Consultants: Bend TSAP data show 5,000 crashes in five years; emphasis on young drivers, impairment and nighttime conditions
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Summary
Consultants presenting the Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP) told the Bend MPO policy board that 2019–2023 data include about 5,000 reported crashes and 202 fatal or serious-injury crashes; they flagged young drivers, impairment, older drivers and nighttime conditions as priority emphasis areas and outlined next steps for community engagement and targeted strategies.
The Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization policy board on April 17 heard a data-driven update on the Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP), with consultants presenting crash-pattern and network-screening analyses and outlining next steps for strategy development and community engagement.
Consultants from Kittleson and partners said the dataset for the MPO boundary from 2019 through 2023 contains just over 5,000 reported crashes; they counted 202 crashes labeled fatal or serious injury, including 27 fatalities and 175 serious injuries. The team said it analyzes fatal and serious-injury crashes together because the margin between the two categories is small and both represent life-altering outcomes.
Using two methods — a systemwide crash-pattern assessment and a weighted network screening that prioritizes severity — consultants identified emphasis areas for local action. The items most strongly flagged were young drivers, alcohol and drug impairment, aging drivers (65+), and crashes during non-daylight hours. Presenters reported that bicycle and pedestrian crashes make up a small share of total crashes but a notably higher share of fatal and serious-injury crashes (about 3% of total crashes but roughly 12% of fatal/serious crashes), underscoring worse outcomes for vulnerable users.
The screening flagged intersections and corridors for more detailed follow-up. Consultants emphasized that some high-scoring locations already have projects or recent investments, so the list is a starting point rather than a prescriptive program. The screening is structured to produce a set of roughly 10 priority locations for more capital-intensive work while also identifying systemic, lower-cost treatments (signing, striping, lighting) that can be implemented broadly.
Board members pressed presenters on data lag and supplemental data sources. Staff and consultants said fatal-crash records are available sooner and have higher confidence, while serious-injury counts can lag; they noted preliminary 2024–2025 fatal data were reviewed where available. Members asked whether observed speeds or posted speed limits could be added to hot-spot analysis; consultants said that requires additional data purchases (for example INRIX or Streetlight) but is feasible as a follow-up analysis.
Speed and impairment were repeatedly discussed as near-term policy levers. Presenters reported that 17% of all crashes and 19% of fatal/serious crashes involved speed; they also reported that 56% of fatal/serious crashes involved some level of impairment. The team outlined local speed-management tools already under use — red-light cameras with speed enforcement capability, protected bicycle infrastructure, modal filters and updates to design standards — and recommended pairing engineering measures with education and enforcement.
On engagement, staff reported the TSAP online open house (April 7–May 15) had produced more than 800 completed surveys and over 300 mapping points as of the board meeting. Outreach plans include in-person events (Earth Day, CityFest), paper materials and Spanish-language support through the city’s contract with the Latino Community Association. The project team will finalize the existing-conditions memo, develop strategies over the summer and convene a second round of public engagement this fall.
The board did not take a formal action on the TSAP at the meeting; staff said the TSAP analysis will feed into the City’s transportation system plan update and future capital programming.
