Prepared by:

Oleg Tonkonojenkov, Ph.D. Manager, Road Safety Programs, Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc. / University of Toronto

Alireza Hadayeghi, M.A.Sc, Ph.D. (Candidate) Manager, Transportation Safety Systems, Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc.

Brian Malone, P.Eng., PTOE, President, Synectics Transportation Consultants Inc.

Abstract

While road safety is always recognized as one of the goals in transportation planning and design, the explicit incorporation of safety in specific transportation corridor planning and design projects in North America has been inconsistent. Despite the availability of several established quantitative and qualitative methods for evaluating safety of different design alternatives, project owners and designers are often hampered by the uncertainty of what safety input is required at what stage and by whom. This situation can be largely explained by the absence of a generally accepted framework of incorporation of available quantitative and qualitative safety evaluation techniques in transportation corridor planning and preliminary design projects. The need for such a framework is consistent with the recently passed Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), which has stressed the importance of explicit consideration of safety in the transportation planning process. This paper introduces a framework to incorporate available quantitative and qualitative safety evaluation techniques in transportation corridor planning and preliminary design projects. It details what safety input should be sought, at what stage of the corridor planning and design process and by whom. The proposed framework will provide a valuable reference for project owners and design teams intending to implement a safety conscious approach to planning and design. It is believed that implementation of the proposed framework will enhance the consistency and depth of safety considerations in transportation corridor planning and design projects in North America.

For a complete copy of this paper, please contact: jsuggett@synectics-inc.net