Operations & Safety

Revitalization and redevelopment of existing communities is a priority. Our Ops/Safety programs actively help to manage and operate the region’s transportation system, allowing it to function at its full potential. Transportation and development choices prioritize safe and secure multimodal and intermodal networks for people and goods.

Traffic Incident Management

To help regional organizations enhance the delivery of traffic incident management services and products, we facilitate a dialogue between practitioners across several disciplines.

CRSW PSA Playlist

Watch a new PSA every day of CRSW!

TIM Overview Video

Learn about Traffic Incident Management at SPC

Active TIM Teams

I-79/I-76 Local TIM

Started in 2013, this is our longest tenured local TIM Team.  This team focuses on roadway incidents on I-79 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Northern Allegheny County and Southern Butler County

Pittsburgh Tunnels Local TIM Team

The Tunnels are some of the most important transportation infrastructure in our region, therefore the Pittsburgh Tunnels Local TIM Team was created to improve responder safety and promote safe, quick clearance of roadway incidents in or near the PennDOT owned tunnels.

SR 30 Local TIM Team

This TIM team focuses on improving responder safety and promoting safe, quick clearance of roadway incidents during the set of Route 30 projects located in North Versailles, North Huntingdon Township, and Irwin Borough. 

FHWA TIM Capability Maturity Self-Assessment

This TIM Self-Assessment provides a formal process for state and local transportation, public safety, and private sector partners to collaboratively assess their TIM programs and identify opportunities for improvement.  The assessment is conducted annually in each of the largest 75 urban areas.  Each year the new assessment is compared against previous years to evaluate *progress in our TIM program. (See below for our progress since 2011)

FHWA TIM Capability Maturity Self-Assessment (PDF)

* In 2015 and 2017, more specific scoring for each question was added and therefore may see a score decrease.

Resources

• TIM Resources
  • Newsletter
    • October 2024
    • November 2024
  • TIM Program Guide
  • Southwestern PA TIM Guidelines
  • Upcoming Training
  • Pennsylvania Traffic Incident Management Enhancement (PennTIME)

Regional Traffic Signal Program

Our Regional Traffic Signal Program provides technical assistance, and potential funding to municipalities throughout our region.

Since 2008, SPC and our planning partners have been assisting local governments with improving traffic signal operations by optimizing traffic signal timings and upgrading existing traffic signal equipment. We have now completed the third cycle of this important regional program. Together the three cycles have invested nearly $11 Million to improve traffic signals in the region and results have yielded $51 of public benefit for every $1 spent in terms of reduced delay, reduced vehicular stops, reduced fuel consumption, and reduced emissions.

A summary of the benefits and costs of this program can be found here.

Visit our YouTube Channel to view Before/After Retiming Videos & Project Summaries

Resources

• Traffic Signal Retiming Videos
  • Traffic Signal Before & After Videos (3rd Program Cycle)
  • Traffic Signal Before & After Videos (2nd Program Cycle)
• Traffic Signal Project Summaries
  • 4th Cycle of the Regional Traffic Signal Program
    • State Street – Baden Borough
    • SR 286 – Plum Borough
    • Lincoln Avenue – Bellevue Borough
    • Robinson Township – North Fayette
    • Penn Township
    • US 422 – Worthington Borough and West Franklin Twp
    • US 30 SINC-UP Project
    • SR 50 – Collier Twp/Scott/Twp Heidelberg Boro
  • 3rd Cycle of the Regional Traffic Signal Program
    • City of Washington Main Street
    • North Huntingdon Twp & Irwin Borough
    • Butler County
    • Slippery Rock Borough
    • Cranberry Twp Rochester Road
    • Cranberry Twp, Seven Fields Borough
    • Cranberry Twp & Marshall Twp
    • Midland Borough
    • Ellwood City Borough
    • Ambridge Borough
    • Brentwood
    • Green Tree Borough
    • Municipalities of Bethel Park/Upper St. Clair
    • City of McKeesport
• Regional Traffic Database

Transportation Operations & Safety Forum

Our Transportation and Operations and Safety Forum meets 3 to 4 times per year and  brings together traffic engineers, safety professionals, and transportation planners from around the region to collaborate and share information on projects that work toward improved efficiency and safe operation of the transportation system.  We continue to lead planning for safe and effective transportation operations in Pennsylvania

Resources

• Meeting Agendas & Minutes
  • 2023
    • October 19, 2023
      • October Agenda
      • October Meeting Notes
      • Zach Hollingshad Intro
      • Considerations on the Future of Human-Automation Teaming in the Transit Workforce Presentation
      • U.S. DOT Safe Streets and Roads for All(SS4A) Grant Program Presentation
  • 2022
    • June 23, 2022
      • June Agenda
      • Roundabout Study
      • Fiber Product General Overview
      • Pittsburgh Smart Loading Zones
      • Meeting Recording
    • October 20,2022
      • October Agenda
      • FHWA – PA Division: ‘Operations’ Presentation
      • Highway Safety & Traffic Operations RoadMap
      • PennSTART
      • SPC Presentation
      • City of Pittsburgh – SmartPGH
      • Meeting Recording
  • 2021
    • February Agenda
    • February Minutes
  • Archived Meeting Minutes and Agendas

Congestion Management Process

Federal transportation legislation requires that each metropolitan planning area in the United States have a Congestion Management Process, or CMP.  The CMP is a regional program to address and manage congestion within the 10-county Southwestern Pennsylvania region in order to facilitate the movement of people and goods.

