TRAFFIC SAFETY GRANT = CONCEPT

PROJECT TITLE:

AGENCY: City of Santa Cruz

Pedestrian Safety = Management System

PROBLEM STATEMENT:

City of Santa = Cruz collision experience over the past three years:

Statewide = Comparison for 1998:

Since we = completed the traffic collision management system funded by the OTS a year ago, we = have used the system extensively to identify traffic safety problems within the = City. One particular problem that has been identified is the high = vehicle/pedestrian collision rates. The statewide statistics shows that we are ranked = number 2 compared to other cities of the same population = group.

The City of Santa Cruz is almost built out. Traffic congestion is expected = to increase as land uses become more intensified. The City is promoting = alternative travel modes such as walking and bicycling to reduce automobile = traffic. One important task is improving pedestrian facilities and safety. To better = manage the pedestrian facilities of hundreds of miles of sidewalks, paths, ADA = facilities and crosswalks, we need a computerized system to manage = these facilities on the same platform as the collision management system.

PERFORMANCE MEASURES:

Goal

To identify locations and develop programs for improving/connecting = pedestrian facilities and to reduce pedestrian killed/injury collisions.

Objectives

1.       To involve community based organizations during the project process.

2.       To develop a citywide pedestrian facility inventory including database and = GIS map by August 2002.

3.       To identify critical intersections and street segments that need repair or = new pedestrian facilities annually.

4.       To provide a comprehensive system that interfaces field survey with data = entry by June 2002.

5.       To implement a software application to provide the means of maintaining, = adding and modifying the database and mapping of pedestrian facilities by = September 2002. The application shall work on the same platform as the collision = management system.

6.       To reduce the time that it takes to identify the need for new or improved pedestrian facilities by 80% after implementation of the system.

7.       To provide the ability to monitor and report deficiencies annually.

8.       To provide the ability to generate and plot pedestrian facilities on the = same maps as the collision management system.

9.       To provide a means to assist in developing improvement projects for = pedestrian facilities.

PROPOSED SOLUTION:

The City of Santa Cruz is proposing a pedestrian safety management system = to effectively monitor, maintain and identify deficiencies of pedestrian facilities. The City currently has aerial photos, parcels, street = centerlines and traffic collisions on a same GIS platform. The project goals and = objectives will be achieved through the implementation of a GIS based pedestrian = facilities system.

PROPOSED = BEGINNING DATE: October 1, 2001

PROPOSED ENDING DATE: September 30, 2002

PROPOSED BUDGET