Improving Access to Transit Using Road Safety Audits: Four Case Studies

Goughnour, Elissa; Revilla, Javier; Pitts, Corey · 2016 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration. Office of Safety

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Summary

This report, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), addresses the challenge of improving safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and transit users accessing public transportation facilities. Motivated by the FHWA’s Mayor’s Challenge to reduce urban pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, the study demonstrates how Road Safety Audits (RSAs)—formal, independent safety evaluations—can be adapted to specifically target transit access issues. The document aims to provide Federal, State, Tribal, and local agencies with a framework for identifying and mitigating safety risks in the catchment areas surrounding transit stops, where users often walk or bike to reach services. The methodology involved conducting four Transit Access RSAs in diverse urban and suburban locations: Asheville, North Carolina; Orlando, Florida; Springfield, Oregon; and Tucson, Arizona. Each audit followed the standard eight-step RSA process, utilizing multidisciplinary teams comprising engineers, planners, law enforcement, and transit operators. Site selection was based on high crash frequencies, multimodal concerns, and ridership levels. The audits included comprehensive field reviews under various conditions (day/night, peak/off-peak) and involved team members experiencing the facilities via driving, walking, biking, and riding transit vehicles to observe driver behavior and rider challenges firsthand. The process emphasized collaboration between transit agencies and roadway owners to address complex jurisdictional issues. The findings highlight both positive measures and persistent challenges. Positive outcomes included strong agency commitments to safety, such as the installation of rectangular rapid flashing beacons and refuge islands in Springfield, and collaborative efforts in Asheville to relocate stops to encourage safer crossing behaviors. The audits also revealed a growing multimodal culture in cities like Tucson and Springfield. However, significant challenges were identified, particularly the difficulty in linking crash data to specific transit users and the prevalence of non-ADA compliant crossings. Common safety issues included inadequate lighting, discontinuous pedestrian facilities, and poor transit stop placement that encouraged mid-block crossings or impeded traffic flow. The RSAs successfully identified specific countermeasures, such as improved signage, lighting, and intersection redesigns, to mitigate these risks. The significance of this report lies in its demonstration that RSAs are effective tools for proactively addressing transit safety beyond the immediate roadway. By integrating transit-specific considerations into the RSA process, agencies can better understand the unique vulnerabilities of users accessing transit facilities. The study concludes that successful implementation requires strong collaboration between transit providers and roadway authorities, as well as a focus on the entire user journey from origin to destination. The findings provide actionable guidance for agencies seeking to reduce crashes and enhance the safety and accessibility of multimodal transportation networks.

Key finding

Road Safety Audits successfully identify and prioritize safety improvements for transit access, leading to collaborative agency actions and infrastructure enhancements such as pedestrian refuge islands and signal upgrades.

Methodology

mixed_methods

Provenance

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