The goal of the CMP is to provide information that helps transportation planners, professionals and others to understand the overall congestion climate in individual corridors and the region. Data on the congestion climate helps us, in partnership with other agencies, to formulate congestion management strategies. Data and information from the CMP benefits the transportation planning process by helping the region focus limited federal transportation dollars where they can have the greatest impact.

• CMP Resources

Special Studies

• Diverging Diamond Interchange/Intersection – Washington Road (SR19) and I-70/79 Study
  • Before/After Study
• Brodhead Road Corridor Planning Study
  • Final Report
    • Final Report
  • Appendices
    • Appendix A
      • A0 – Cover Index
      • A1 – Background Plans
      • A2 – Walkability Data
      • A3 – Transit Data
      • A4 – Accessibility Data
      • A5 – Traffic Signals
      • A6 – Retroreflectivity
      • A7 – Traffic Volume Data
    • Appendix B
      • B0 – Cover Index
      • B1 – Sight Distance Data
      • B2 – Travel Time-Speed Data
      • B3 – Baseline Operations
      • B4 – Existing Conditions and Issues Report
      • B5 – Future Land Use Methodology
      • B6 – Local Development Pipeline
      • B7 – Future Conditions Report
      • B8 – Kennedy Boulevard Road Diet Investigation
      • B9 – Cost Estimates
    • Appendix D
      • D0 – Cover Index
      • D1 – Outreach Summary
      • D2 – Interview Contact List
      • D3 – Location Specific Survey and Interview Comments
      • D4 – Wikimap Comment Matrix
      • D5 – Public Meeting 1 Registration
      • D6 – Initial Survey Results
      • D7 – Public Meeting 2 Registration
      • D8 – Public Meeting 2 Breakout Notes
      • D9 – Alternative Survey Results
      • D10 – Steering Committee Notes and Slides
  • Final Video
  • Webinar Playlist
• State Route 8 Corridor Operations Planning Study
  • Final Report
• State Route 18 Corridor Operations Planning Study
  • Final Report
• State Route 30 Corridor Operations Planning Study
  • Final Report
• State Route 885/Second Avenue Multimodal Corridor Planning Study
  • Final Report
• Regional Cashless Tolling Study
  • Final Report
  • Appendix A
  • Appendix B
  • Appendix C
• Regional Roundabout Screening Study
  • Final Report

Intelligent Transportation Systems

We participate in statewide and national discussions concerning advancements in Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), including a statewide connected and autonomous vehicle work group on emerging technologies.

Resources

• Southwestern PA Regional ITS Architecture Update
• Regional ITS Device Inventory

Regional Operations Plan

We continue to work with our partners to implement initiatives from the seven priority areas contained in the 2019 Regional Operations Plan.

Resources

• Regional Operations
  • 2023 Regional Operations Plan Interim Update
  • Regional Operations Plan
  • Meeting Minutes – 2019
  • Previous Regional Operations Projects
  • Long-Range Projects

Safety Planning

We have adopted the statewide performance target established by PennDOT of a 2% reduction per year across the following five measures:

• Number of fatalities (all public roads)
• Rate of fatalities (all public roads, per 100 million vehicle miles traveled)
• Number of serious injuries (all public roads)
• Rate of serious injuries (all public roads, per 100 million vehicle miles traveled)
• Number of non-motorized fatalities and serious injuries (all public roads)

For additional information visit PennDOT’s Safety Program

Resources

• 2020 Regional Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • 2020 Regional Transportation Safety Action Plan
  • 2020 Regional Transportation Safety Action Plan Story Map

Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP)

The Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) is a core Federal-aid program with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads, including non-State-owned roads and roads on tribal land. The HSIP requires a data-driven, strategic approach to improving highway safety on all public roads with a focus on performance.  The goals of the program is to address PA Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP), project selection by Data Driven Safety Analysis (DDSA), and HSIP Set-Aside project solicitation. 

2025-2026 HSIP Set Aside Projects.

Resources

• PennDOT Pub 638 (Highway Safety Program Guide)
  • PennDOT Pub 638 (Highway Safety Program Guide)
• Pennsylvania Strategic Highway Safety Plan (2022)
  • Pennsylvania Strategic Highway Safety Plan (2022)
• PennDOT Safety Infrastructure Improvement Programs & Tools
  • PennDOT Safety Infrastructure Improvement Programs & Tools
• FHWA Highway Safety Programs
  • FHWA Highway Safety Programs

Road Safety Audits

We have developed a RSA program for Southwestern Pennsylvania as part of our Transportation Operations and Safety planning efforts.  Road Safety Audits examine of existing or future roads using an independent, multidisciplinary team to identify potential road safety issues and opportunities for proactive safety improvements. SPC integrates safety evaluations into managed funding programs.

Resources

• Southwestern Pennsylvania Road Safety Audits