Massachusetts is required to have a State Highway Safety Program (SHSP) that identifies and analyze safety problems and opportunities in order to use Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) funds for new eligible activities under 23 USC 148. Fast Act continues the HSIP to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. The HSIP requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improve highway safety and focuses on performance.
Crash data is essential to the highway safety realm. The data is chiefly generated by State and local police (both paper and electronic reports), and to an increasingly lesser amount, by vehicle operators who self-report crashes. The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) Crash Records Section collects and manages this data; MassDOT then receives the data from the RMV and produces a listing of high crash locations by geocoding the crash data. Each year, MassDOT identifies a list of Top 200 Crash Locations derived from crash data obtained during a three year period.
The information is grouped into crash clusters, bike clusters and pedestrian clusters. For the CMRPC region, automobiles crashes and pedestrian and bicycle crashes are extracted from the MassDOT statewide dataset. The clusters are ranked for the purposes of allocating HSIP funds. The locations with a higher frequency of crashes resulting in fatalities and serious injuries rank higher. The CMMPO uses a tiered system for the purposes of allocating HSIP funds. The most recent CMMPO list of HSIP-eligible locations can be found here. A map with statewide 2015-2017 HSIP locations is available here.
Also, every year, the CMMPO publishes the Annual Safety Report to assess the regional safety trends and identify crash contributing factors. The CMMPO is committed to work hand in hand with our federal and statewide partners, among other emergency management agencies to improve the safety for all users. We can help address the community’s safety goals, whether it is related to auto crashes or to pedestrian and bicyclists’ safety. If you have any question or request for data please contact us and we will be happy to help.
For up to date crash data, you can also visit the new MassDOT IMPACT Crash Data Portal.
Transportation Security Planning
SAFETEA-LU calls for an increase in planning for the security of the transportation system and requires it to be a stand-alone planning factor. The CMMPO has come to regard security for all agencies and users of our transportation system – motorists, cyclists, pedestrians and transit users – as an important component of the Regional Transportation Plan.
Transportation security refers to both personal and homeland security, including attention to the vulnerability to intentional attack and natural disasters, and the associated evacuation procedures. Security is generally defined as freedom from intentional harm or tampering. A targeted terrorist attack is not the only threat to Central Massachusetts infrastructure, as natural disasters, accidents and safety issues may also present security risks. Traditional crimes, fires, system property damage, trespassing, failure of vehicles or equipment, infrastructure deterioration, and vehicular gridlock are constant security risks. Responding to emergencies is often complicated by vehicular congestion, inadequate first responder access, and other factors not directly related to the specific incident.
An overall goal is to increase the security of the transportation system for both motorized and non-motorized users. The Central Region Homeland Security Advisory Council (CRHSAC) has taken a lead effort in planning for the region’s security needs.
