Road Safety Audits (RSA)

The goal of the Connecticut Department of Transportation’s (CTDOT) Road Safety Audit (RSA) Program is to assist municipalities in addressing Vulnerable Road User (VRU) safety on state routes. An RSA is a quick high-level safety review intended to improve VRU safety by recommending the implementation of safety countermeasures. RSAs are a collaborative effort led by a group of diverse professionals which may include CTDOT staff, Council of Governments’ (COG) staff, consultants, municipal officials and staff, municipal police, the Local Traffic Authority (LTA), as well as other local stakeholders and community leaders. The improvements recommended typically vary from low-cost and least complex to higher cost and more complex, which may require further studying for implementation. CTDOT conducts RSAs on State Route sections of no more than half a mile long where crash data supports a need for potential safety improvements.

All RSAs result in a final report that can serve as a multimodal transportation planning resource to guide future actions. An RSA report does not constitute an engineering report.  The agency responsible for design and construction should consult a licensed professional to implement any of the recommendations in the final report.

The recommendations presented in an RSA report are conceptual in nature and solely intended to guide future planning efforts. There is no dedicated funding available for design or construction of these recommendations through the RSA Program. As such, an RSA report does not constitute a binding commitment or legal agreement, and the Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) does not guarantee that the recommendations outlined in an RSA report will be implemented. Final decisions regarding project implementation will be at CTDOT’s sole discretion and may depend on a variety of factors including but not limited to funding availability, engineering feasibility, regulatory requirements, community support, and alignment with broader transportation policies and priorities.

The RSA is conducted through a Complete Streets lens and includes a review of roadway factors such as traffic volumes, speeds, crash data, roadway inventory (i.e. roadway widths, signage, curbs, bicycle/pedestrian facilities, safety components), and ADA compliant facilities such as sidewalks and curb ramps. The RSA Technical Team, which consists of CTDOT engineers and transportation planners, may provide recommendations intended to improve the multimodal safety of the selected location. Recommendations are categorized by the level of complexity to implement based on timing, coordination, funding, and design and construction needed to complete.

An RSA is not a corridor study, and it is not intended to provide a comprehensive design evaluation of roadways. The RSA Program is not scoped to provide recommendations that may require considerable changes to the roadway’s geometry, design capacity, classification, or to provide conceptual design options as those typically are developed in more comprehensive transportation studies. RSA recommendations may vary depending on the safety observations and roadway type and design capacity of the selected location. Most RSA recommendations fall within the Least Complex to Moderately Complex range, where said recommendations may be championed by the Municipality, Council of Governments, CTDOT and/or through a partnership between all three parties. Through analysis of the roadway and its current design capacity, the RSA Technical Team will only recommend countermeasures that are appropriate and feasible for the selected location.

If you conclude that your needs are beyond those offered by the RSA Program, please contact your Council of Governments (COG) to explore options for a more comprehensive transportation study.

""

 

 

After an application is submitted, the Department will review it to determine its eligibility and/or if more information is needed to move forward. Provided all information requested in the application form is submitted, this process will take no more than thirty (30) days from the date of final receipt. Please, thoroughly read the application form to its entirety to ensure all requested information is submitted. Applications with missing requirements will not be accepted. Once an application has been approved, the Department will notify the Municipality and work to schedule the RSA. Factors such as weather, Municipal and CTDOT’s availability, and/or if the RSA is scoped to assess seasonal traffic through the selected location will determine when the RSA is scheduled. 

Each RSA consists of three parts, all of which will occur during two (2) business days:

  1. Virtual Pre-Audit Meeting: The day before the field audit a virtual (Teams) meeting will be conducted. During this virtual pre-audit meeting existing conditions such as area topography, land use characteristics, parking, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities, are examined using available mapping and imagery. The RSA Team will discuss the objectives of the audit and review information relevant to the RSA location. During this meeting the municipality and stakeholders will have an opportunity to provide any additional information and/or safety concerns within the study area. Finally, field audit logistics such as meeting location and field safety requirements will be discussed during the pre-audit meeting.
  2. Field Audit: During the field audit the RSA technical team, along with the LTA and municipal officials, will conduct a physical inspection of the roadway. Additionally, the RSA technical team will carry out a safety performance review and discuss possible safety countermeasures for the location.
  3. Post-Audit Meeting: Following the field audit a wrap-up meeting to discuss audit findings, safety concerns, and possible safety countermeasures.

The CTDOT RSA Program is scoped to conduct RSAs, subject to available funding, on State Route sections of one half-mile or less where data shows higher than typical crash patterns for the selected type of roadway classification in the State. Additionally, crash data submitted should only include crashes resulting in fatalities and injuries. Road Safety Audits typically occur in spring, summer, and early fall but can be completed in the winter months if weather and road conditions allow.

