FHWA‘s Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety Program released two resources in the past couple of years that also include free online technical assistance and training.
As mentioned in the fall 2018 edition of the Pedestrian and Bike Forum Newsletter, FHWA published the Guide for Scalable Risk Assessment Methods for Pedestrians and Bicyclists (and accompanying Areawide Exposure Tool [Microsoft® Excel download]) that outlines eight sequential steps to develop risk values and describes the scope and nature of each step, including guiding principles. Practitioners can use these scalable risk assessment methods to evaluate pedestrian and bicyclist risk at different geographic scales. These evaluations can then inform program and project funding decisions. Free technical assistance is still available through the fall, and virtual sessions are provided. The team recently completed a well-received 3-hour training with the State of Arizona with more than 90 attendees.
FHWA released its Bikeway Selection Guide a year ago. This resource helps transportation practitioners consider trade-offs and make decisions to accelerate the delivery of high-quality bicycle networks. FHWA will continue to offer free technical assistance and workshops on the guide through spring 2021. Throughout 2020, FHWA will offer this workshop virtually. Participants will review online training materials before joining an interactive, 3-hour online event to learn more about how to apply the Bikeway Selection Guide to plans and projects. The first virtual training took place on July 9.
In addition to supporting the resources mentioned above, the Office of Safety offers quarterly webinars on topics of interest. FHWA hosted a two-part webinar series with 2,109 attendees on Enhancing Mobility, Access, and Safety for Pedestrians on April 28 and April 30. Part 1 provided information on how pedestrians with visual impairments travel, and how changes in engineering have influenced their safety and mobility. Part 2 explored wayfinding for pedestrians who are blind or have low vision, and showcased various strategies for aiding navigation along streets and at crossing locations. The recorded webinars are available online.
FHWA and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center (PBIC) have developed and recorded a number of webinars over the years. The PBIC archives of the webinars are available online. Here is a list of the most recent webinars:
- Developing and Delivering Pedestrian Safety Projects.
- STEP UP Campaign for Pedestrian Safety.
- Quick Build Networks for All.
- Considerations for Selecting Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) Locations.
- Improving Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety in Work Zones.
- Teaching Bicycle and Pedestrian Topics to University Students.
- Improving Intersection Safety for All Road Users.
For more information, to schedule a workshop, or for virtual assistance, please contact Tamara Redmon at tamara.redmon@dot.gov or Shawn Turner at s-turner@tti.tamu.edu.
