Implementation of Road Safety Audit Recommendations

As road safety audits (RSAs) have been implemented by agencies across the United States, transportation professionals have realized that RSAs are an effective tool to proactively improve the future safety performance of a roadway during the planning and design stages and to identify safety issues in existing transportation facilities. But limited study has been done of the implementation of RSA recommendations on existing roadways. The Utah Local Technical Assistance Program Center conducted an RSA of 1300 East in Salt Lake City, Utah. The rapid implementation of the recommendations was one of the major successes of the project. In addition, a public involvement process refined the recommendations and helped develop a consensus that the safety improvements implemented would be accepted. The result of the safety audit was the implementation of countermeasures that should increase the safety of the roadway. The ability to introduce a bike lane and signalized crosswalks had a significant impact toward the goal of making roads more pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly and implementing a “complete street” solution. The roadway is now much more accessible to pedestrians and bicyclists while maintaining much of the mobility already in place for motorized vehicles.