HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022-075 Pedestrian and pedalcyclist crash statistics and reviewDecember 16, 2022 Report No. 2022-075
INFORMAL STAFF REPORT
TO MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
SUBJECT:
Pedestrian and pedalcyclist crash statistics and review
BACKGROUND:
On November 25, 2022, Mayor Pro Tem Beck requested staff to review and provide pedestrian
related crash statistics throughout the City of Denton. This request was subsequent to a recent hit-
and-run pedestrian fatality collision along US 380, located in the vicinity of Bell Avenue and Texas
Woman’s University on November 24, 2022. This request is related to several other City-led
initiatives to improve vehicle-related safety throughout the City of Denton, including
• the adoption of the 2022 Mobility Plan which highlights Multimodal means of
transportation,
• the Vision Zero initiative with the goal of achieving zero vehicle-related fatalities, and
• the 2022 Citywide Speed Study which studied and recommended adjustments to speeds
on city streets.
DISCUSSION:
In March of 2022, City Council adopted the 2022 Mobility Plan for the City of Denton, prioritizing
safety for all road users. Shortly after the adoption of the 2022 Mobility Plan, staff-initiated Phase
1 of the Vision Zero initiative, which is an approach to traffic safety that seeks to “eliminate traffic
fatalities and severe injuries among all road users, and to ensure safe, healthy, equitable mobility
for all.” At the same time, staff initiated the 2022 Citywide Speed Study with the goal to collect
speed-related data on the major streets throughout the city, and compile crash data to help adjust
speed limits to reduce crashes and improve mobility.
Staff pulled crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation Crash Records Information
System (C.R.I.S.), which compiles all crash-related data across the State of Texas into an online
database. The tables below show the number of pedestrian and pedalcyclist crash statistics
citywide, as well as the statistics specifically located along US 380.
Table 1. Citywide Pedestrian and Pedalcyclist Crashes (Jan. 2019 through Nov. 2022)
Crash Severity Total
Fatal Injury 3 1 4
Not Injured 9 8 6 6 29
Possible Injury 15 5 12 7 39
Suspected Minor
Injury 10 9 15 6 40
Suspected
Serious Injury 5 3 7 1 16
Pedalcyclist
Total 42 26 40 20 128
Grand Total 102 77 98 62 339
December 16, 2022 Report No. 2022-075
Table 2. US 380 Pedestrian and Pedalcyclist Crashes (Jan. 2019 through Nov. 2022)
Crash Severity 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total
Fatal Injury 4 4
Not Injured 1 1 2
Possible Injury 2 2 1 5
Suspected Minor Injury 4 2 6
Suspected Serious Injury 3 2 5
Pedestrian Total 1 5 13 3 22
Crash Severity 2019 2020 2021 2022 Total
Fatal Injury
Not Injured 1 1 1 3
Possible Injury 1 1 1 3
Suspected Minor Injury 2 3 5
Suspected Serious Injury 3 2 5
Pedalcyclist Total 2 4 4 2 12
Grand Total 3 9 17 5 34
As shown in the tables above, the total number of Pedestrian/Pedalcyclist-related crashes citywide
from the years of 2019 through 2022 was 339 reported instances. Of the 339 total reported
Pedestrian/Pedalcyclist crashes, 22 involved a fatality, and 65 involved a suspected serious injury.
For crashes specifically associated with US 380, the total number of Pedestrian/Pedalcyclist-
related crashes from the years of 2019 through 2022 was 34 reported instances. Of the 34 to tal
reported Pedestrian/Pedalcyclist crashes along US 380, 4 involved a fatality, and 10 involved a
suspected serious injury.
For context, Table 3 below shows the total number of vehicle crashes citywide and specifically
along US 380 for the same period of Jan. 2019 through Nov. 2022. The values reported in Table
3 represent the number of instances, not the number of persons involved in each instance.
Table 3. Vehicle Crashes Jan. 2019 through Nov. 2022
Crash Severity Citywide US 380
Fatal Injury 55 6
All Crashes 13,456 2,737
December 16, 2022 Report No. 2022-075
As mentioned above, the City has initiated Phase 1 of the Vision Zero initiative in the Spring of
2022, with an anticipated completion date of January 2023. The outcome of Phase 1 is an initial
assessment of current actions, including recommendations for immediate, short-term, and long-
term actions focused on moving the City closer to zero fatalities. Examples of the potential actions
include, but are not limited to, improving coordination on TxDOT-owned facilities, increasing
safety audits via a third party (i.e., NCTCOG, TxDOT), prioritization of safety projects near
incident hot spots, and the creation of a traffic calming toolkit. The next step after the completion
of Phase 1 will be the issuance of a Request for Qualifications to create a Vision Zero Action Plan
that is intended to expand upon the City’s existing efforts and outline the implementation of the
Vision Zero framework developed in Phase 1 in a manner that works for the City.
As part of the 2019 Street Bond program, the City has funding allocations to improve street lighting
along the US 380 corridor, with design funding allocated in the fiscal years 2023/2024 and
construction funding in the fiscal years 2024/2025, with construction estimated to be complete by
early 2026.
Additionally, the City participates in the Highway Safety Improvement Program, which is a
federal-aid program, administered by TxDOT, with the purpose to achieve a significant reduction
in traffic fatalities and serious injuries on all public roads. Each year TxDOT issues a call for
projects to be submitted for re-design and construction to improve intersection safety for both
vehicles and pedestrian/pedalcyclists. For the 2018 call for projects, the City was awarded three
intersections for design and construction. For the 2020 call for projects, the City was awarded two
projects scheduled for construction in FY 2023. For the 2021 call for projects, the City was
awarded five intersections for redesign and construction in FY 2023, FY 2024, and FY 2025. The
City has submitted four additional projects as part of the 2022 call for projects and is expecting to
hear a response back from TxDOT in the summer of 2023 on if the projects were selected and
awarded.
ATTACHMENTS:
1. Map – Bike-Pedestrian Crashes by Severity
2. Hotspot Map – Bike-Pedestrian Crashes by Severity
3. Map – Bike-Pedestrian Fatalities
4. Hotspot Map – Pedestrian Injuries
5. Hotspot Map – Bike Injuries
6. Map – Bike-Pedestrian Fatalities along US 380
7. Hotspot Map – Bike-Pedestrian Fatalities along US 380
STAFF CONTACT:
Brett Bourgeois, PE
Deputy City Engineer
Brett.Bourgeois@cityofdenton.com
REQUESTOR: Mayor Pro Tem Beck
PARTICIPATING DEPARTMENTS: Capital Projects/Engineering, Development Services,
Public Works, Denton Police Department