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FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Research Project Description
Center Identification Number:
Project Title: Analysis
of Florida Transit Bus Accidents
Co-Principal Investigators:
Dennis Hinebaugh,
Transit Program Director
813-974-9833
E-mail: hinebaugh@cutr.eng.usf.edu
Joel Rey, Senior Research Associate
Institution: Center for Urban Transportation Research
University of South Florida
Tampa, Florida
External Project Contact: Mike
Johnson, Transit Operations Administrator
Project Objective
To undertake a consolidated, comprehensive review of bus
transit accidents at Florida public transit systems. This project will analyze
accident data and the effectiveness of training programs and capital safety
improvements on reducing bus accidents.
Project Abstract
The recently completed FDOT Research Ideas project on System
Safety Plans and Accident Tracking Analysis recommended that all Florida
transit systems begin collecting a core set of accident characteristics to be
monitored and analyzed on a state-wide basis. The accident data will be used
to assess the effectiveness of specific training programs and actions (i.e.
installation of reflective striping, third taillights, re-training programs,
etc.) at each property. This information will be shared state-wide on a
continuing basis.
III. Task Descriptions
Task 1 Accident Data Collection
In this task, the investigators will collect Fiscal Year
1998 bus accident data from the two Florida fixed-route public transit
systems. An attempt will be made to collect only the core set of data required
from the previous report.
Task 2 Safety Training Program and Capital
Improvements Data Collection
In this task CUTR will request information from the transit
systems related to their most recent (last two Fiscal Years) training programs
and safety related capital improvements. Specific dates of training programs
as well as the curriculum will be documented. Further, the specific dates of
capital improvements (to the point of knowing date and action of an
improvement by individual bus) will be collected.
Task 3 Accident Data Entry
In this task, the investigators will enter the Florida
system=s bus accident data into a data base for analysis.
Task 4 Analysis of the Data
Frequency distributions will be run on all of the data
fields in the accident database. In those cases when the frequency analysis
does not provide enough insight into or cannot alone pinpoint the causal
factors of the problem, CUTR will perform additional cross-tabulation
analyses. On a limited basis where time and budget will allow, a geographic
analysis will be performed. Accidents will be geocoded, and for locations
where frequent accidents have occurred, further analyses may be performed.
Task 5 Data
Interpretation/Final Report
The data analyzed in the previous task will be compared
against the known training and capital safety improvement projects. The
accident data will be used to assess the effectiveness of specific training
programs and capital improvement actions (i.e. installation of reflective
striping, third taillights, re-training programs, etc.) at each property.
IV. Project Schedule, Milestones
Project Start Date:
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Task/Month |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
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Task 1 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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Task 2 |
X |
X |
X |
X |
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Task 3 |
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X |
X |
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Task 4 |
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X |
X |
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Task 5 |
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X |
X |
X |
X |
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Quarterly Progress Reports |
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X |
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X |
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X |
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Final Report |
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X |
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V. Project Budget
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Analysis of Florida Transit Bus Accidents |
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Budget Categories |
State Share |
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Institute Director Salary |
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Faculty Salaries |
$33,945 |
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Administrative Staff Salaries |
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Other Staff Salaries |
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Graduate Student Salaries |
$1,036 |
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Undergraduate Salaries |
|
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Staff Benefits |
$10,987 |
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Total Salaries and Benefits |
$45,968 |
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Permanent Equipment |
|
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Expendable Equipment and Supplies |
$1,000 |
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Domestic Travel |
$4,000 |
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Foreign Travel |
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Computer Costs |
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Other Costs |
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Total Direct Costs |
$50,968 |
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Indirect Costs |
$2,548 |
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TOTAL COSTS |
$53,516 |
Notes: This budget does not reflect any federal
participation. The project team will include faculty, students, and
secretarial and other support staff who will work directly on the project
and whose costs are reflected in the direct costs of the project as listed
above.
VI. Student Involvement
Graduate students will be used to compile and enter data and
assist in the data analysis.
VII. Relationship to Other Research Projects
A similar analysis on one selected system was conducted as
part of a FY 1997 Florida Department of Transportation Research Idea project
entitled " System Safety Program and Accident Tracking Analysis". This project
follows-up on the recommendations of that report.
VIII. Technology Transfer Activities
The results of this analysis will be provided to the FDOT
through a series of technical memoranda and a final report. Copies of the
final report will be provided to the Research Office, the State Public
Transportation Administrator, the Manager of the Transit Office and the
transit systems which participated in the analyses.
IX. Potential Benefits of the Project
The benefits of the project include the development and
implementaion of a standardized set of accident data to be collected by
Florida transit properties. This information can then be used to compare
trends and the effectiveness of training and capital improvement programs
between Florida transit systems.
X. TRB Keywords
Public
Transit, safety, accidents
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813.974.5168 fax