The May TPB meeting was held completely virtually due to the COVID-19 precautions. While there were no action items on the agenda, the board heard briefings on a deeper dive into the results of its Regional Roadway Safety Study, which analyzed the factors contributing to fatal and serious injury crashes. The briefing included an in-depth look at crashes involving pedestrians, and at certain intersections and arterials. Also related to the board’s focus this year on safety, the Washington Regional Alcohol Program updated the board on the findings of its How Safe Are Our Roads? Report, which tracks the prevalence of impaired driving in the region.
The board also received a briefing on the draft results of an assessment of the market potential for commuter rail service between points in Maryland and Virginia, known as VRE-MARC run-through service, including how it could influence regional development and revitalization of commercial centers.
Read more about the MARC-VRE run-through service market assessment.
Listen to the presentation and board discussion.
Informational Items:
Regional Safety Study briefing. One of the board’s focuses this year has been on safety. The first phase of a board-initiated study collected and analyzed regional data on all crashes in our region with an emphasis on those that result in serious injuries and fatalities. The initial analysis, presented at last month’s meeting, focused on identifying the major factors in crashes leading to serious injuries and deaths. That analysis highlighted how behavioral factors like not wearing a seatbelt, speeding, and/or impairment from alcohol or drugs, result in greater numbers of fatalities and serious injuries. It also identified the types and locations of crashes that result in greater numbers of fatalities and serious injuries like crashes with pedestrians, crashes involving left turns, and crashes along arterials. This briefing presented the results of deeper dive analyses into crashes involving pedestrians, crashes at or near intersections, and crashes along major arterials.
The deeper dive into the data on crashes involving pedestrians included information about location, age of the driver, number of crashes by time of day, day of the week, and more. The analysis provided another snapshot into what factors may affect crashes.
The other two deeper-dives looked at the factors involved in crashes at intersections and along major arterials.
While absorbing the implications of the analysis Board members asked whether there was data available at the jurisdictional level. They were also interested in learning more about where the most crashes take place. They wondered about equity issues involving road safety and asked about if they could get more granular data about crash locations. There was also an interest in creating and targeting education campaigns to address behavioral factors like fatigue or other issues that may correlate with time of day.
At next month’s meeting, the TPB will review and discuss an initial set of recommendations for actions the region can take to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roadways. These recommendations will mark a new beginning of a long-term effort to reduce the number of people dying or being seriously hurt on our roadways.
Listen to the presentation and board discussion.
Washington Regional Alcohol Program (WRAP) briefing. One major factor that contributes to crashes that lead to serious injury and fatalities on the region’s roads is driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Kurt Erickson from WRAP reviewed the program’s annual report on drunk driving in the region and focused on drunk driving fatalities, injuries, and arrests. From the report, 30% of the region’s traffic fatalities in 2018 were due to drivers who were impaired from drugs or alcohol. The national statistics show that 29% in 2018 were alcohol impaired. Erickson also provided some recommendations for interventions that increase safety and reduce drunk driving. These include focusing on known interventions like sobriety checks and ignition locks, encouraging people to use seatbelts, and technology. He also noted providing alternatives to driving drunk like the SoberRide program and transit.
Get the full WRAP report for more.
Listen to the presentation and board discussion.
Get all the meeting materials and listen to the recording
Get TPB meeting announcements, agendas, and materials sent directly to your inbox.