ITE Journal - June 2021 - 32

Priority Recommendations from the Safe System Consortium Report
Recommendations for Congressional Action:
*	 Require that Safe System principles be followed when
federal funds are used for road design and operation.
*	 Create a new Safe System program within the
Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Surface
Transportation Block Grant Program supporting
implementation of projects meeting the
Safe System definition.
*	 Incentivize and support adoption of the Safe System
Approach as the basis for Vision Zero strategies at
federal, state and local levels, including dedicated
funding for evidence-based strategies such as road
diets, protected bike lanes and roundabouts, when
used as part of a Safe System.
*	 Incentivize use of federal funds to advance safety
equity through Safe System investments.
*	 Incentivize Safe System adoption by creating a multiyear incentive-funded program for states to establish
demonstration sites nationwide.

Recommendations for the Biden Administration:
*	 Convene a federal interagency task force charged with identifying sources
of funding across the Executive Branch to support implementation of a Safe
System in historically underserved communities.
*	 Develop guidance for measuring the full range of benefits from Safe System
projects, including direct benefits to transportation safety, health equity, safety
equity, and access to health determinants such as education, employment, and
healthcare services.
*	 Demonstrate a pathway to a Safe System for rural and underserved
communities, including American Indian/Alaska Natives tribal lands, addressing
project prioritization, resource identification, and implementation.
*	 Create an Executive Order directing federal agencies to review programs and
policies for opportunities to reduce road safety victim-blaming and to develop
plans for implementing change.
*	 Work with road infrastructure constituents to integrate the Safe System Approach,
including setting safe speed limits based on evidence of injury tolerance, in key
foundational tools such as the AASHTO Policy on Geometric Design, the Highway
Safety Manual, and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices, as well as state
and local design and operation manuals.

some communities and fail to recognize the range of health-related
implications of under-investment in road infrastructure in historically-underserved communities. The Consortium recognizes that
while Safe System implementation can lead to substantial improvements in transportation equity, sustainable solutions will require
the involvement of other sectors and partners and a commitment to
long-term policy and system changes that address the root causes that
limit racial, ethnic, economic, and social equity.

Change Area 3: Progress by Design
The Safe System concept is new to most authorities that are
responsible for road systems in the United States, and detailed
guidance will be needed to stimulate and steer progress in implementation. The Consortium recommends that federal transportation officials develop training and implementation tools and
educate state and tribal departments of transportation to assist
them in becoming proficient in Safe System principles and practice.
State and tribal departments should then prioritize training for
local road owners to enable them to analyze their problems and
effectively implement Safe System solutions.
Safe System principles need to be incorporated in foundational
policy and guidance documents that steer the design and operation
of roads, such as the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Policy on Geometric Design, the
Highway Safety Manual, and the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control
Devices. Of particular importance is guidance on setting safe speed
limits based on evidence of human injury tolerance.
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Adoption of Safe System principles will change the practices of
most professionals who work with the road infrastructure, and in
the longer term will significantly change roles of some stakeholders
such as law enforcement officers. The Consortium recognizes that
guidance will be needed to make smooth professional transitions.
For example, with more intuitive, self-enforcing roads, law
enforcement officers will have more time to participate in problem
identification, using their familiarity with traffic behaviors to
diagnose problems and suggest Safe System solutions.

Outlook
The current atmosphere in both U.S. politics and the transportation
industry present a unique opportunity to call on Congress to adopt
the Safe System Approach as a national practice to achieve Vision
Zero and a more equitable transportation system. Now is the time
to act and to embrace these principles within the United States more
broadly. Building a Safe System can transform our communities,
reducing loss of life and serious injury, reducing parents' fear for
the lives of their small children and teens, and improving equitable
mobility and access for everyone. With more options to walk and
bike safely, these benefits can extend to climate change.
Achieving all this will require thoughtful analysis, persistence
and concomitant decisions, and policy action at many levels. The
three essential areas for change that will set a course for achieving
a Safe System identified by the Consortium-Safety Across the
System, Equity by Investment and Progress by Design-urge
unanimous dedication to reaching this goal.
ITE Journal - June 2021

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