Development of Crash Database Parsing Tools to Support the Highway Safety Improvement Program in Texas

摘要

The Highway Safety Improvement Program allows for funds to be allocated to safety-related projects on roadways. Given the high need for safety improvements and limited funding, prioritization of safety projects is crucial. To assist transportation agencies in making safety improvement project and resource allocation decisions, a computerized suite of tools has been developed that parses the crash database to identify crash hotspots, suggest potential treatments, and calculate possible safety benefits. To demonstrate the applicability of the tools, a case study was conducted using real data provided by Texas Department of Transportation, Austin District. The results returned a set of 6,174 candidate project recommendations with corresponding most effective treatment. The tool can assist engineers in making more insightful decisions regarding safety projects and allocate the limited budget more effectively and efficiently.