Engaging the public and exchanging information among researchers, officials, and field professionals are major priorities in the transportation sector. Doing so, however, has been made especially challenging by the COVID-19 pandemic, which prevents the use of in-person outreach methods such as trade shows and conferences.
To address these needs and unusual challenges, Hillary Isebrands and Tori Brinkly from the Federal Highway Administration Safety and Design Technical Service Team presented new options at the virtual NLTAPA/NTTD Annual Conference. Their presentation outlined some of the resources the FHWA has developed for engaging the public and provided links that transportation professionals might use to exchange ideas or promote safety.
Pedestrian safety virtual booth
With in-person trade shows no longer an option, the FHWA decided to develop a virtual booth—a website and a downloadable PDF. The PDF can be shown at various meetings and conferences, and vendors can use it as an opportunity to share their latest innovations and digital publications. safety.fhwa.dot.gov/pedestrian_safety_virtual_booth
Local road safety plan do-it-yourself site
The FHWA designed the DIY site to house a variety of guidebooks, training manuals, webinars, and other resources that transportation professionals can use to share and develop safety plans for local roads. safety.fhwa.dot.gov/LRSPDIY
Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP)
This program was formed in response to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) showing intersections to be a high-risk environment for pedestrians. The STEP program provides a variety of resources—from informative podcasts to action plan frameworks—that traffic professionals can use to develop safer intersections. safety.fhwa.dot.gov/ped_bike/step/resources
Focus on Reducing Rural Roadway Departures (FoRRRwD)
Lane-departure crashes on the rural road network account for one-third of traffic fatalities, according to data from NHTSA. The FoRRRwD program offers resources for transportation professionals to utilize when working to address this danger. safety.fhwa.dot.gov/forrrwd/countermeasures.cfm
Road safety audits
These are an effective tool for proactively improving road safety during the design and planning stages and for identifying safety issues in existing transportation facilities. safety.fhwa.dot.gov/rsa
—Sophia Koch, MnLTAP freelancer