Road Safety Audits (RSA)

Connecticut Department of Transportation

Road Safety Audits (RSA) are a proactive approach to road safety, and they are an integral part of the Safe System Approach. An RSA is a formal safety assessment of an existing roadway segment for use by all modes of transportation, including motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. The assessment includes a review of factors that can promote or obstruct multimodal safety and connectivity, such as traffic volumes and speeds, topography, roadway geometrics, crash data, roadway inventory (i.e. signage, curbs, bicycle/pedestrian facilities, safety components), and sidewalks. Each RSA is conducted using FHWA Protocols.

The CTDOT RSA Program is scoped to conduct RSAs, subject to available funding, on State Routes only. RSAs are a collaborative effort led by a team of diverse professionals including CTDOT staff, consultants, municipal officials and staff, municipal police, the Local Traffic Authority (LTA), as well as local stakeholders and community leaders. RSAs are usually conducted on areas that have a high crash frequency and pedestrian and bicycle safety concerns. 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.  The RSA team is established for each municipality based on the challenges and concerns identified for each location. 

All RSAs result in a final report that can serve as a planning tool for municipalities and their respective Regional Council of Governments (COG). An RSA’s Final Report may serve as a stand-alone document or as an addition to other projects or plans concerning the study area.

Currently there is no dedicated funding available for construction through the RSA Program. However, this page not only explains the RSA process but also provides information regarding potential State and Federal funding resources and guidance to help municipalities and their COGs implement RSA recommendations in the Final RSA Report.

The RSA Process

The RSA process is a collaborative effort to identify transportation safety solutions by recommending specific roadway countermeasures in areas identified for possible improvement.

What to Expect

After an application is submitted by the municipality’s LTA, the Department will review it to determine its eligibility and/or if more information is needed to move forward. Provided all information requested is submitted, this process will take no more than 30 days. Once an application has been approved, the Department will contact the Municipality 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 corridor will determine when the RSA is scheduled.   

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

1. Virtual Pre-Audit Meeting: The day before the field audit, a virtual meeting will be conducted. During this virtual pre-audit meeting, existing conditions such as area topography, land use characteristics, intersection sight distance concerns, sidewalk locations, parking, 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. Field audit logistics, such as meeting location and field safety requirements, will also be discussed during the pre-audit meeting.
2. Field Audit:The field audit involves the physical inspection of the RSA location. During this period, the RSA Team will walk the area and conduct a safety performance review to evaluate the safety concerns.
3. Post-Audit Meeting: The last stage of the RSA will involve a wrap-up meeting with the RSA Team to discuss the field audit, identify safety concerns, and discuss possible safety countermeasures and recommendations for improvement. 

Final Report

Six to eight 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 for safety improvements. During this time the municipality will have the opportunity to review and provide comments. Subsequently, the Department’s technical team will review and provide additional comments, including a “next step” for each recommendation listed in the report. A final report will be made available and published approximately 90 days after the field audit.

The final report will break down 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. 

Key Players’ Roles and Responsibilities

Municipalities
Municipalities are key to advancing roadway safety improvements. When roadway projects are programmed at a specific location, the municipality should reference their RSA report to explore whether it is feasible to incorporate recommended safety improvements into those projects.

CTDOT encourages municipalities, in collaboration with its LTA and their COGs, to create an RSA Recommendation Implementation Plan designed to ensure RSA recommendations align with ongoing transportation plans and funding opportunities in their region.

Local Traffic Authority (LTA)
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. 

The application for an RSA must be submitted to CTDOT by the LTA. 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. 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 Districts Maintenance, OSTA, 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.

Regional Council of Governments (COG)
Connecticut is divided into nine (9) planning regions each served by a regional Council of Governments (COG). COGs should be the first point of contact for any municipality interested in pursuing more complex RSA recommendations as they can provide updated guidance on funding opportunities and requirements for larger transportation projects/studies. Municipalities and their COGs should incorporate RSA recommendations into upcoming transportation planning efforts and project scoping to ensure that they are properly funded and implemented. 

CTDOT District Maintenance & Construction Offices
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’s LTA 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 District webpage and the Maintenance District Contact webpage. 

CTDOT Planning & Engineering Staff
Each RSA team will consist of both CTDOT Planning and Engineering staff. During the RSA process, CTDOT will ensure the study embraces a comprehensive approach. CTDOT Planning staff is responsible for facilitating, coordinating, and scheduling the RSA, and CTDOT Engineering staff is responsible for identifying deficiencies during the walk audit as well as providing a technical review of the draft final report. Engineering staff will also provide a “next step” municipalities should take to initiate 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.

How to Apply

All RSA requests to the Department must be submitted by the municipality’s Local Traffic Authority (LTA). LTAs can submit an RSA Application to the RSA Program Manager. RSA applications must be complete upon submission to be reviewed. Persons requesting an application will receive a response within thirty (30) days. 

Please note that only municipal Local Traffic Authorities may submit an application for an RSA. Any person interested in having an RSA conducted in their community must contact their Local Traffic Authority by referring to the list of Connecticut Municipal Traffic Authorities above.