U.S. Department of Transportation
Federal Highway Administration
1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
Washington, DC 20590
202-366-4000


Skip to content
Facebook iconYouTube iconTwitter iconFlickr iconLinkedInInstagram

Safety

FHWA Home / Safety / Roadway Safety Professional Capacity Building / P2P Technical Assistance / Preparing for the Update of Vermont's Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Preparing for the Update of Vermont's Strategic Highway Safety Plan

Downloadable Version
PDF [325 KB]

Proceedings from the Federal Highway Administration's Peer-to-Peer Exchange Program


About the Peer Exchange

FHWA's Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) Peer-to-Peer Program (P2P) supports and sponsors peer exchanges and workshops hosted by agencies.

Date
January 11 - 12, 2011

Location
Montpelier, VT

Hosts
Vermont Agency of Transportation

Key Participants
Vermont Governor's Highway Safety Program

Vermont State Police

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Region 1

Idaho Transportation Department

Ohio Department of Transportation

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation

FHWA Vermont Division Office

FHWA Office of Safety

U.S. DOT Volpe Center

FHWA's Office of Safety sponsors HSIP P2P events.
Learn more

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP), Data Driven Decisions logo

Table of Contents

1. Introduction

2. Background

3. Preparing for Vermont's Peer Exchange Event

4. Proceedings of the Vermont Peer Exchange

5. Key Findings and Lessons Learned

6. Feedback and Suggestions

Appendix A — Presenters, Planners and Attendees

Appendix B — Agenda


1. Introduction

This report provides a summary of a peer exchange sponsored by the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans). The peer exchange convened Vermont's Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP) Core Group to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of Vermont's current SHSP and to identity the opportunities and next steps for updating Vermont's plan. Vermont's safety team's goal is to create a plan that will engage leadership and provide guidance for programs and policies to reduce serious injury crashes and fatalities on Vermont's roadways.

The event focused on sharing knowledge and noteworthy practices for developing and implementing an effective SHSP. Selected peers included the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT), and the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). Criteria for selecting peers included states with a record of creating effective SHSPs, developing strategies for recording and tracking data, and using performance measures to track progress.

The action plan developed from the peer exchange will ultimately identify champions for each action item as well as a timeline for deliverables. The Core Group will continuously monitor the SHSP's performance and recommend changes, as needed.

2. Background

Vermont's objectives in holding the peer exchange were to:

The ultimate goal of the event was to prepare the Core Group to work together in identifying the next steps for creating an updated plan targeted to reduce serious injuries and traffic fatalities caused by specific highway safety issues.

Forty professionals representing three of the “E's” (engineering, enforcement, and education) attended the workshop, including representatives from Vermont's only metropolitan planning organization (MPO) (Chittenden County MPO); the Governor's Highway Safety Program (GHSP); Vermont State Police; and the Department of Motor Vehicles. Safety professionals from neighboring states New Hampshire and Maine, including representatives from both states' departments of transportation and FHWA division offices, also participated. (See Appendix A for a complete list of event planners, presenters, and attendees).

The peer exchange began with a brief overview of Vermont's current SHSP, including its critical emphasis areas and strategies followed by presentations by the peer agencies (see Appendix B for the agenda). Each peer agency described the approaches and techniques used to successfully create and implement strategies for its SHSP. Following the peer presentations, breakout groups discussed the strengths and weaknesses of Vermont's current plan and identified next steps for the update. Breakout groups were designed to elicit different perspectives on Vermont's program.

back to Table of Contents


3. Preparing for Vermont's Peer Exchange Event

The success of a peer event is due in part to comprehensive planning efforts. Key staff from VTrans, along with the FHWA Office of Safety and the VT Division Office, spent approximately three months preparing for the peer exchange. Organizers followed the key steps outlined below:

back to Table of Contents


4. Proceedings of the Vermont Peer Exchange

Welcome

Kevin Marshia, VTrans Program Manager, welcomed attendees to Vermont's SHSP Update Workshop. He introduced Sue Minter, Vermont's Deputy Secretary of Transportation, and Richard Tetreault, VTrans Director of Program Development, to present the opening remarks.

Ms. Minter commented that she was excited to see collaboration between states and, in particular, between Vermont agencies, as coordination across transportation silos is a goal of the new administration. Ms. Minter also emphasized the importance of safety in transportation; as a mother of a new driver, Ms. Minter is aware of the dangers of driving and the need to determine the proper respective roles of government and individuals in taking responsibility for preventable actions. She urged the group to look for opportunities to improve Vermont's highway safety program in order to overcome the challenges created by our dependence on the automobile.

