Safe Streets for All: Ulteig’s Approach to Enhancing Roadway Safety

Imagine a world where every journey you undertake, whether on foot, bicycle, or behind the wheel, is safe. A world where roadway fatalities and serious injuries are a thing of the past. This is the vision behind US DOT’s Safe Streets for All (SS4A) grant program. SS4A aims to improve roadway safety by eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries. At Ulteig, we are poised to make this vision a reality.

A Holistic Approach to Road Safety

The success of a SS4A Plan demands a combination of quantitative data (technical) and qualitative community feedback (human). Comprehensive data analysis provides a robust framework for understanding trends and identifying safety issues. In parallel, the human components of our approach involve leadership commitment and goal setting, plan committee participation, public engagement, collaboration, progress reporting, and transparency.

Together, these key elements empower a Safety Action Plan tailored to your community’s unique needs.

Technical Components: Combining Data Analysis with Equity Considerations

Our highly skilled team of traffic engineers and data analysts excel at gathering and processing crucial data related to crashes, traffic patterns, and ADA compliance. This data is organized into searchable, sortable databases and geospatial formats, facilitating a comprehensive  analysis and allowing us to efficiently identify trends and areas of concern.

To make sure your SS4A plan addresses key equity concerns, we utilize multiple tools such as the Environmental Justice Screening and Mapping Tool (EPA), Screening Tool for Equity Analysis of Projects (FHWA), Social Vulnerability Index (CDC), Transportation of Social Equity (USDOT Volpe Center), Census Data (US Census Bureau) and Replica.

These tools enable us to compile a unique blend of data on community health, safety, income levels, resident characteristics, and mobility activities. We guide you in leveraging this information to identify populations requiring increased engagement and to prioritize effective safety improvements. This data-driven approach develops safety strategies are technically sound, socially fair, and equitable.

Human Components: Fostering Engagement and Collaboration

Community involvement is paramount to the success of a SS4A Plan. We help agencies engage with local elected officials, agency leadership, and residents with an emphasis on traditionally under-represented populations. Our team will assist in identifying the Safety Action Plan’s stakeholders and support obtaining leadership’s public commitment to achieve zero fatalities or serious injuries. We guide agencies in setting, tracking, and reporting on ambitious yet realistic safety goals based on our analysis and understanding of what can be achieved.

Identifying and Prioritizing Projects

Our team of traffic engineers meticulously reviews the safety analysis and engagement information to identify strategies and projects that will significantly enhance the safety of your community’s travelers. Understanding that every agency has unique needs and requirements, we’ve developed customizable tools to assist in selecting and prioritizing projects.

Our planning professionals work hand in hand with finance departments, other transportation groups such as state Departments of Transportation (DOT), and Public Works to create a cohesive and financially viable implementation plan. This collaborative approach creates a synergistic strategy that balances safety goals with fiscal realities.

Moreover, we apply Crash Modification Factors to the selected projects to project the potential reduction in crashes. This forecasting tool aids in tracking and supporting your ongoing safety improvement efforts, providing a clear roadmap toward achieving safer streets for all.

Reforming Policies and Processes

We understand that executing a Safety Action Plan alone won’t realize its full benefits if existing policies and standards are not supportive. As such, we evaluate existing policies, procedures, and design standards and their effects on transportation safety. Our staff’s experience in the public and private sectors allows us to recommend modifications that align with the goals of the SS4A program and your unique community needs.

Empower Road Safety Solutions

With decades of experience in safety-related projects, plans, and programs, our dedicated team offers a deep understanding of the requirements of the SS4A program. Our approach combines the technical and human aspects of the Action Plan components, melding into a comprehensive strategy to address roadway safety and accessibility concerns.

We are ready to help bring about the next iteration in safety and accessibility planning. Contact us today to begin making the vision of safe streets for all a reality.

Together, we can make a difference.