On Thursday, October 31, the final day of National Pedestrian Safety Month, the National Capital Region Transportation Planning Board (TPB) convened for the Regional Roadway Safety Summit, joined by experts from academia and the federal government to develop recommendations for regional and local action.
During the first session of the summit, safety experts presented recent data on fatalities and serious injuries and discussed the systemic factors contributing to crashes to gain a clearer understanding of how to address the issue. Fairfax County Engineer and TPB Transportation Safety Subcommittee Chair Vanessa Holt shared two striking statistics: first, regional fatalities have been on a gradual rise since before the pandemic, increasing from 321 fatalities in 2020 to a reported 394 fatalities in 2023. Second, while serious injuries in the region had been on a downward trend since 2010, there have been fluctuations in recent years, with an apparent uptick in 2023, rising from 2,178 in 2022 to 2,295 in 2023. Nicole Waldheim, Principal from Fehr & Peers, further contextualized the problem by highlighting the national challenges and root causes of pedestrian fatalities that could be addressed in the metropolitan Washington region. Both presentations laid the groundwork for considering strategies and recommendations that the region could develop collaboratively to reduce the current rise in serious injuries and fatalities.
The second session delved into the national roadway safety strategy called the Safe System Approach, which provides a holistic and comprehensive framework of strategies to make places safer for bicyclists, drivers, and pedestrians. US Department of Transportation (USDOT) Program Manager Paul D. Teicher shared information about national roadway fatalities, noting that there was an increase in 2021. However, in 2022 and 2023, the number of fatalities started to decline as the USDOT launched new initiatives to improve safety. USDOT worked with partner agencies on a campaign called Allies in Action, which began in 2022, urging all levels of government, trucking companies, car manufacturers, and insurance firms to take specific steps to reduce serious injuries and fatalities on the nation’s roads. The campaign has gained 180 allies to date, including the District Department of Transportation, Maryland Department of Transportation, and Virginia Department of Transportation among other agencies in metropolitan Washington.
To conclude the second session, Dr. Jeffrey Michael from Johns Hopkins University Center for Injury Research and Policy presented on how the Safe System Approach impacts population health and the metropolitan planning organization’s role in implementing the Safe System Approach. Dr. Michael highlighted some activities that the TPB and its members can undertake, including establishing a regional safety vision, coordinating and collaborating with stakeholders, focusing on speed management, engaging the public, fostering a culture of safety, and sharing performance measure targets. Dr. Michael also presented four different case studies, and in each case study, there were common lessons learned, which included creating a data-driven action plan, prioritizing equity and underserved communities, and developing a community engagement plan.
The final session focused on developing regional recommendations and was moderated by DC Councilmember and TPB Chair Christina Henderson. She facilitated an interactive discussion, inviting TPB officials to share action items that will be taken back to the board for its December meeting. Officials developed several recommendations for possible consideration, such as committing to the USDOT Allies in Action initiative, enhancing data analysis, and looking at ways to partner regionally through the COG Board and its members, to ensure that dangerous drivers are held accountable for their actions.
The recommendations will be outlined and discussed at the Transportation Planning Board's upcoming meetings, where officials will decide on various actions to implement in order to achieve regional safety outcomes.
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Watch the livestream of the Regional Roadway Safety Summit