HomeMy WebLinkAboutResolution_Adopt 2023_2025 Kittitas County Safety PlanKITTITAS COUNTY
DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS
AGENDA DATE:
ACTION REQUESTED:
2023 AGENDA STAFF REPORT
March 7, 2023
Request to approve a Resolution to Adopt the 2023-2025
Road Safety Plan for Kittitas County.
BACKGROUND:
The Washington State Department of Transportation
(WSDOT) provides federal funding for county road safety
improvements to local governments and has issued a
Highway Safety Improvement Plan (HSIP) "call for
projects". Kittitas County has been successful with
previous grant requests using this program to remediate
defined hazards on County roadways. The HSIP program
last funded intersection safety improvements for enhanced
signage at specific intersections in the County. The grant
application deadline is March 15, 2023. Adopting the plan
is required prior to grant submittal. The 2023-2025 plan has
been developed identifying prioritized locations for low
cost, beneficial safety improvements based on crash data,
roadway investigations and risk-based analysis. This plan
expands on previous work to extend guardrail in hazard
locations as well as investigating non-compliant bridge rail.
INTERACTION:
Public Works.
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve the Resolution to Adopt the Kittitas County Road
Safety Plan 2023-2025.
HANDLING:
Return one original to Public Works.
ATTACHMENTS:
Resolution; Kittitas County Road Safety Plan 2023-2025
LEAD STAFF:
Joshua Fredrickson, County Engineer.
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COUNTY OF KITTITAS
STATE OF WASHINGTON
RESOLUTION NO. 2023 -
ADOPTING THE KITTITAS COUNTY ROAD SAFETY PLAN 2023-2025
WHEREAS: In accordance with Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT)
2023 Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) County Road Safety
Program call for projects, Public Works has prepared a Kittitas County Road
Safety Plan 2023-2025 updating the plan prepared in 2021; and
WHEREAS: The Kittitas County Road Safety Plan 2023-2025 identifies prioritized locations
for low cost, beneficial, county wide safety improvements based upon crash data,
roadway investigations, engineering judgement, and risk-based analysis as set
forth in WSDOT's HSIP call for project guidance; and
WHEREAS: The deadline for County grant submittal is March 15, 2023, and an adopted plan
is required supporting grant submittal;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Board of County Commissioners, in the
best interest of the public, does hereby adopt the Kittitas County Road Safety Plan 2023-2025,
hereto attached.
DATED this 7th day of March 2023, at Ellensburg, Washington
Attest:
❑ Clerk of the Board- Julie Kjorsvik
❑ Deputy Clerk of the Board- Mandy Buchholz
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
KITTITAS COUNTY, WASHINGTON
Cory Wright, Chairman
Brett Wachsmith, Vice -Chairman
Laura Osiadacz, Commissioner
Kittitas County
Road Safety Improvement Plan 2023
February 22, 2023
Kittitas County
Public Works Department
411 North Ruby Street, Suite
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Contents
ExecutiveSummary ...................................................................................................................................................3
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................5
DataAnalysis..............................................................................................................................................5
Risk -Based Prioritization Methodology...........................................................................................................7
Development of Road Segment Safety Improvements.....................................................................................9
Prioritized Cost -Effective Safety Improvement Projects..................................................................................10
Priority1: Huntzinger Road.........................................................................................................................13
Priority 2: Bridge and Structure Improvement Plan........................................................................................15
Priority 3: Denmark Road Safety Improvements............................................................................................17
Priority 4: Horizontal Road Curvature...........................................................................................................19
References................................................................................................................................................ 23
Appendix A: Kiffitas County Collision Data, 2017-2021...........................................................................................25
Appendix B: Road Segment Scoring and Project Prioritization................................................................................29
2
Executive Summary
The Kittitas County Road Safety Plan 2023 is a continuation of a biennial road safety plan program created to reduce
collisions within the County Road network. Following the Washington State Department of Transportation's (WSDOT)
Highway Safety Improvement Plan (HSIP) grant application methodology for creating a prioritized road safety plan,
crash data analysis in combination with staff identification of certain roadway characteristics throughout the County
Road network, a list of prioritized projects implementing various countermeasures was created. These projects were
further prioritized with engineering judgement using considerations such as estimated project cost, feasibility, and
improvement timing. Total project costs were also determined and accumulated, and if needed, broken down in
phases to be completed as funding opportunity allows.