Mr. Tetreault acknowledged the transition underway with Vermont's new administration and encouraged participants to think about how to use the information gained through the workshop to engage new leadership within their respective agencies.

Workshop Overview and Expected Outcomes

Mr. Marshia provided the background and overview of Vermont's SHSP. Over the past year, the SHSP Core Group has wrestled with the idea of streamlining and implementing its plan. A peer exchange was requested to learn how other states have addressed the evolution of issues within highway safety, including measuring performance of strategies and substrategies. Vermont is also interested in pursuing improvements in data. Although the State has advanced its data collection capabilities in the past few years with the implementation of electronic reporting, data analysis remains fragmented. Many individuals and agencies use Vermont's crash data, but there is little sharing or reporting of those analyses. Mr. Marshia concluded that the goals of the event were to listen to and learn from other states in order to walk away with a definition of next steps for updating and implementing Vermont's SHSP. All safety partners are dedicated to the SHSP, but as it is a collateral duty, it is important to have a prioritized list of manageable action items in order to address safety issues efficiently and effectively.

Tamiko Burnell from the FHWA Office of Safety provided an overview of FHWA's role, and emphasized the importance of representation from the four E's (engineering, education, enforcement, and emergency medical services) in the SHSP process. Ms. Burnell encouraged the Vermont team to consider all resources available from State and Federal partners, including the FHWA Resource Center, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Finally, Ms. Burnell suggested using FHWA's SHSP Implementation Process Model to identify strategies to integrate the activities of the four E's into the SHSP process.

Peer Presentations

Prior to the event, the SHSP Core Group compiled a list of questions related to areas where gaps in Vermont's program had been identified. The three participating peer agencies tailored their discussions to respond to these questions. The following section provides an overview of their presentations.

Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT)
Michelle May, Highway Safety Program Manager at ODOT, discussed Ohio's program. Ms. May noted that Ohio presents a challenging environment to address highway safety, with almost 1,000 cities and villages in 88 counties and over 1,100 law enforcement agencies reporting on crashes. Despite this fact, Ohio has experienced a 25 percent drop in crashes since 2002. Ms. May discussed several principles that Ohio has followed to revitalize its SHSP:

Idaho Transportation Department (ITD)
Mary Hunter, Highway Safety Manager at ITD's Office of Highway Safety, discussed Idaho's safety program. Idaho's ultimate highway safety goal is Toward Zero Deaths, with an interim goal of 200 deaths by 2012. This goal was established by accelerating Idaho's already downward fatality trend to set an aggressive target that is also easy to communicate to the public. Ms. Hunter described several key elements that have contributed to the agency's success:

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT)
Gary Modi, Safety Management Division Chief, and Jeff Roecker, Transportation Planning Specialist at PennDOT, provided an overview of the development of Pennsylvania's SHSP. Mr. Modi noted that PennDOT is decentralized with eleven districts, each of which develops its own HSIP. Behavioral safety program grants are managed from PennDOT's central office. Keys to PennDOT's success include:

Opportunities for Improvement

Photograph of a breakout meeting: seven members around a conference table while a woman writes at an easel

Breakout groups discussed ideas to improve Vermont's SHSP

Following the peer presentations, participants were divided into four breakout groups. Each breakout group reviewed the existing strengths and weaknesses of Vermont's SHSP and identified opportunities for improving the plan. The groups discussed the strategies, resources, and champions necessary to achieve success in Vermont's SHSP program. Planning worksheets were supplied for groups to document their work and a facilitator moderated each of the sessions. Recommendations developed by the groups to improve Vermont's SHSP are summarized below by topic.

Streamlining the SHSP

Recording and Tracking Data for the SHSP

Performance Measures

Photograph of Jennifer Warren and Kevin Marshia and two other members at a conference table

Jennifer Warren of the FHWA Office of Safety and Kevin Marshia
of VTrans discuss setting realistic goals.

