Safety Planning
SAFETY PLANNING
It may not seem obvious, but there are several ways a planning organization can help make the transportation system safer. For many years the RPCGB has been involved in several projects and programs striving to improve safety.
Safe streets and roads for all (ss4a) action plan
In January 2023, the RPCGB, on behalf of the Birmingham MPO, was awarded $310,000 in federal funding through the new Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program to prepare an Action Plan for the entire six-county RPCGB region. The Action Plan will make each jurisdiction eligible to apply for supplemental planning activities, such as speed management plans, accessibility and transition plans, racial and health equity plans, and lighting management activities. The RPCGB Action Plan will update previously conducted crash data analysis for all roadways including interstate highways, in effect building on the ongoing the TASPP project listed below. It will also expand engagement and outreach to community groups, identify and collaborate with underserved communities, and analyze equity impacts of proposed strategies and projects.
SS4A Task Force Kickoff Meeting Presentation - January 23, 2024
Sign up for project updates and learn more at https://www.ss4aheartofalabama.com/
In addition to these efforts the RPCGB has also initiated a project titled “Technical Assistance for Safety Project Planning (TASPP)”. The following section summarizes the goals and objectives of this project.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SAFETY PROJECT PLANNING (TASPP)
In May 2021, the Birmingham MPO approved funding for the Technical Assistance for Safety Project Planning (TASPP) program to assist local governments in the Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) with identifying and analyzing roadways and intersections that have safety concerns. Using the Vision Zero strategy, this program aims to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in the Birmingham region through data analysis, training, and technical assistance for safety project development.
The RPCGB performed the appropriate consultant selection process and procured Sain Associates and their team of subconsultants. The following are documents summarizing the project scope as well as the project team selected to develop and produce the study:
road safety assessments
In FY 2020 and FY 2021, the RPCGB funded and managed four Road Safety Assessments (RSA) in the MPA. The studies assisted several City and/or County engineers with identifying the cause of crashes and recommended appropriate safety enhancements and countermeasures that conform to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The countermeasures in each study were not only approved/adopted by the local officials, but several were implemented within months of the study’s completion.
The following studies were completed:
CR-11 Safety Study from CR-52 to CR-36 – Shelby County
SR-119/Fulton Springs Road Safety Study – City of Alabaster
SR-160/ Old Hayden Road Safety Study – Blount County
US-411/ Kerr Road and CR-33/CR-26 Intersection Safety Study – St. Clair County
HARPO - TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SAFETY PROJECT PLANNING
Similar to the MPO TASPP, the RPCGB has secured funding to assist the rural counties with safety planning efforts. The goals and objectives of the HARPO TASPP are similar and officials from each county will be contacted to solicit input and discuss details. The following document is a scope of work for the HARPO TASPP project:
APPLE PRogram feasibility studies
The RPCGB administers the Advanced Planning, Programming, and Logical Engineering (APPLE) Program that provides technical assistance to local governments and project sponsors in determining project feasibility specific for both non-motorized and multimodal travel corridors and is designed to educate local governments about the project development process, assist them in their decision-making process, and provide resources to help develop and advance transportation projects.
The following APPLE studies have been conducted since 2019 to evaluate potential roadway safety improvements:
SR-70 Corridor Study – Shelby County/ Columbiana (September 2021)
Chesser Drive Connectors Study – Chelsea (January 2021)
Helena Old Town Pedestrian Improvements Study (July 2022)
Chalkville Road/Chalkville Mountain Road Corridor Study – Trussville (August 2022)
US-280 Traffic Operations Study – Chelsea (September 2022)
US-411 Intersections Study – Moody (November 2022)
To download a copy of the studies, visit www.rpcgb.org/transportation-project-feasibility-studies-apple.
Partnership with the trip lab
Since 2017, the RPCGB has proudly partnered with the Translational Research for Injury Prevention (TRIP LAB) to support an important outreach program. The primary objective of this program is to educate young drivers on the dangers and consequences of distracted driving. The TRIP LAB, renowned for its interdisciplinary transportation safety research, is dedicated to reducing the occurrence of distracted driving incidents in Alabama. Over the past six years, the TRIP LAB has made a significant impact in our community. They have reached OVER 18,000 students DIRECTLY and COUNTLESS students virtually. This has been made possible through OVER 200 outreach events hosted, attended, and presented across the state of Alabama.
The cornerstone of the program is a portable driving simulator, presenting an interactive driving experience that is both enjoyable and realistic. This innovative approach allows the TRIP Lab to provide teachable moments and promote safe driving practices to young people, who are disproportionately affected by distracted driving crashes and fatalities in our state. Thanks to the generous funding provided by the RPCGB, the TRIP Lab can provide this valuable resource at no-cost. Interested parties are encouraged to reach out directly to the TRIP LAB for more information.
Together with TRIP LAB, we are committed to making our roads safer and fostering a culture of responsible driving among this high-risk group of drivers.
Download the 2024 TRIP Lab Fact Sheet here.
For more information about this partnership, please visit the TRIP Lab website.