• Priority One - Huntzinaer Rd Safety Improvements
Phases identified by milepost instead of total score because all phases are priority one. Milepost conscious
phases allow the county to continue heading south along the corridor. Phase breakdowns are provided in
the project description with further cost estimates per phase.
ESTIMATED PROJECT COST.
• Phase 1- $1,580,700
• Phase 2 - $1,457,775
• Priority Two — Bridge and Structure Improvement
178 bridges and structures were Identified as in need of improvements in previous safety plans as well as
the 2023 safety plan. Due to limited county forces, this project will allow the County to solicit an outside
consulting service to evaluate and prioritize a systematic way to address these deficient bridges and
structures by creating a crashworthy and cost-effective solution. Although the County has already invested
in prioritizing and grouping these structures, additional research, planning, and engineering is required to
create feasible projects that meet current standards. The desired outcome of this planning effort would be a
systematic process to begin addressing the 178 identified bridges and structures.
ESTIMATED PROJECT COST- $150,000
• Priority Three — Denmark Rd
Denmark Rd MP 0.5 to MP 4.35 has moved up in scoring prioritization. It was noted in our previous 2017,
2019, and 2021 Road Safety Plans as a safety priority. This roadway has five bridges/structures that have
deficient or no bridge rail. The segment scoring 100 has a curve that needs safety improvements and
contains accident history. This project would provide safety countermeasures to the entire Denmark Rd
corridor.
ESTIMATED PROJECT COST- $2,704,488
• Priority Four — County -wide Horizontal Curvature Plan
Roads with horizontal curves have been identified by Kittitas County as high-risk areas susceptible to motor
vehicle accidents. It was noted in previous safety plans the need for Kittitas County to implement a way to
collect horizontal curve data in order to better identify and prioritize roads that are high-risk. Priority four
would create a two-phase project with the first phase being a planning project to collect data and categorize
road segments, allowing for a systematic approach to improve safety County wide. The second phase would
be an action phase where the County uses collected data to implement safety measures on road segments
identified as high-risk in phase 1.
ESTIMATED PROJECT COST.
• Phase 1- $150,000
• Phase 2 - $300,000
Introduction
The 2023 Kittitas County Road Safety Plan is a comprehensive program of safety improvements aimed at reducing
all collisions, but specifically fatalities and serious injury accidents across the entire county road network. This safety
improvement program was developed using a strategy similar to the Washington State Strategic Highway Safety
Plan: Target Zero 2019, in which crash data is analyzed to identify accident trends and contributing factors, and then
sites within the road system are prioritized using a risk-based ranking system. Safety improvement projects are then
developed to target specific locations and systematic improvements that provide the greatest benefit to the traveling
public by preventing potential fatal and serious injury accidents.
Due to the sporadic nature of crashes on rural county roads, it can be difficult to determine trends using past data
alone to choose locations for improvements. However, past crash data can be used to predict future crashes by
evaluating the contributing factors and targeting improvements for roads with similar characteristics. As a result,
Kittitas County has decided to utilize this strategy to allow for a proactive approach that benefits more locations
throughout the entire county road system and is more cost effective than only focusing on past crash locations.
Data Analysis
Data used for this evaluation was provided by Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT). The data
includes detailed information about crashes on Kittitas County roads from 2017 to 2021, including a comparison of
how Kittitas County's roads to other public roads in the state, detailed in Table 1. Although overall, fatal and serious
injury collisions occur at a similar rate to other public roads within the state, Kittitas County is committed to reducing
these types of collisions and strives to collaboratively achieve the statewide goal of zero deaths and serious injuries
on Washington's roadways by 2030. The Kittitas County Road Safety Plan focuses on identifying cost efficient safety
improvement projects that offer substantial safety benefits countywide and reduce potential fatal and serious injury
collisions along Kittitas County's roadway network.
Table 1. Types of collisions, number of crashes and percent of crashes for Kittitas County, all counties -county maintained roads,
and all public roads.
'Includes fatal and non-fatal
'Includes serous and non -serous.
The 2017 - 2021 WSDOT provided collision data was further evaluated to determine the predominant crash types,
contributing factors, and specific locations. As shown in Table 2 below, the predominant causes of fatal and serious
injury collisions in Kittitas County are "hitting a fixed object' and "overturning." Crashes involving fixed -object hazards,
or non -traversable roadside slopes within clear zone accounted for 44.80% of all fatal and serious injury collisions.
