5 E's of Safe Travel

Engineering

Field reviews, traffic studies, and crash data are essential to improving roadways for today’s needs and future growth. Traffic engineers use this information to create low-cost retrofits or suggest larger improvements for future projects.

The Safe Routes to School program provides engineering improvements along student walking routes that address barriers to walking, enhance pedestrian safety, and fill in missing pedestrian infrastructure. These improvements include raised crosswalks with rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFBs), pedestrian signage, and pavement markings.

Education

Traffic engineers provide educational materials and participate in workshops and public meetings upon request. Materials provided by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) are distributed at Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) events and local hospitals. Hillsborough County is currently the chair of the FDOT Community Traffic Safety Team.

As part of the Safe Routes to School Program, the County works with school administrators and the Sidewalk Stompers organization to engage parents to identify barriers to walking and identify student travel patterns. Pedestrian and roadway safety education is provided to students on campus during school hours through a partnership with the Center for Urban Transportation Research (CUTR).

Enforcement

The Traffic Management and Engineering divisions work with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) to identify traffic safety issues and collaboratively provide solutions.

Safe Routes to School facilitates coordination with school administrators and HCSO for an enforcement campaign that issues warnings and cites pedestrians and drivers that violate traffic laws.

Emergency response

Maximizing traffic signal efficiency and reducing roadway congestion is essential to reducing emergency response time. The Traffic Management division is working with the Hillsborough County Fire Marshal to implement innovative technology in emergency vehicles that will preempt traffic signals for those vehicles when they are responding to emergencies.

Traffic engineers are improving roadway systems to provide efficient access to local critical care centers.

Equity

Equity initiatives aim to prioritize projects in underserved communities. A subcommittee on racial discrimination and equity was formed in 2018 to craft the language of a resolution to ensure more robust access to all modes of transportation with an intentional focus on the needs of African American, Latino, and other historically underrepresented communities in Hillsborough County.

Equity is incorporated through community participation in project development, prioritizing projects in underserved communities, and addressing the transportation safety needs of the most vulnerable.