Adapting Safety Audits for Small Cities

Research has developed a practical approach for identifying street safety needs for local governments, which are responsible for a large amount of street kilometers carrying relatively low traffic volumes. The improvement of safety on these streets is given only limited focus in most small cities. Due to the limited funding, manpower, and traffic engineering expertise available, traditional safety improvement programs generally are beyond the means of these agencies. An effective safety program needs to recognize the reality of local governments. A regional survey was conducted to examine the current methods and practices used by city traffic-safety programs. Results from this survey were used to develop a Street Safety Audit procedure. A set of simple checklists covering fundamental intersection and traffic sign issues also was developed. This procedure is a useful tool for small cities to begin addressing basic safety needs on their streets.