Additionally, 20.70% of the fatal and serious injury collisions were caused by vehicles overturning. Unprotected
roadside slopes steeper than 311orizontallVertical are considered non -traversable and contribute to overturning
accidents. The predominant conditions where fatal and serious injury collisions occurred included higher speed
roadways with low lighting conditions, and where roadway curvature was a factor. This accident data seems
consistent for a county like Kittitas where most of the roadway network is rural without lighting features.
Accidents tend to be more severe when speeds are higher and where low light conditions hinder driver acuity,
especially in horizontal curves where drivers are more likely to leave the roadway. Non -intersection related collisions
accounted for 72.40% of the fatal and serious injury collisions, although a large proportion of total accidents (non-
injury, serious injury, and fatal) occurred at intersections and main corridors leading to potential for more serious
accidents at these locations. For the fatal and serious injury collisions accident report details please see Appendix A.
Kittitas County
All Counties -Co.
All Public Roads
Type of Collision
Maintained Roads
(Washington State)
Number of
Percent of
Number of
Percent of
Number of
Percent of
Crashes
Crashes
Crashes
Crashes
Crashes
Crashes
Number of Fatal Collisions
4
13.80%
696
23.80%
2,655
20.30%
Number of Serious Injury Collisions
25
86.20%
2,232
76.20%
10,396
79.70%
Number of Alcohol -Related Collisions
8
27.60%
591
20.20%
2,723
20.90%
Total Number of Fatalities
4
729
2,863
Total Number of Collisions`
654
69,198
538,366
Total Number of Injuries"
245
30,100
212,646
'Includes fatal and non-fatal
'Includes serous and non -serous.
The 2017 - 2021 WSDOT provided collision data was further evaluated to determine the predominant crash types,
contributing factors, and specific locations. As shown in Table 2 below, the predominant causes of fatal and serious
injury collisions in Kittitas County are "hitting a fixed object' and "overturning." Crashes involving fixed -object hazards,
or non -traversable roadside slopes within clear zone accounted for 44.80% of all fatal and serious injury collisions.
Additionally, 20.70% of the fatal and serious injury collisions were caused by vehicles overturning. Unprotected
roadside slopes steeper than 311orizontallVertical are considered non -traversable and contribute to overturning
accidents. The predominant conditions where fatal and serious injury collisions occurred included higher speed
roadways with low lighting conditions, and where roadway curvature was a factor. This accident data seems
consistent for a county like Kittitas where most of the roadway network is rural without lighting features.
Accidents tend to be more severe when speeds are higher and where low light conditions hinder driver acuity,
especially in horizontal curves where drivers are more likely to leave the roadway. Non -intersection related collisions
accounted for 72.40% of the fatal and serious injury collisions, although a large proportion of total accidents (non-
injury, serious injury, and fatal) occurred at intersections and main corridors leading to potential for more serious
accidents at these locations. For the fatal and serious injury collisions accident report details please see Appendix A.
Table 2. Crash data for fatal and serious injury collision by jurisdiction and collision type.
2017 through 2021 Crash Data
Fatal/Serious Injury Collision Types and Conditions
Type of Collision
(Run-off the Road)
Kittitas County
Number Percent
of of
Crashes Crashes
All Counties -Co.
