Challenge
Choosing where to invest limited safety funding is not as simple as finding the locations with the most crashes. The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) sought a consistent way to look beyond raw crash totals and crash rates statewide, account for roadway context, and identify the places where improvements could do the most to prevent fatal and injury crashes.
Solution
PennDOT regularly performs statewide highway safety network screening, in which they apply Highway Safety Manual (HSM) methods across most of the State-owned roadway network. The analysis compares crash data (weighted toward fatal and injury crashes) with the number and severity of crashes expected on those roads based on the HSM to reveal locations with unusually high safety needs. The project team then studies locations showing the highest excess crashes to understand them better and identify potential countermeasures. Kittelson has supported these screenings as both a prime consultant and a subconsultant.
The Outcome
From Thousands of Roadway Segments to Actionable Safety Projects
This robust analysis helps PennDOT identify the roadway locations most likely to benefit from safety investment. It also draws direct attention toward places where people are being seriously injured. Individual districts can take these findings and use them to prioritize safety projects. The approach gives districts a data-driven foundation for developing projects while preserving their local knowledge and decision-making role.