Each Connecticut municipality is situated in one of four CTDOT Maintenance District Offices and in one of five District Construction Offices statewide. The role of the District is to work with the municipality through the implementation of recommendations identified as less complex on state routes such as tree trimming, lane striping, paving, etc. For more information, including contact details, please visit the CTDOT Construction Districts webpage and the Maintenance Districts Contact webpage. 

CTDOT Planning staff is responsible for facilitating, coordinating, and scheduling the RSA. CTDOT Engineering staff is responsible for recommending feasible safety countermeasures during the walk audit as well as providing technical support during the RSA process. Engineering staff will also provide a “next step” the municipality should take to initiate the implementation of each RSA recommendation in the final report. Both Planning and Engineering staff are responsible for reviewing the draft final report and providing comments to ensure RSA recommendations are actionable.

Connecticut is divided into nine (9) planning regions each served by a Council of Governments. COGs should be the first point of contact for any municipality interested in pursuing more complex RSA recommendations. They are a valuable resource for updated information on available funding sources. They often act as intermediaries for federal and state grants and can provide support in locating and applying for available funds. Municipalities and their RCOGs should incorporate RSA recommendations into upcoming transportation planning efforts and project scoping to ensure that they are properly funded and implemented.

Every municipality in Connecticut has an individual designated as a Local Traffic Authority (LTA). This person works with CTDOT on traffic-related matters on State roads. LTAs are also responsible for certain regulatory items on local roads. LTAs are well versed in traffic patterns and concerns in their area and are considered the subject matter experts in their community.

RSA applicants must coordinate with the LTA when applying for an RSA. Once an RSA is conducted, an LTA acts on behalf of the municipality to prioritize RSA recommendations on State roads.  The LTA’s role is to ensure RSA recommendations are initiated and advanced through the proper channels. All RSA applications must be signed off by the LTA.

Examples of LTA roles in the RSA recommendation process include:

  1. Engaging local public works offices to discuss the implementation of least complex recommendations such as tree-trimming.
  2. Initiating the process of implementing moderately complex recommendations by engaging CTDOT’s various offices such a District Maintenance, OSTA and/or Traffic Engineering for guidance and requirements to see these recommendations to fruition.
  3. Pursuing funding opportunities, project scoping, permitting, programming and design, as well as technical review requests for those recommendations that are of most complex nature.

A municipal LTA contact list is updated periodically on the CTDOT website.

All RSA Applications must be submitted by the executive officer of a municipality, local traffic authority (LTA), or a council of governments. The applicant is responsible for coordinating with the LTA in obtaining and submitting required information such as the RSA location map and a most recent five-year crash data sample from the Connecticut Crash Data Repository as described in the RSA application form. Additionally, the applicant is responsible for identifying a liaison who will serve as the point person responsible for coordinative tasks (scheduling, reviewing and circulating RSA Draft Reports) for the municipality, and most importantly, providing the Department with one consolidated set of comments within a two-week window after receiving a Draft report.

Approximately six to eight (6-8) weeks after the field audit, the Department will provide the municipality with a draft final report detailing the documented safety concerns, RSA results, and individualized recommendations along with the appropriate “next step” to initiate implementation process of each recommendation. During this time the municipality will have the opportunity to review and provide comments. A final report will be made available and published approximately ninety (90) days after the field audit.

The final report will list recommendations by the complexity of their implementation. These recommendations may be sorted from least complex to most complex, depending on the context of the safety needs of the corridor. While some of these recommendations may be less complex and easier to implement, many of them may require further analysis to ensure they are feasible to implement.

RSA Final Report Recommendation Categories:

  • Least Complex: These are typically maintenance type and low-cost recommendations such as striping and signage and generally do not require extensive design or construction costs. Least complex recommendations may also include those recommendations that may be achievable via municipal resources to implement.
  • Moderately Complex: These are improvements that may require further funding, permitting, or study than those generally included as least complex recommendations. These may require establishment of funding in capital improvement plans, or a dedicated funding source. However, these recommendations fall between the least complex and most complex, requiring some level of design, but typically do not include Right-of-Way (ROW) acquisitions, extensive environmental permitting, etc.
  • Most Complex: These are improvements that require substantial study and engineering. These recommendations generally require significant funding for implementation and may require several years of planning to budget.
To access the list of previously published RSA Reports please visit the CTDOT RSA Final Report Library.

All applicants must read and understand the RSA process before applying. All RSA requests to the Department must be submitted by the executive officer of a municipality, local traffic authority (LTA), or a council of governments. To apply please read thoroughly and submit an RSA Application along with supporting documents demonstrating a need for safety improvements on a state route section of half a mile or less to the RSA Program Manager. All RSA applications must be complete, contain all required documentation, and signed by the LTA upon submission. Persons requesting an application will receive a response within thirty (30) days.