Maintained Roads
Number Percent
of of
Crashes Crashes
All Public Roads
(Washington State)
Number percent of
of Crashes
Crashes
Hit Fixed Object- Roadway Ditch
4
30.80%
208
16.60%
442
12.20%
Hit Fixed Object - Tree/Slum(Stationary)
3
23.10%
293
23.40%
654
18.00%
Hit Fixed Object - Fence
1
7.70%
80
6.40%
181
5.00%
Hit Fixed Object - Earth Bank
1
7.70%
139
11.10%
319
8.80%
Hit Fixed Object - Over Embankment
1
7.70%
91
7.30%
250
6.90%
Hit Fixed Object- Boulder(Stationary)
1
7.70%
31
2.50%
59
1.60%
Hit Fixed Object - Utility Box
1
7.70%
8
0.60%
24
0.70%
Hit Fixed Object - Rock Bank
1
7.70%
7
0.60%
36
1.00%
Total Hit Fixed Object
13
44.80%
1,254
42.80%
3,636
27.90%
Total Overturn
6
20.70%
259
8.80%
858
6.60%
-Light Condition - Dark, No Street Lights
8
27.60%
823
28.10%
2,078
15.90%
-Light Condition - Dawn
1
3.40%
66
2.30%
240
1.80%
Condition - Dusk
1
3.40%
108
3.70%
424
3.20%
-Light
-Light Condition - Dark, Street Lights On
0
0.00%
264
9.00%
3,128
24.00%
Total Light Condition
10
34.40%
1,261
43.10%
5,870
44.90%
Non -Intersection - Not Related
1 21
72.40%
1,960
66.90%
7,435
57.00%
Road Curvature - Horizontal Curve
10 1
34.50%
1,046
35.70%
3,164
24.20%
Over Centedine
2
4.70%
103
2.80%
335
2.10%
5
13.50%
625
14.90%
2,504
12.00%
-Motorcycle
Posted Speed Limit at 50 mph
25
73.50%
919
25.10%
1,884
10.80%
Risk -Based Prioritization Methodology
Run-off the road crashes have been identified as the predominant collision type in Kittitas County and are occurring
at a disproportionately high rate on specific corridors as compared to other public roads in the state as shown in the
crash data provided by WSDOT for 2017-2021, reflected in Table 2. As a result, this plan will focus on roadside
safety improvements to reduce the severity and number of accidents on Kittitas County roads where it is most likely
that run-off the road crashes will occur.
From a safety perspective, the ideal roadway is straight with roadsides that are flat and unobstructed by hazards.
Straight roadways eliminate the need for drivers to navigate curves, reducing the chances of running off the road.
Providing the recommended clear zone and roadside slopes allows drivers to safely recover control of a vehicle in
the event they do leave the roadway and helps ensure fixed -object hazards do not cause fatal or serious injury
accidents. The aforementioned roadway geometry and clear recovery area is the goal in improving roadside safety
but is often cost prohibitive due to the geography of the area and is not supported by rural character or practical
design. In cases where it is cost prohibitive to eliminate roadway curvature and create an unobstructed traversable
roadside, alternative improvements that may reduce the severity of an accident or alert a driver to a hazard should be
considered. This safety plan focuses on roadway segments and intersections where low-cost high benefit
countermeasures and improvements can be implemented. These countermeasures and improvements may include
improved or increased pavement markings, breakaway features on posts, guardrail deployment, bridge rail retrofits,
rumble strip installation, and signing and traffic delineation upgrades, all of which may be implemented to reduce fatal
and serious injury collisions.
Based on the crash data for 2017-2021, 70.40% percent of the total crashes involved roads with an average daily
traffic (ADT) of 175 or more and with a speed limit of 35mph of higher. In order to have the greatest potential impact
in reducing collisions, the county considered roads for evaluation and prioritization of safety improvements with the
following characteristics:
MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR INCLUDING ROAD SEGMENTS IN SAFETY PLAN:
• Paved: Asphalt Concrete Overlay (ACP), Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA), or Bituminous Surface Treatment
(BST).
• ADT of 175 or more.
• Posted speeds of 35 mph or more.
• Collision within segment in the past five years.
The minimum criteria include the preliminary eligibility requirements as defined by the U.S. Department of
Transportation Federal Highway Administration's Highway (FHWA) Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) as stated
under the 2023 County Safety Program: Call for Projects solicitation for grant funding. Additional scoring criteria has
been developed by Kittitas County Public Works Staff and used consistently throughout multiple years of safety
planning to provide scoring and prioritization continuity. The additional criteria include a heavier weighted score for
segments listed in the previous County safety plan, roadway curvature — horizontal curve, and collision seriousness
(injury, serious, or fatal). Kittitas County recognized in previous safety plans the need to collect clear zone data that
would reflect the current clear zone condition of all county roads. In 2022, a clear zone inventory was conducted that
targeted known hazards such as shoulder width, side slope grade, and fixed objects in the clear zone of all county
road segments. The hazards found in each road segment were scored based off severity and later totaled to get a
final score per road segment. Each road segment was then ranked and given a weighted score that mirrored
previous scoring criteria of past safety plans. County road segments possessing the minimum criteria characteristics,
as well as the additional criteria characteristics, were evaluated and scored by the weighted method shown in Table
3. The complete list of resulting road segment prioritization is shown in Appendix B.
Table 3. Scoring criteria and weighted score values used in assessing road safety project priority for 2023. Higher scores
indicate a higher priority road segment and/or higher countermeasure needs.
