Minnesota: Highway Safety Improvement Program 2021 Annual Report

NHTSA · 2021 · ROSA P / United States. Department of Transportation. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This document is the 2021 Annual Report for Minnesota’s Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), a federal-aid initiative designed to reduce fatalities and serious injuries on public roads. The report addresses the reversal of a five-year downward trend in traffic safety outcomes, noting that 2020 saw an 8% increase in fatalities and a 3% increase in serious injuries despite a 15% reduction in vehicle miles traveled. The report attributes these increases to pandemic-related shifts in travel behavior, including a deterioration in traffic safety culture, higher rates of high-risk behaviors such as speeding and impairment, and a shift in traffic volume from state systems to county and city roads. Additionally, walking and bicycling nearly doubled, leading to an increase in severe vehicle-bicycle crashes. The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) administers the HSIP through a split structure involving state and local projects, with funding allocated based on the distribution of fatal and serious injury crashes. The methodology relies on crash data analysis, utilizing crash frequency, rates, and critical rates to identify projects. While the Highway Safety Manual is used for reactive spot-location projects via benefit-cost ratios, proactive systemic projects rely on risk factors rather than predictive models. Projects are prioritized through a competitive application process and selection committee, with 67% of funds directed toward systemic improvements such as cable median barriers, rumble strips, shoulder widening, and intersection lighting. The program also incorporates connected vehicle and ITS technologies, though these are primarily funded through separate legislative appropriations rather than HSIP funds. Financially, MnDOT programmed $41.3 million in total funds for the reporting period, with $28.8 million designated specifically for HSIP. Of the total programmed funds, 36% were allocated to local projects, and $2.25 million was set aside for non-infrastructure safety initiatives. However, the obligation rate remained low, with only 53.28% of programmed funds obligated. The report lists numerous specific projects, including the installation of high-tension cable median barriers, modern roundabouts, and enhanced pavement markings across various districts. MnDOT cites uncertainties in 2020 and a strategic shift to program 100% of apportionments as factors contributing to the lower obligation rate, with plans to improve this through better project readiness. The significance of the report lies in its assessment of the program's effectiveness and compliance. It highlights the need for continued HSIP support alongside new strategies to address the plateau in safety improvements, particularly regarding driver behavior and rural single-vehicle run-off-road crashes. MnDOT is updating its HSIP targets to reflect a shift in crash data, moving from a 40/60 state/local split to a 30/70 split, and is enhancing coordination with Metropolitan Planning Organizations. The report concludes that while infrastructure countermeasures are widely deployed, addressing the cultural and behavioral aspects of traffic safety remains a critical challenge for future mitigation efforts.

Key finding

Minnesota experienced an 8% increase in traffic fatalities and a 3% increase in serious injuries in 2020, coinciding with a 15% reduction in vehicle miles traveled and shifts in travel patterns toward local roads.

Methodology

dataset

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Topics

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• roadway lighting effects

Information type

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation
• Empirical Findings: crash risk outcomes