An Analysis of Pedestrian Safety and Injury Severity at Bus Stops Using the CRSS Database
Project Description
Ensuring safe pedestrian and bicycle access to bus stops is essential to the success of public transit systems. Prior studies have analyzed crash data to investigate bus stop-related pedestrian and bicyclist safety. However, most prior research assumes that all pedestrian and bicyclist crashes within a given distance of a bus stop are associated with the bus stop, which may not be true. A significant challenge in transit-related safety research is the absence of crash data that distinctly identifies stop/station-related safety incidents. Recently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun to categorize bus stop-related crashes within the Crash Report Sampling System (CRSS) and Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS). This study will expand on the CPBS Year 1 project, Identifying Research Priorities to Improve Safety for Pedestrians and Bicyclists Accessing Bus Stops, which used the FARS dataset to conduct a bus stop-related pedestrian and bicyclist safety analysis. This study will analyze bus stop-related pedestrian and bicyclist safety using the CRSS database, which provides nationally representative crash data. The overarching goal is to identify bus stop-related crash characteristics and determine which factors lead to more severe outcomes.
Outputs
The expected four primary outcomes of this project include: (1) three training workshops, with the expectation of engaging 15 or more Pueblos, tribes, or tribal entities, which aim to illustrate the practical applications and benefits of using online crash mapping and analysis tools and technologies for traffic safety improvement; (2) a customized online crash mapping portal for Native American communities, enabling the display and analysis of crash locations and counts, traffic crash hot/cold spots, and crash density; (3) a crowdsourcing tool, integrated with gamification elements, for the collection of traffic crash data, which serves to address the challenge of insufficient traffic safety data within Native American communities; and (4) application programming interfaces (APIs) for the crowdsourcing tool will be developed and freely shared with transportation agencies and community organizations at all levels (e.g., local, state, federal, and tribal) to enable them to develop similar web tools or applications, further spreading a culture of traffic safety in the United States. Two additional outputs of this project are described below. The proposed project also aims to produce one peer-reviewed journal article, which will be focused on evaluating the effectiveness of the workshops, the customized online mapping and analysis portal, and the crowdsourcing tool in empowering Native American communities with the necessary tools and insights to improve road safety. A guidebook will be developed to provide detailed instructions on utilizing the customized online mapping and analysis portal, which will be focused on workforce development and technology transfer (T2) in New Mexico and neighboring states.
Outcomes / Impacts
The proposed project outlines a comprehensive strategy to tackle traffic safety challenges within Native American communities by incorporating data, technologies, cultural traditions, community engagement, and focused interventions. This holistic approach begins by raising awareness in Native American communities about tools and technologies that can facilitate the systematic collection, analysis, and interpretation of traffic safety data. Aligned with the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Tribal Transportation Strategic Plan, which places emphasis on enhancing crash data availability and completeness, this solution endeavors to foster community engagement and grassroots involvement in addressing traffic safety concerns through the utilization of contemporary tools and technologies.
Dates
06/01/2024 to 05/31/2025
Universities
University of New Mexico
Principal Investigator
Su Zhang
University of New Mexico
ORCID: 0000-0002-0396-2518
Susan Bogus Halter
University of New Mexico
ORCID: 0000-0003-1685-6367
Research Project Funding
Federal: $42,500
Non-Federal: $42,500
Contract Number
69A3552348336
Project Number
24UNM04
Research Priority
Promoting Safety