Development of Road Segment Safety Improvements
After roadway segments were prioritized using the risk-based scoring as described above, the results were reviewed,
and the list was shortened so the plan could focus on the segments that would see the most benefit from safety
improvements and eliminated erroneous results or locations reflecting outdated information.
Road segments with a score lower than 55 were removed from consideration in an attempt to break segments down
into higher priority rating and lower priority rating groups. Road segments that were within the scope of current
improvement projects or recently completed improvement projects were also removed. Each accident report was
examined forfurther details regarding the incident to further identify contributing factors, driver actions, alcohol or
drug influence, intersection related, and any countermeasures already in place. The list of candidate locations was
further reduced by eliminating roadway segments where accidents were alcohol or drug related with no hazard at the
site and segments where countermeasures were already in place and or where no countermeasures would have
prevented the accident. While these road segments are important to monitor, focus is given to other locations where
collisions due to deficiencies in the road structure can be addressed. The remaining roadway segments were then
evaluated for potential safety improvements and countermeasures.
Huntzinger Road has been identified as a safety need in the 2023 Safety Plan as well as in past safety plans. Crash
data shows several areas where road curvature; both vertical and horizontal, steep embankments, and no shoulder
Scoring Criteria and Weighted Scores
Item
Number
Factors and Collision Types
Score
1
OVERALL CRITERIA MET:
Meets minimum criteria and was included in previous local safety Ian
20
Meets minimum criteria but not included in previous local safety Ian
10
Does not meet minimum criteria and was included in previous local safety Ian
5
2
Clear Zone Inventory Shoulder Width, Side Slopes, Fixed Objects
90th Percentile of highest scored roads based on clear zone inventory
20
80th Percentile of highest scored roads based on clear zone inventory
10
70th Percentile of highest scored roads based on clear zone inventory
5
3
Roadway Curvature—Horizontal Curve
Over 50% of the road is in a horizontal curve
20
About 10% to 50% of the road is in a horizontal curve
10
At least one section of the road is in a horizontal curve
5
4
ONE OR MORE FATAL OR SERIOUS INJURY COLLISION(S) — 2015 THROUGH 2019
Fatality perperson/s)
50 ea.
Serious Injury (perperson/s)
40 ea.
5
INJURY(per erson/s
15 ea.
Development of Road Segment Safety Improvements
After roadway segments were prioritized using the risk-based scoring as described above, the results were reviewed,
and the list was shortened so the plan could focus on the segments that would see the most benefit from safety
improvements and eliminated erroneous results or locations reflecting outdated information.
Road segments with a score lower than 55 were removed from consideration in an attempt to break segments down
into higher priority rating and lower priority rating groups. Road segments that were within the scope of current
improvement projects or recently completed improvement projects were also removed. Each accident report was
examined forfurther details regarding the incident to further identify contributing factors, driver actions, alcohol or
drug influence, intersection related, and any countermeasures already in place. The list of candidate locations was
further reduced by eliminating roadway segments where accidents were alcohol or drug related with no hazard at the
site and segments where countermeasures were already in place and or where no countermeasures would have
prevented the accident. While these road segments are important to monitor, focus is given to other locations where
collisions due to deficiencies in the road structure can be addressed. The remaining roadway segments were then
evaluated for potential safety improvements and countermeasures.
Huntzinger Road has been identified as a safety need in the 2023 Safety Plan as well as in past safety plans. Crash
data shows several areas where road curvature; both vertical and horizontal, steep embankments, and no shoulder
contribute to run -off-road accidents. Injury and serious injury accidents have also contributed to the increase in
priority Huntzinger Road has experienced with the County. Segments along this road have been identified as areas
where safety improvements would make a large impact on reducing total accidents in the future. Huntzinger Road
has been split into a two-phase project that addresses approximately half the road at a time, starting with the higher
risk portion based on collected data.
Additionally, the County has re -thought its approach to addressing the need to improve 178 bridges and structures
that have been identified as having deficiencies. Past safety plans have also addressed this need, but due to limited
County forces, Kittitas County has been unable to provide a feasible solution to this problem. Recognizing the
importance of addressing the deficiencies in these structures, the County needs additional research, planning, and
engineering to come up with a feasible solution. Through this, the option for an outside consulting service to evaluate
and prioritize a systematic way to address these deficient structures would be possible.
