About the Project

What is the SS4A Program?

The Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program is a federal initiative by the U.S. Department of Transportation designed to help communities prevent roadway deaths and serious injuries. Through this program, two separate Local Road Safety Plans (LRSP) are being developed for Monroe County and the City of Rochester. These Plans will serve to identify safety priorities and establish actionable strategies to protect everyone who uses area roads. 

The goal is clear: to reduce and ultimately eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries throughout the County and the City. Even one life lost is too many. This plan will use a data-driven approach to identify where crashes are happening, why they're happening, and what can be done to prevent them.

This program focuses on creating safer streets for ALL users: pedestrians, cyclists, transit riders, people with disabilities, children walking to school, and seniors. Everyone deserves to travel safely, regardless of how they move through the community.

This project is being led by the Genesee Transportation Council in partnership with Monroe County and the City of Rochester. A consultant team of Colliers Engineering & Design, Toole Design, and Lu Engineers have been engaged to facilitate the planning process and develop the Local Road Safety Plans. The process is expected to be completed in the Spring of 2027.

The final Local Road Safety Plans will include but not be limited to:

• Clearly stated mission of the LRSP; 
• Prioritized list of locations reflecting the highest incidence of crashes involving injuries and fatalities in the project area; Supporting information, such as tables and/or charts describing the crash data analysis results, maps detailing the area included within the plan, and photos/illustrations representing areas of concern. 
• Documentation of strategies and associated transportation improvement projects 
• needed to improve travel conditions at high crash locations; 
• Recommendations for changes to local government policies, programs and practices deemed necessary to support the implementation of the LRSP; and
• Implementation matrix for updates to existing policies, programs and practices.

The Safe System Approach

The Local Road Safety Plan will be guided by the Safe System Approach, a comprehensive framework that looks at road safety from multiple angles. This approach acknowledges that humans make mistakes and focuses on building redundancy and forgiveness into the transportation system.

The Safe System Approach includes six key elements:

• Safe Roads: Roadways designed with features that reduce crash severity, including appropriate lane widths, clear sight lines, proper signage and markings that comply with national standards (MUTCD), well-timed traffic signals, accessible pedestrian infrastructure, and appropriate safety barriers like guiderails.
• Safe Speeds: Speed limits that match the function of the road and protect vulnerable road users. This includes speed limit adjustments, traffic calming measures in residential areas and school zones, and clear communication of safe speeds through signage and road design.
• Safe Vehicles: Vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies that help prevent crashes or reduce harm when crashes occur.
• Safe Road Users: Educated and informed road users who understand traffic laws, share the road responsibly, and make safe choices. This is supported by clear and logical wayfinding signage, signs that prompt awareness (like "Don't Block the Box" and "Share the Road"), accessible pedestrian signals, and comprehensive safety education programs.
• Post-Crash Care: Rapid emergency response and quality trauma care to minimize the severity of injuries when crashes do occur.
• Equity: Ensuring that safety improvements benefit all community members. Safety should not be a privilege—it should be a right for everyone, regardless of where they live or how they travel.

Data-Driven Safety Analysis

A comprehensive analysis of crash data over the past five years will be conducted, focusing on crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries, known as KSI (Killed or Seriously Injured collisions). Using data from NYSDOT's CLEAR crash data system, patterns and trends will be analyzed to understand where and why the most severe crashes are happening.

This analysis will help identify:

High-Injury Network (HIN): The roadway segments and intersections where the most severe crashes are concentrated. Research shows that 75-80% of fatal and serious injury crashes typically occur on just 10-15% of the roadway network. By focusing improvements on these high-risk locations, the greatest impact on safety can be achieved.

Crash Patterns and Trends: Common factors in serious crashes, such as time of day, weather conditions, types of collisions (right-angle, rear-end, pedestrian-involved, etc.), and which road users are most at risk.

Risk Factors: Road characteristics that correlate with higher crash rates, even on roads that haven't experienced crashes yet, helping to prevent future incidents. The risk-based analysis looks at factors like road design, speed limits, traffic volumes, and nearby land uses to identify locations that may be dangerous even without a crash history.

Perceived Safety Concerns: Areas where the public feels unsafe, even if crash data doesn't show high incident rates. These locations may have "near-misses" or design features that create anxiety for road users, particularly vulnerable users like pedestrians and cyclists.

 

Get Involved

Data alone doesn't tell the full story. Your experiences and concerns are essential to developing an effective safety plan. There are several ways you can participate in this important planning process.

Return to GTC Community Engagement Hub