Objective 3.3 - Coordinate

safe travel to and from schools

Pinellas 2040 Long Range Transportation Plan

Increasing Visibility and Predictability

ENGINEERING, EDUCATION & ENFORCEMENT – 3E APPROACH

Safety Engineering Programs

Crash Data Management System (CDMS) Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Gulf Boulevard Safety Enhancements Complete Streets Program Corridor Studies & Road Safety Audits/Assessments

• Web-based GIS Analysis Tool and Turn-key Crash Records

Management developed by Tindale-Oliver and Associates, Inc.

• Features:

– Automated GIS Crash Mapping – Crash Record Selection – Automated Collision Diagrams – Advanced Reporting – Data Exports (KML, Shapefile, Scanned Reports, Excel, PDF) – Access to Scanned Crash Reports – Hot Spot Analysis – Counter Measures – Crash Rates (intersection and segment) – Dashboard

Crash Data Management System (CDMS)

• Adopted by the MPO Board in 2009
• FDOT staff worked with MPO and

Pinellas County to identify several initiatives targeting motorist and pedestrian behavior in high-crash corridors

• Most Pinellas County pedestrian

crashes involve pedestrians attempting to cross major roads

• These crashes happen at mid‐block

and signalized locations

Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

• Install enhanced mid‐block crosswalks
• Install raised medians and traffic control

islands along roadways without raised medians

• Signing, striping, and traffic signal
• perational improvements to signalized

intersections

• Improve street lighting at signalized

intersections, major transit stops, high crash corridors, and mid‐block crossing locations

• Pedestrian Safety Audit to precede

resurfacing and capacity projects along high pedestrian crash corridors

PSAP – Key Recommendations

• Pinellas County initiated a

Pedestrian & Bicycle Safety Study in 2014

– County-maintained section to guide scope of work for a future resurfacing project – Goal: improve driver yield rates – 30 locations along Gulf Boulevard have treatments in place – Standardized mid-block crosswalks using rectangular rapid flashing beacons and pedestrian refuge islands

Gulf Boulevard Safety Enhancements

• MPO developing competitive

grant funding program

• Objective: Advance one

Complete Streets project per year

– Concept – Engineering and Design – Construction

• Criteria:

– Redevelopment catalyst – Land use and code support walkable context – Local match – Local support

PPC/MPO Complete Streets Program

• MPO conducts studies with various

partners to provide performance and safety information and criteria for managing the transportation network

• Safety, Management and Operations

Study of the Park Boulevard and 113th Street corridors within the City of Seminole

• Partnering with FDOT on a Safe Access

to Transit Study along the U.S. 19 Corridor

• Participated in over 20

Road/Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety Audits since 2008

Corridor Studies & Road Safety Audits

Safety Education Programs

Crash Data Report Pedestrian Safety Awareness Week School Transportation Safety Committee Educational Outreach

• Published annually using the CDMS and other sources
• Used by local governments, transportation planners,

law enforcement agencies to assist in the planning and/or programming of transportation-related safety projects and targeted law enforcement activities

• Crash data emphasis areas include aggressive

driving, intersection crashes, vulnerable road users, lane departure, impaired driving, at‐risk drivers, and distracted driving

• Monitoring intersection and segment crash rates

Crash Data Report

• Crash Data Report
• Long Range Transportation Plan
• State of the System Report
• Congestion Management Process
• Road Safety Assessments
• Corridor Studies
• Roadway/Intersection Design Support
• Signal Warrant Analysis
• Funding Justifications (FDOT HSIP Grant)
• Project Prioritization
• High Visibility Enforcement

How Do We Use Crash Data?

• Bicycle Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) selected

the week at the end of Daylight Saving Time to highlight pedestrian safety

• Educational materials provided to:

– Every public school student – Senior centers – Law enforcement agencies – Local governments, many private schools

• MPO proclamation, press release and blog post in 2015
• Student Poster Contest in 2016

Pedestrian Safety Awareness Week

• MPO provides support to the School Transportation Safety

Committee (STSC)

• STSC comprised of 15 local elected officials and school board

members to improve school‐related transportation

• Pinellas County School Board now zones students for

attendance in neighborhood schools close to their homes and no longer buses students living within two miles of their school

• As a result, more children are walking and biking to school
• Focus is on educating the public and students on safe

behavior while on a street, sidewalk, trail or bus

School Transportation Safety Committee

• MPO staff

participates in various community events where safety information is distributed to the general public (i.e. brochures, maps, bike lights, etc.) Educational Outreach

Safety Enforcement & Emergency Response

Community Traffic Safety Team Pinellas Trail Security Task Force

• MPO staff chairs the Pinellas Community Traffic Safety Team
• Members come from diverse backgrounds including local

government, FDOT, law enforcement, emergency response and community groups

• A multi-disciplinary approach helps each team member
• vercome hurdles by working together to obtain a common

goal of making our roadways safer

• Highway Safety Improvement Program projects (HSIP) must

be presented to this group to be eligible for funding

Community Traffic Safety Team

• PTSTF is comprised of law

enforcement, emergency response, Pinellas County representatives and MPO staff

• Monitor trail conditions, forum

to share information and address issues related to safety on the Pinellas Trail

– Traffic accidents – Crime

Pinellas Trail Security Task Force

• Vision Zero approach being incorporated into Pinellas

SPOTlight Emphasis Area work plans:

– US 19 Corridor – Beach Access – Gateway/Mid-County

• New performance measures will focus on outcomes
• Initiating project with Pinellas Suncoast Transit

Authority (PSTA) to improve transfer hubs

– Access – Safety – Redevelopment for mixed use

Next Steps in Pinellas

Questions?

Florida Department of

TRANSPORTATION Whit Blanton, FAICP Pinellas County MPO