The All Roads Transportation Program Deadline Extended to December 31st

Applications for the next round of funding for the All Roads Transportation Safety Program closes on December 31st. ODOT estimates about $30 million each year in eligible funds for the 2025 – 2027 funding cycle. All local governments are encouraged to take advantage of DKS Associates consulting services free of charge. The consultants are available to help identify projects, conduct analysis, and help fill out the application. DKS and ODOT are also piloting a new data dashboard to help local governments interact with the statewide crash data using a more user-friendly Tableau interface. 

For more information on the ARTS Program and application materials, see the ODOT website. 

 

Oregon Department of Transportation Finalized New Pedestrian and Bicycle Implementation Plan 

Over the summer ODOT in consultation with Kittelson Associates solicited county input on priority pedestrian-related performance measures that local governments currently use to track their own active transportation goals. The agency held a virtual meeting with county representatives to identify performance measures that could be implemented at the state level that would be mutually beneficial for counties, specifically related to active transportation on rural roadways. 

View the final version of the Pedestrian and Bicycle Implementation Plan here, under Safety Improvement Plans.

 

National Study Finds That Drivers Engage in More Risky Driving Behavior During the Pandemic

Christi McDaniel-Wilson, ODOT State Traffic Safety Engineer, presented to the Oregon Traffic Control Devices Committee on two recently published studies by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on concerning trends in national driving behavior since the COVID-19 pandemic. The studies, “Examination of the Traffic Safety Environment During the Second Quarter of 2020” and “Drug and Alcohol Prevalence in Seriously and Fatally Injured Road Users Before and During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency” found the following outcomes as they relate to driving behavior:

  • Lower traffic volumes & vehicle mix, VMT and increased speeds
  • Seatbelt use low and drug & alcohol-involvement high among crash-involved road users 
  • Reduction in law enforcement and safety messaging
  • Travel minimized for more risk adverse travelers (which are characteristically safe) leaving a higher proportion of drivers exhibiting risky behaviors

For more information, see Christi’s presentation here, or the full studies here.