Prioritized Cost -Effective Safety Improvement Projects
Road segment safety improvement identification used a combination of spot location and systematic approaches.
After improvements were identified, they were prioritized based on the potential for crash prevention and greatest
benefit, as supported by engineering judgement.
Kittitas County evaluated the scoring and road segment safety improvement results to find high risk, sizable benefit
countermeasures to group together as countywide safety projects that promptly provide the biggest benefit for the
most efficient cost. Examples of grouped projects in past safety plans include bridge rail improvements and
Intersection Corridor Improvements. Bridges rated Code 1, Code 2 and Code 3 were broken into phases to create
more manageable projects for design and construction improvements. Such improvements include bringing bridges
up to current WSDOT standards through approach improvement, replacement of timber railings, or the addition of
railing for bridges with none. In addition to this, Intersection Corridor improvements across the county would target
specific intersections that have insufficient or non -effective safety measures based on accident data and safety
studies. Kittitas County is currently 95% complete in its designs to improve previously targeted intersections and
corridors by improving clear zones, providing LED -enhanced signs, and taking increased visibility measures for high-
risk locations.
By focusing on similarities in the roads and their needs, priorities for the 2023 Kittitas County safety improvement
projects were formed to address a wider range of project locations for safety improvements, rather than specific road
focused projects. This allows the County to better reduce the possibility of fatalities and/or serious injuries across the
County. In addition to this, locations with similar geographic vicinity were grouped together to provide efficient
contracting and create more cost-effective projects. A summary of the Safety Improvement Projects can be found in
Table 4, followed by project details including preliminary scope, locations of the proposed work, and an estimated
10
cost for the improvements. Notes regarding the engineering judgment that affected project prioritization can be found
in the Executive Summary.
11
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Priority 1: Huntzinger Road Safety Improvements
a. Phase 1 -MP 5.14 to MP 10.74
b. Phase 2 -MP 2.70 to MP 5.14
Huntzinger Road has several segments of road that scored high on the risk-based prioritization both in 2021 and in
2023. Although the accident data only reflects moderate hazards, the characteristics of the road show several areas
of curves; both vertical and horizontal, steep embankments, and no shoulder which are the largest contributing
factors to run -off-road accidents. Guardrail, signing and delineation improvements to this corridor are cost -prohibitive
so the county has prioritized the phases in order of mileposts. Milepost 5.14 to 6.99 had a total score above 55 in
2021, however dropped below this threshold to a total score of 40 in 2023. This may be due to the change in
methodology used to collect clear zone data and rate clear zone data per road segment in 2023. For this reason,
Kittitas County has opted to combine this road segment with phase 1 of the Huntzinger Road Safety Improvements
priority. The Huntzinger Road Safety Improvements project is a priority for Kittitas County because recreation
opportunities and new residence traffic are rapidly increasing along this roadway. Kittitas County would like to
acknowledge a current and continuing monitoring and evaluation stage for safety in these segments of Huntzinger
Rd.
13
Priority 1: Huntzinger Rd Safety Improvements
I
A
p
Huntzinger Rd
Road. Owned By:
❑
'
o
o
• Phase 1 is between MP 5.14 to MP 10.74 where road segments have crashes involving injuries and severe
injuries, segments with sharp horizontal curves, vertical curves, steep embankments, very little to no
shoulder, and areas in need of guardrail, signs and/or delineation.
e ESTIMATED COST $1,580,700
• Phase 2 is between MP 2.70 to MP 5.14 where road segments have several horizontal curves, steep
embankments, and no shoulder in places with minimal countermeasures in place.