The group also discussed other general recommendations, including:

Recommendations for Next Steps

On day two of the Vermont peer exchange, the SHSP Core Group and the peers convened to discuss specific recommendations for Vermont to pursue for the SHSP update. The following items were identified as immediate priorities for Vermont's Core Group to consider:

Finally, the Core Group created a plan consisting of actions to accomplish before its next meeting. The intent of the plan was to ensure that all Core Group members left the workshop with clear expectations for their role in moving forward in the SHSP update process. Staff were assigned to the following action items:

back to Table of Contents


5. Key Findings and Lessons Learned

Through the peer exchange and workshop, SHSP Core Group accomplished its goals, which were to engage stakeholders, including executive staff at VTrans, and identify action items for its SHSP update effort. In addition, participants learned how ITD, ODOT, and PennDOT work with their safety partners to create effective SHSPs that leverage resources and ensure agency engagement and accountability. Noteworthy practices learned from the event included:

“I would tell others considering an HSIP peer
event that it is well worth the time spent...the key
is to match yourself up with states that have
considerable success in the areas that are
most challenging to you as a state.”

Kevin Marshia, VTrans Program Manager

back to Table of Contents


6. Feedback and Suggestions

Feedback from the Vermont peer exchange was very positive. Participants indicated that the exchange of information and ideas will help Vermont move forward in updating the SHSP and in managing its safety program. Others indicated the value of learning about the organizational structure that other states use to manage their SHSPs and track progress. Advance preparation for the event was a key element to its success. In his post-event evaluation, Josh Schultz, VTrans Project Manager, stated, “Part of the success with the peer event was the fact that Vermont put a lot of time into preparation (for example, asking specific questions and choosing sessions that specifically catered to our needs). The peer states, in turn, put a lot of time into answering those specific questions and lining their presentations up with Vermont's needs.”

back to Table of Contents


Appendix A: Presenters, Planners and Attendees

Peer Presenters
Mary Hunter (retired May 2011)
Highway Safety Manager
Idaho Transportation Department
Gary Modi
Chief, Safety Management Division
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Office Phone: 717-783-1190
Email: gmodi@state.pa.us
Michelle May
Highway Safety Program Manager
Ohio Department of Transportation
Office Phone: 614-644-8309
Email: michelle.may@dot.state.oh.us
Jeff Roecker
Transportation Planning Specialist
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Office Phone: 717-525-5766
Email: jroecker@state.pa.us
FHWA/Volpe
Tamiko Burnell
Transportation Specialist
FHWA Office of Safety
Office Phone: 202-366-1200
Email: tamiko.burnell@dot.gov
Roger Thompson
Safety/ITS Engineer
FHWA Vermont Division Office
Office Phone: 802-828-4575
Email: Roger.Thompson@dot.gov
David Perlman
Operations Research Analyst
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Office Phone: 617-494-3178
Email: David.Perlman@dot.gov
Jennifer Warren
Transportation Specialist
FHWA Office of Safety
Office Phone: 202-366-2157
Email: Jennifer.Warren@dot.gov
Susan Smichenko
Community Planner
Volpe National Transportation Systems Center
Office Phone: 617-494-3438
Email: Susan.Smichenko@dot.gov
 
Vermont Event Planners
Susan Clark
Transportation Planning Coordinator
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-2629
Email: Susan.Clark@state.vt.us
Bruce Nyquist
Traffic Safety and Pavement Manager
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-2696
Email: Bruce.Nyquist@state.vt.us
Amy Gamble
Traffic Operations Engineer
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-1055
Email: Amy.Gamble@state.vt.us
Josh Schultz
Project Manager
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-6980
Email: Josh.Schultz@state.vt.us
Kevin Marshia
Program Manager
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-2664
Email: Kevin.Marshia@state.vt.us
 
