Weld County is currently in the development of a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan.
What is a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan?
A Comprehensive Safety Action Plan data-driven approach to reducing transportation related injuries and fatalities. This approach will educate the community on local traffic safety issues and enable Weld County to prioritize resources based on evidence of the greatest need and impact. Weld County's safety action plan will include these eight components:
1. Leadership Commitment and Goal Setting
Leadership commitment and goal setting is an official public commitment (e.g., resolution, policy, ordinance) by a high-ranking official and/or governing body (e.g., mayor, city council, Tribal council, metropolitan planning organization, policy board) to an eventual goal of zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
The commitment must include a goal and timeline for eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries achieved through one, or both, of the following:
- The target date for achieving zero roadway fatalities and serious injuries, or
- An ambitious percentage reduction of roadway fatalities and serious injuries by a specific date with an eventual goal of eliminating roadway fatalities and serious injuries.
2. Planning Structure
A planning structure is a committee, task force, implementation group, or similar body charged with oversight of the Action Plan development, implementation, and monitoring.
3. Safety Analysis
Safety analysis is analysis of existing conditions and historical trends that provides a baseline level of crashes involving fatalities and serious injuries across a jurisdiction, locality, Tribe, or region. It includes an analysis of locations where there are crashes and the severity of the crashes, as well as contributing factors and crash types by relevant road users (e.g., motorists, pedestrians, transit users). Analysis of systemic and specific safety needs is also performed, as needed (e.g., high-risk road features, specific safety needs of relevant road users, public health approaches, analysis of the built environment, demographics, and structural issues). To the extent practical, the analysis should include all roadways within the jurisdiction, without regard for ownership. Based on the analysis performed, a geospatial identification of higher-risk locations is developed (a high-injury network or equivalent).
4. Engagement and Collaboration
Engagement and collaboration involve robust engagement with the public and relevant stakeholders, including the private sector and community groups, that allows for both community representation and feedback. Information received from engagement and collaboration is analyzed and incorporated into the Action Plan. Overlapping jurisdictions are included in the process. Plans and processes are coordinated and aligned with other governmental plans and planning processes to the extent practicable.
5. Equity Considerations
Equity considerations include plan development using inclusive and representative processes. Underserved communities are identified through data and other analyses in collaboration with appropriate partners. Analysis includes both population characteristics and initial equity impact assessments of the proposed projects and strategies.
6. Policy and Process Changes
Policy and process changes include assessment of current policies, plans, guidelines, and/or standards (e.g., manuals) to identify opportunities to improve how processes prioritize transportation safety. The Action Plan discusses implementation through the adoption of revised or new policies, guidelines, and/or standards, as appropriate.
7. Strategy and Project Selections
Strategy and project selections include identification of a comprehensive set of projects and strategies—shaped by data, the best available evidence and noteworthy practices, and stakeholder input and equity considerations—that will address the safety problems described in the Action Plan. These strategies and countermeasures focus on a Safe System Approach and effective interventions and consider multidisciplinary activities. To the extent practicable, data limitations are identified and mitigated. Once identified, the projects and strategies are prioritized in a list that provides time ranges for when the strategies and countermeasures will be deployed (e.g., short-, mid-, and long-term timeframes). The list should include specific projects and strategies, or descriptions of programs of projects and strategies, and explains prioritization criteria used. The list should contain interventions focused on infrastructure, behavioral, and/or operational safety.
8. Progress and Transparency
Progress and transparency is a method to measure progress over time after an Action Plan is developed or updated, including outcome data. It’s a means to ensure ongoing transparency is established with residents and other relevant stakeholders. The approach must include, at a minimum, annual public and accessible reporting on progress toward reducing roadway fatalities and serious injuries and public posting of the Action Plan online.