ESTIMATED COST $1,457,775
14
Priority 2: Bridge and Structure Improvement Project
Through ongoing efforts to identify hazards near and/or at bridges or structures countywide, 178
structures were identified to have deficiencies. These were codified into three types. Code 3 for no rail
or timber rail and 60 were identified. Code 2 for no approaches or non-crashworthy railing and 100 were
identified. Code 1 for rail that does not meet current AASHTO Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware
Standards (MASH) and 18 were identified. With the high quantity of deficient safety measures on
structures being countywide, an approach by maintenance district grouping was implemented to allow
for rail improvements in a series of projects. As further data such as survey was collected to provide
preliminary engineering options to implement these improvements to reduce the severity of crashes
that have or may occur at these structures, another element was identified. By adding rail to these
deficient structures, the county found that improvement would not be an improvement at all. Attaching
to a deficient structure would not meet current standards. It would change the Code 3 to a Code 1 but
would not reduce the hazard. No protection for errant vehicles leaving the roadway would still be
present. The narrow structures, narrow roads, and no shoulder would create a larger project at each
site. Another approach is needed. A planning project that would allow for the research needed to create
a solution that would meet the Target Zero goals, meet standards, and be the most cost-effective
solution for the County.
With further research, planning and preliminary engineering, a project that would be successful for
these structures will be needed. As the county forces are limited, a project that allows for consultant
services to create a crashworthy and cost-effective solution is a priority for Kittitas County. Structure
widening or replacement projects to allow for improvements to meet current standards is an approach
that must be considered and planned for.
15
Priority 2: Bridge and Structure Improvement Projects
ESTIMATED COST • $150,000.
6
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16
Priority 3: Denmark Road Safety Improvements
Safety countermeasures and roadway improvements of a sharp corner with steep embankments at MP 3.57 would
aid to prevent run -off-road accidents on this specific road as it has a history of accidents at this location and was
identified in previous road safety plans as well as the six-year transportation improvement plan. The county included
multiple road segments to provide improvements to this entire roadway corridor, from MP 0.50 to MP 4.35 which
includes bundling structure crossings to the project for efficiency and cost-effective contract letting. This segment
includes five bridges with failing rails and/or no rails within maintenance district K: 79143-ob, 79144, 79261-ob,
79262-ob, 79351-ob. Alternatives to address these crossings may include structure widening, structure replacement
and the addition of barrier and guardrail. Recent improvements at this site include an extension of the culvert at MP
3.57 under Denmark Rd by about 15ft and the addition of rock to prevent undercutting of road. The shoulders of the
roadway were also built up by approximately 2ft on the outside of the comer and 3ft on the inside of the corner.
Further countermeasures such as those mentioned in this section are needed as this work itself does not prevent
run -off-road events.
17
Priority 3: Denmark Rd Safety Improvements
ESTIMATED COST $2,704,48f
a
r
I
0
o..aer
f�
• Denmark Rd from MP 0.50 to MP 3.08 has several structures in need of adequate railing. Alternatives to
address these structures may include structure widening or structure replacement.
• Denmark Rd from MP 3.08 to MP 4.35 has steep curves, both vertical and horizontal. The road narrows
greatly at the corner with steep embankments on both sides of the road. The countermeasures in place are
minimal and no rail is present at the corner.
• Recent improvements include extension of the existing culvert and the addition of rock to prevent
undercutting of the roadway and shoulder buildup.
• Denmark Rd includes five bridges rated as Code 3 (see Priority Two in this plan). Bridge IDs are: 79143-ob,
79144, 79261-ob, 79262 -ab, 79351-ob.
18
Priority 4: County -wide Horizontal Curvature Plan
Roads that include horizontal curves have been identified as high risk by Kittitas County in both the 2023 safety plan,
as well as past safety plans. To better prevent future fatal and serious injury accidents, Kittitas County would greatly
benefit from future projects that utilizes horizontal curve data to identify roads in need of crash prevention measures.
Through various instruments and equipment to collect data, Kittitas County can implement projects such as advisory
speeds, LED chevrons/arrows, and additional Carsonite safety posts to prevent future fatal and serious injuries on
the road system. Although it has a lower priority than other projects, it is a low-cost proposal that could also reduce
the cost of future projects.
MI
Priority 4: County -wide Horizontal Curvature Plan
FS FI1l,`CF COST:
Phase 1: Planning - $150,000
Phase 2: Implementation • $300,000
20
21
EMA
TOTAL
TAE OF 1.
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ClEAI
AREACARAY
FATAL OR
Ed"
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21
• Road segments scored by horizontal curve severity to identify potential locations for
countermeasures. Road segments were then ranked highest to lowest based off score.
• Scoring based off Table 3: Scoring Criteria and Weighted Score.
