The project team, led by TYLin, will develop Local Road Safety Plans (LRSPs) for each of the four counties in the western region including Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties, building on the analysis of when, where, and why serious crashes occur. These plans will identify clear, measurable actions to reduce fatal and serious injury crashes and improve overall roadway safety.

The LRSPs will follow the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) framework and incorporate best practices from other communities that have developed road safety or Vision Zero plans. 

Each LRSP will include a safety vision and goals, a summary of the data and High Injury Network analysis, priority locations and recommended countermeasures, and a framework for tracking progress over time. The plans will also outline recommended policy and program changes and provide an executive summary highlighting the most critical actions and implementation partners.

Collection and Analysis of Safety Data

The project team will analyze traffic safety data to understand where serious crashes are occurring on the local road system (non-state highways) and the contributing factors across the western region. This includes reviewing crash records involving vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists to identify high-risk locations and safety concerns.

Using at least five years of data from sources such as the NYSDOT crash database, police reports, emergency management records, and local studies, the team will identify trends and patterns related to time of day, day of week, and season; geographic location; road types and conditions; crash types; weather; driver behavior; and the involvement of alcohol or drugs, as well as relevant environmental and socioeconomic factors. Credible local and anecdotal information may also be considered to flag locations that warrant further investigation.

This analysis will be used to develop High Injury Network (HIN) maps highlighting areas with the highest incidence of fatal and serious injury crashes. 

The team will also review existing local transportation policies and practices to identify opportunities for improvement and develop data-driven recommendations to support safer roads and guide the Local Road Safety Plans.

Key Safety Themes (Emphasis Areas)

The project team will review crash data to better understand what is causing serious crashes and identify the main safety issues facing the region. These findings will be grouped into key safety themes, such as distracted or impaired driving, speeding, lane departures, intersection safety, and bicycle and pedestrian safety.

Each safety theme will also be linked to one of the four main approaches to improving transportation safety: engineering, enforcement, education, and emergency services. This helps guide the types of strategies that may be used to address each issue.

The safety themes included in the Local Road Safety Plan will reflect both the concerns raised by the working group and what is realistic for local communities to implement. Each theme will be clearly described by outlining the problem, the goals for improvement, and the types of actions that could help make roads safer.

Recommend Countermeasures

The project team will identify potential solutions, or countermeasures, to address key safety issues and high-risk locations identified through the crash analysis. These countermeasures will focus on practical ways to reduce serious injuries and fatalities across the four counties. 

Recommendations may include a mix of education, enforcement, engineering, and emergency response strategies, such as public awareness campaigns, speed management and enforcement, intersection improvements, or technologies that improve emergency vehicle response times. The selection of countermeasures will follow the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe System Approach, which considers how people use the transportation system, vehicle speeds, roadway design, and post-crash care, with particular attention to High Injury Network (HIN) locations.

Countermeasures may also involve changes to local policies and practices, such as updating ordinances, strengthening access management, or incorporating protected bicycle facilities into roadway projects. These recommendations will be high-level and conceptual, providing guidance and best practices rather than site-specific designs, which will be addressed through future detailed studies.

Next Steps and Implementation

The project team will then prioritize recommended countermeasures based on their expected benefits, costs, and potential impact on reducing crashes, especially at high-risk locations. Additional factors such as available funding, staffing capacity, implementation timelines, and the relative importance of different safety issues will also be considered.

Input from local working groups and the public will play a key role in shaping which countermeasures are prioritized and how they are implemented. This collaborative approach helps ensure that recommendations are both effective and realistic for each community.

The team will also identify practical implementation strategies, recognizing that some countermeasures can be integrated into ongoing programs (such as adding sidewalks during road resurfacing), while others may be one-time actions (such as adjusting traffic signal timing). A summary table will be developed to document the prioritized countermeasures, including crash patterns, recommended actions, anticipated benefits, and general timelines for implementation.