Attendees
Susan Aikman
Grants Management Specialist
GHSP
Office Phone: 802-241-5504
Email: saikman@dps.state.vt.us
Rob Ide
Commissioner
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles
Office Phone: 802-828-2011
Email: Robert.ide@state.vt.us
Skip Allen
Executive Director
Youth Safety Council of VT
Office Phone: 802-999-1976
Email: skip@vtyouthsafetycouncil.org
Norm James
Manager
Project RoadSafe, VT Department of Labor
Office Phone: 802-828-4172
Email: norman.james@state.vt.us
Duane Brunell
Safety Performance Analysis Manager
Maine Department of Transportation
Office Phone: 207-624-3278
Email: Duane.Brunell@maine.gov
Keith Kane
Government Transportation Safety Specialist
3M
Office Phone: 518-937-4792
Email: kkane2@mmm.com
Glen Button
Director of Enforcement and Safety
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-2156
Email: Glen.Button@state.vt.us
Michelle LaBerge
Program Grants Specialist
GHSP
Office Phone: 802-241-5519
Email: mlaberge@dps.state.vt.us
Martin Calawa
Safety and Traffic Operations Engineer
FHWA New Hampshire Division Office
Office Phone: 603-228-3057 x108
Email: martin.calawa@dot.gov
Brian Lawrence
Safety and Projects Engineer
FHWA Maine Division Office
Office Phone: 207-622-8350 x101
Email: brian.lawrence@dot.gov
Gabriel Cano
Regional Program Manager
NHTSA Region 1
Office Phone: 617-494-3427
Email: Gabriel.cano@dot.gov
George Lu
Research Analyst
UVM TRC
Office Phone: 802-886-6616
Email: xlu@uvm.edu
Eleni Churchill
Senior Transportation Planning Engineer
Chittenden County Metropolitan Planning Organization
Office Phone: 802-660-4071 x11
Email: echurchill@ccmpo.org
Justine Sears
Research Specialist
UVM TRC
Office Phone: 802-656-1433
Email: Justine.sears@uvm.edu
Mario Dupigny-Giroux
Traffic Safety Engineer
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-0169
Email: Mario.Dupigny-Giroux@state.vt.us
Betsy Ross
Public Information Officer
GHSP
Office Phone: 802-241-5511
Email: bross@dps.state.vt.us
Tom Fields
Law Enforcement Liaison
GHSP
Office Phone: 802-375-5913
Email: tfields@dps.state.vt.us
Mary Spicer
Manager, Highway Research
Vermont Agency of Transportation
Office Phone: 802-828-2681
Email: Mary.spicer@state.vt.us
John Flanagan
Lieutenant
Vermont State Police
Office Phone: 802-872-4045
Email: jflannig@dps.state.vt.us
Stuart Thompson
Highway Safety Engineer
New Hampshire Department of Transportation
Office Phone: 603-271-1407
Email: gthompson@dot.state.nh.us
Lee Graham
Liaison
GHSP
Office Phone: 802-598-8416
Email: lhg631@comcast.net
Lindsay Townsend
Executive Director
VT Driver & Traffic Safety Education
Office Phone: 802-849-6146
Email: lindsaytownsend@earthlink.net
Doug Hoyt
Interim GHSP Program Chief
Vermont DPS – GHSP
Office Phone: 802-241-5501
Email: hoytd2@dps.state.vt.us
 

back to Table of Contents


Appendix B: Agenda

Vermont's Strategic Highway Safety Plan Update Workshop Agenda

VTrans, National Life Building
One National Life Drive — Montpelier, VT
January 11 — 12, 2011

8:00 am Welcome – Sue Minter, Deputy Secretary of Transportation
8:15 am Workshop Overview and Expected Outcomes
  • Richard Tetreault, Director of Program Development – VTrans
  • Kevin Marshia, Program Manager – VTrans
8:30 am Overview of FHWA's Safety Program
  • Tamiko Burnell, FHWA Office of Safety
8:45 am Review of Vermont's Current SHSP Update Plans
  • Kevin Marshia, Program Manager – VTrans
9:00 am Peer Presentation: Strategic Highway Safety Plan – Ohio's Roadmap to Fewer Fatalities for all Roadway Users
  • Michelle May – Highway Safety Program Manager, Ohio DOT
9:45 am Break
10:00 am Peer Presentation: Idaho's SHSP – Toward Zero Deaths
  • Mary Hunter, Highway Safety Manager – Idaho Transportation Department, Office of Highway Safety
10:45 am Peer Presentation: drive safe PA – Strategic Highway Safety Plan
  • Gary Modi, Chief, Safety Management Division – Pennsylvania DOT
  • Jeffrey Roecker, Transportation Planning Specialist – Pennsylvania DOT
11:30 am Q&A for Peers
12:00 pm Lunch (on your own at National Life cafeteria)
Breakout Groups (National Life Bldg. 6th Floor Calvin Coolidge Room)
12:50 pm Overview of breakout groups — Tamiko Burnell
1:00 pm Session #1 – Simplifying the SHSP
2:00 pm Session #2 – Recording and Tracking Data for the SHSP
3:00 pm Break
3:15 pm Session #3 – Performance Measures for the SHSP Update
4:15 pm Future Expectations and Next Steps
5:00 pm Adjourn

back to Table of Contents


Page last modified on September 4, 2014
Safe Roads for a Safer Future - Investment in roadway safety saves lives
Federal Highway Administration | 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE | Washington, DC 20590 | 202-366-4000