22
References
Arnold Jr., E.D. and Lantz Jr., K.E., Evaluation of best practices in traffic operations and safety: Phase 1: Flashing
LED stop sign and optical speed bars. Virginia Transportation Research Council. 2007.
Chandler, B., Grey means go: Colorblindness in transportation. Institute of Transportation Engineers. March 2021.
Davis, G.A., Hourdos, J., Xiong, H., Estimating the crash reduction and vehicle dynamics effects of flashing LED stop
signs. Minnesota Department of Transportation. 2014.
Gates TJ, Carlson PJ, Hawkins HG. Field evaluations of warning and regulatory signs with enhanced conspicuity
properties. Transportation Research Record. 2004.
Kittitas County Public Works Department. Kittitas County Road Safety Plan. 2023
23
List of Appendices
Appendix A:
Kittitas County Collision Data, 2017-2021
Appendix B:
Road Segment Scoring and Project Prioritization
24
Appendix A
Kittitas County Collision Data 2017-2021
25
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Table 2. Total number of accidents per road (County maintained roads only), 2017-2021.
Road Name
Number of
Accidents
Road Name
Number of
Accidents
Road Name
Number of
Accidents
1stSt(Thorp)
1
Hunter Rd
1
Sanders Rd
8
Airport Rd (Cle Elum)
2
Huntzinger Rd
15
Sisters Rd
2
Anderson Rd
1
Hyak Drive East
1
Smithson Rd
3
Badger Pocket Rd
4
Kachess Lake Rd
2
Snoqualmie Dr
2
Ballard Hill Rd
1
Kaynor Rd
1
Sorenson Rd
1
Bender Rd
5
Killmore Rd
i
Sparks Rd
2
Berry Rd
2
Otas Hwy
45
Stance Re
1
Bowers Rd
1
Koffman Rd
i
Sunlight Drive
1
Brick Mill Rd
11
Lannigan Springs Rd
1
Taneum Rd East
2
Brick Rd
9
Liberty Rd
1
Taneum Rd West
1
Brown Rd
2
Look Rd
7
Taylor Rd
1
Bulltog Rd
13
Lower Green Canyon Rd
2
Teanaway Rd
13
Burke Rd
1
Lower Peoh Point Rd
3
Thomas Rd
3
Bynum Rd
1
Lyons Rd
3
Thorp Cemetary Rd
4
Cabin Creek Rd
0
Main Street (Vantage)
2
Thorp Hwy North
4
Canyon Rd
14
Manastash Rd
13
Thorp Hwy South
16
Casassa Rd
0
Middle Fork Teanaway Rd
3
Thorp Prairie Rd
8
Carek Rd
1
Moe Rd
1
Thrall Rd
18
Caribou Rd
2
Mohar Rd
2
Tipton Rd
1
Cascade Place Rd
1
Morrison Rd
3
Tjossem Rd
12
Christensen Rd
1
Mt Daniels Dr
1
Umptanum Rd
19
Clem an Rd
5
Naneum Rd
6
Upper Badger Pocket Rd
14
Clerf Rd
5
Nelson Dairy Rd
2
Upper Peoh Point Rd
17
Colockum Rd
3
Nelson Siding Rd
7
Vanderbilt Rd
1
Cooke Canyon Rd
4
No. 6 Rd
24
Vantage Hwy
62
Cove Rd
6
No. 81 Rd
9
Venture Rd
1
Denmark Rd
6
Parke Creek Rd
5
Watson Cutoff Rd
1
Dry Creek Rd
2
Pasco Rd
1
West Fork Teanaway Rd
1
Fairview Rd
7
Passmore Rd
1
Westside Rd
17
Faust Rd
1
Payne Rd
1
White Pine Dr
1
Ferguson Rd North
1
Pays Rd
1
Wilson Creek Rd
20
Fourth Parallel Rd
2
Planning Rd
3
Fowler Creek Rd
1
Rader Rd
1
Game Farm Rd
5
Railroad St
3
Gladmar Rd
1
Recreation Dr
1
Golf Course Rd
1
Reecer Creek Rd
17
Hannah Rd
0
Riverbo@om Rd
2
Hanson Rd
10
Robbins Rd
4
Hem ingston Rd
1
Robinson Canyon Rd
9
Hungry Junction Rd
7
Salmon La Sac Rd
9
>10 and <50 accidents
>50 accidents
28
Appendix B
Road Segment Scoring Results
29
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