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County unveils Transportation Safety Action Plan aiming to halve fatal and serious crashes by 2045
Summary
Washington County staff presented a Transportation Safety Action Plan that sets a goal to cut fatal and serious crashes in half by 2045, outlines data and priority corridors, proposes a "safe systems" toolbox and seeks federal grant eligibility (Safe Streets for All) with plan adoption in April.
Washington County transportation planners told the Planning Commission they will bring a Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) to the board for adoption in April and said it is designed to meet federal funding requirements so the county can pursue grants such as Safe Streets for All.
"Our plan is designed to meet federal funding regulation or federal funding requirements that will allow us to pursue grant funding for transportation safety improvement projects," Ken Rencher, senior planner, said. Presenters said the county'level goal is to "reduce the fatal and serious crashes that happen on the roadways within Washington County," aiming to cut those crashes in half by 2045.
Presenters summarized engagement and data: the first outreach round produced about 240 survey responses; the current online open house has had roughly 180 visitors and 23 comments so far. Crash data reviewed by staff show about 20'25 fatal crashes per year and a larger number of serious'injury crashes that inform the county's high'injury network. Staff said overall crash counts have fallen over the five'year window analyzed, but serious and fatal crashes have risen—a pattern that echoes national trends.
Recommendations fall into three broad categories: updating policies and programs (design guidance, interagency coordination, enforcement partnerships), expanding the toolbox of treatments (speed management, lighting, intersection signal timing, shoulder improvements), and identifying corridor or intersection'level concepts to address high'injury locations. Shelley O'Lear, traffic analyst and bike'ped coordinator, noted vulnerable users and risky driver behaviors (speeding, impairment, distraction) are recurring crash attributes and that targeted treatments should reflect those attributes.
The plan includes measures staff will use to track progress (for example, completeness of bike and sidewalk networks on arterials and outcome measures tied to fatal/serious crash counts) and would make the county eligible for grant rounds planned in May'June. Staff also said they plan a coordinated speed management program and will explore automated enforcement options and partnerships with the sheriff's office.
Commissioners asked about rural shoulder improvements, how micromobility and e'bike incidents are captured in data, and the best ways for residents to request improvements. Staff said shoulder improvements (including gravel shoulders where appropriate) are part of the rural emphasis and that micromobility data are currently fragmented; they recommended the county web page for road requests and emphasized continued public outreach as part of active transportation planning.
The county plans to adopt the TSAP in April and to return to the commission with project lists and specific grant match requests for spring grant cycles.
