What is Transportation Safety Planning?
Transportation Safety Planning (TSP) is a comprehensive, system-wide, multimodal, proactive process that better integrates safety into surface transportation decision-making. Federal law requires that the State and Metropolitan transportation planning process be consistent with Strategic Highway Safety Plans. It is important for the process to consider projects and strategies to increase the safety of the transportation system for motorized and nonmotorized users. State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) play the leading roles in transportation safety planning. However, to make the greatest impact, it is importation to look beyond the traditional stakeholders. Other stakeholders who should be at the table should include:
- State and Local Transportation Agencies
- Metropolitan Planning Organizations
- Regional Planning Organizations
- Emergency Medical Responders
- Local Law Enforcement
- Transit Agencies
- State Agencies responsible for:
- safety data collection & management
- law enforcement
- motor vehicle departments
- Federal Agencies—FHWA, NHTSA, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
- Trade Associations—Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations, National Association of Regional Councils, AASHTO, American Public Transit Association, Institute of Transportation Engineers
- Highway Safety Community—Governors' Highway Safety Representatives, Operation Lifesaver, AAA, etc.
Resource
Transportation Safety Planner (TSP) One Page Fact Sheet is a one page fact sheet that describes answers three questions: What is TSP? Why is TSP needed? And who are the key players in TSP?
Making the Case for Transportation Safety – Ideas for Decision Makers is a compilation of noteworthy practices implemented by stakeholders, executives, managers, and practitioners at all levels.
Transportation Planner’s Safety Desk Reference identifies and summarizes the information of interest to transportation planners in the NCHRP Report 500 Series.
State Safety Fact Sheets include the emphasis areas each state identified in their approved Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), along with relevant data showing fatalities, rates, and trends.
Other Related Links
Transportation Safety Planning Working Group (TSPWG) is formerly known as the Safety Conscious Planning Working Group, is an informal, ad hoc partnership of U.S. DOT agencies and professional associations representing state DOT, safety, traffic engineering and planning communities. The Transportation Research Board convenes and moderates the TSPWG, and hosts the web site.
Office of Environment and Planning TSP Website
For any further inquiries, please contact Tamiko Burnell at Tamiko.Burnell@fhwa.dot.gov
