Safety Conscious Planning in a High Growth Area: Phoenix Metro Region

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Safety Conscious Planning in a High Growth Area
Phoenix Metro Region

• Sarath Joshua, P.E., Ph.D.
• ITS Safety Program Manager

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Outline

• Overview of Phoenix Metro Region
• Regional Transportation Planning
• Safety Planning Story
• Safety Needs in Our Region
• How Far Have We Come
• Our Next Steps

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Phoenix Metropolitan Region

• 24 cities towns, 2 indian communities
• 3.2 million people - 4th largest by population
• Arterials -- one-mile grid, 1600 miles
• Freeways 105 miles gt 280 miles
• Older residents 1 in 4 residents will be over
  60 yrs by 2040
• Population growth to 6 million by 2040

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Phoenix Metropolitan Region
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MPO Decision Structure
Regional Council - Mayors
Management Committee - Managers
Trans Policy Committee Public Private Leaders
Regional Trans Plan
Trans Review Committee Transp Dept Mgrs
Safety Action Plan
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Regional Planning Areas

• Transportation Regional Transportation Plan
  Phase 2 Underway
• Air Quality EPA conformity requirements
• Water Quality
• Regional Development
• Human Services social services, homeless,
  elderly mobility

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Regional Transportation Plan

• Establish broad vision for regions
  transportation
• Accommodate growth and makeup of population
• Policy framework for regional transportation
  investments
• Establish performance measures

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1990
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2000
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2040
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Brief History of Safety Planning

• Agency discussions on the need to address safety
  in planning TEA 21
• MPO led safety initiatives Freeway Median
  Barriers, Freeway Service Patrol
• 2001 Mar - Regional Transportation Safety Forum
  1st round of needs identification
• 2001 Nov Established Safety Stakeholders Group
• 2002 Mar 2nd Annual Reg. Transportation Safety
  Forum
• 2002 Dec Draft Safety Action Plan

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Annual Regional Transportation Safety Forum

• A popular feature at the Annual ITE Spring
  Conference
• Share experiences with statewide
• Co-sponsored by MAG

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Safety Issues/Challenges in the Region

• Red Light Running - Phoenix and Mesa are ranked
  1 3 worst in the nation
• Pedestrian fatalities per 100,000 population
  Phoenix ranked 1
• Aggressive driving very high speeds on recently
  opened freeways
• School Zone Safety traffic generated by schools
  contrary to plans or models

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Public Awareness/Concern
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Safety Stakeholders Group Safety Teams

• 2001 Nov Regional Transportation Safety
  Stakeholders Group
• AAA, MADD, FHWA, MCSA, DOT, Governors Hwy Safety
  Office, Cities/Towns, Schools, Police, Fire,
  Planners, Engineers
• Three teams/working groups
• Pedestrian-Bike-Transit
• Roadways
• Education-Enforcement-EMS

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Safety Action Plan

• Developed by Safety Stakeholders Group
• Multidisciplinary Safety Teams MAG staff
• Developed over 12 months
• Available at
• www.mag.maricopa.gov

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Key Features of Action Plan

• Develop method to assess safety performance
• Public awareness education
• Stricter enforcement to reduce RLR, DUI, Speeding
• Stronger training and licensing standards
• Safe access routes to schools
• Integrate safety in Bike/Ped planning
• Safe multimodal access LRT, BRT, transit
• Safe and secure public transportation system

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Hottest Transportation Topic New

• Regional Freeway System funded by 0.5 cent
  sales tax through 2005
• Renewal of tax in 2004 election will provide 9
  billion over 20 years
• Safety ranks high on all lists of regional
  transportation needs
• Will provide a new source of funds for key
  regional safety initiatives

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Whats Next

• Finalize and implement Safety Action Plan
• Recommend safety initiatives for Regional
  Transportation Plan
• Develop Regional Safety Management System
• Annual Safety Forum

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Questions?

• Sarath Joshua
• sjoshua_at_mag.maricopa.gov
• www.mag.maricopa.gov - Follow Links to
  Transportation Safety Planning Program Page
• Ph [phone]