November 6, 2019
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Approved Minutes
November 6, 2019
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Approved Minutes
Vulnerable Road Users Safety Action Plan
We believe that roads and streets are for everyone. We all must travel and how we get there shouldn’t disproportionately expose us to traffic collisions that result in serious injuries or fatalities. Ensuring safe, accessible, and desirable transportation in the region is central to MetroPlan’s mission. MetroPlan strives to support safety across its core programs and works to create a regional transportation system designed to safely and comfortably accommodate all users, of all ages and abilities.
Vulnerable Road Users are identified as people who walk, bicycle, scooter, or use mobility devices (such as wheelchairs) and are defined as vulnerable with regard to their degree of protection in traffic or their degree of mobility, such as the young, the elderly, and people with disabilities or special needs.
Safe Streets Save Lives – We can do this together: Our neighbors, friends, and family often use other modes of transportation for various reasons, and we must ensure safe travel for all!
The purpose of this Vulnerable Road Users (VRU) Safety Action Plan is to document the extensive amount of safety-related work that has been done by the region already, conduct a systemic safety analysis that includes documentation of the High Injury Network (HIN) and Risk Exposure Assessment, policies and strategies for MetroPlan for improving safety throughout the region, and provide next steps that MetroPlan can take in improving transportation safety.
MetroPlan is uniquely positioned to advise and educate its jurisdictional partners on all transportation topics, including how to address traffic-related deaths and serious injuries. Resources will be provided to our partners to assist them in meeting not only the regional Vision Zero goals but also their respective agencies' safety goals.
Click the image to view the VRU!
Data Resources
MetroPlan’s goal is to reach a 40% reduction in fatalities and life-changing injuries by 2045. To measure progress toward this goal, we will monitor the number of fatalities and seriously injured on the regional transportation system. On the way to our 2045 goal, MetroPlan has developed organizational policies that support vision zero, and developed implementable strategies that strategically prioritize safety projects with Vulnerable Road Users in mind, using the following data and tools.
Risk Exposure Assessment Tool
The Risk Exposure Assessment is a risk-prediction model designed to evaluate roadway attributes that contribute to crash risk, with a specific focus on vulnerable road users (VRU), identified as pedestrians and cyclists. The analysis looked at higher-risk roadway attributes to determine the risk score.
Project Prioritization
Within the Region, there have been many recent transportation safety plans that have identified potential projects that would improve safety and reduce serious injuries and fatalities for all modes. Through the use of the Risk Exposure Assessment tool, these recommendations have led to additional prioritization that can holistically address street design and safety issues specific to Vulnerable Road Users.
Click on the map to explore or visit VRU Risk Exposure Assessment Map
Click on the map to explore or visit Project Prioritization with Risk Score
Upon reviewing the project recommendations and completed VRU analysis, no additional project recommendations are being made. Instead, using these existing safety recommendations, which have been previously vetted and supported by the community, MetroPlan is integrating the Risk Exposure Assessment tool to further prioritize these projects based on their risk factors related to people who walk, bike, and roll.
