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Utah and Kentucky Make Innovative Use of GIS-Based Tools

Summary from: Roadway Safety Data Program | Utah’s and Kentucky’s Innovative Use of GIS-Based Tools | FHWA-SA-16-028

Publication Year: 2016


Background

The United States Road Assessment Program (usRAP) is a tool transportation agencies can use to rate their roadways for safety and identify strategies for systematic improvement. UPlan is an interactive mapping platform that helps the Utah DOT (UDOT) visualize its data, track its assets, and strengthen its transportation planning through “better analysis and collaborative information.” UPlan’s Zero Fatalities safety component presents UDOT’s Safety and Crash Analysis, which is predicated on the mapping and road-rating tools first developed by usRAP. usRAP and UPlan safety components both employ similar general processes and have the same objective: to increase safety by understanding and mitigating crash risks and roadside hazards.

At the core of usRAP is a focus on risk assessment to identify practical solutions to roadway safety problems. usRAP uses crash and roadway data to map relative road risk using a number of standardized protocols. A roadway network is systematically divided into segments for data analysis and presentation of results. Attributes of each segment are used to quantify fatal and serious injury crash risk. Color-coded risk maps summarize the findings.

UDOT developed UPlan as part of an AASHTO Innovation Initiative. According to AASHTO:

UPlan is a powerful, yet easy-to-use web-based decision-support mapping and informational tool for completing complex planning and project development tasks. It allows complete or selective data sharing among various work units within the state DOT. It also allows selective data sharing between state DOTs and with the public.
– AASHTO Innovation Initiative (AASHTO 2016)

UPlan is a comprehensive infrastructure-management system that relies extensively on geospatial data. DOTs can use these available data to make safety, pavement, and roadway asset management decisions. In Utah, UPlan uses data-collection methods, such as LiDAR, digital imaging, workstation, and ArcGIS records to cover 5,845 centerline miles and 310 miles of ramps and collectors on State-maintained roads. Several government entities jointly performed the data collection, and each agency can use its products.

Read the Case Study Utah’s and Kentucky’s Innovative Use of GIS-Based Tools for more detailed information.

Publication Year: 2016

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