TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD 2026 EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE^*

OFFICERS

Chair: Joel M. Jundt, Secretary of Transportation, South Dakota Department of Transportation, Pierre

Vice Chair: Randell Iwasaki, President and CEO, Iwasaki Consulting Services, Walnut Creek, CA

Executive Director: Ann M. Brach, Transportation Research Board, Washington, DC

MEMBERS

James F. Albaugh, President and CEO, The Boeing Company (retired), Scottsdale, AZ

Marsha Anderson Bomar, Strategic Transportation Advisor, GHD, Duluth, GA

Nancy Daubenberger, Commissioner of Transportation, Minnesota Department of Transportation, St. Paul

Garrett Eucalitto, Commissioner, Connecticut Department of Transportation, Newington

Andrew Fremier, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission, San Francisco, CA

Martha Grabowski, Distinguished Senior Research Scientist, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY

Edward Hassinger, Director, Missouri Department of Transportation, Jefferson City

Shante Hastings, Cabinet Secretary, Delaware Department of Transportation, Dover

Carol A. Lewis, Professor, Transportation Studies, Texas Southern University, Houston

Ricardo Martinez, Adjunct Professor of Emergency Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Decatur, GA

Russell McMurry, Commissioner, Georgia Department of Transportation, Atlanta

Craig E. Philip, Research Professor and Director, VECTOR, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN

Leslie S. Richards, Professor of Practice, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

Tracy Larkin Thomason, Director, Nevada Department of Transportation, Carson City

Marc Williams, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

Derek Barrs, Administrator, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Steven G. Bradbury, Deputy Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation, Washington, DC

Stephen Carmel, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration, Washington, DC

Tara Cavalline, Professor, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, and Chair, TRB Technical Activities Council

David Fink, Administrator, Federal Railroad Administration, Washington, DC

Firas Ibrahim, Director, Office of Research, Development, and Technology, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Washington, DC

Jason Kelly, Deputy Commanding General for Civil Works and Emergency Operations, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Washington, DC

Sandra Knight, President, WaterWonks, LLC, Washington, DC, and Chair, TRB Marine Board

Sean McMaster, Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, DC

Jonathan Morrison, Administrator, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Seval Oz, Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology, Washington, DC

Niloo Parvinashtiani, Engineer, Mobility Consultant Solutions, Iteris Inc., Fairfax, VA, and Chair, TRB Young Participants Council

Jamie Pfister, Administrator, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, DC

Paul Roberti, Administrator, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, Washington, DC

Paul P. Skoutelas, President and CEO, American Public Transportation Association, Washington, DC

Jim Tymon, Executive Director, American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, Washington, DC

______________________

^* Membership as of May 2026.

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1181

Toolkit for Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach

Meghan Mitman

Kelly Bond

Samantha Ellman

Erin Ferguson

Nicole Waldheim

Cullen McCormick

Fehr & Peers

San Francisco, CA

Charles Brown

Nellie Graham

Equitable Cities

San Francisco, CA

Elissa Goughnour

Taylor Bonner

Sahar Nabaee

Jonathan Kupfer

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin Inc.

San Francisco, CA

Subscriber Categories

Highways • Pedestrians and Bicyclists • Safety and Human Factors

Research sponsored by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration

2026

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

Systematic, well-designed, and implementable research is the most effective way to solve many problems facing state department of transportation (DOT) administrators and engineers. Often, highway problems are of local or regional interest and can best be studied by state DOTs individually or in cooperation with their state universities and others. However, the accelerating growth of highway transportation results in increasingly complex problems of wide interest to highway authorities. These problems are best studied through a coordinated program of cooperative research.

Recognizing this need, the leadership of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) in 1962 initiated an objective national highway research program using modern scientific techniques—the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). NCHRP is supported on a continuing basis by funds from participating member states of AASHTO and receives the full cooperation and support of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), United States Department of Transportation.

The Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine was requested by AASHTO to administer the research program because of TRBʼs recognized objectivity and understanding of modern research practices. TRB is uniquely suited for this purpose for many reasons: TRB maintains an extensive committee structure from which authorities on any highway transportation subject may be drawn; TRB possesses avenues of communications and cooperation with federal, state, and local governmental agencies, universities, and industry; TRBʼs relationship to the National Academies is an insurance of objectivity; and TRB maintains a full-time staff of specialists in highway transportation matters to bring the findings of research directly to those in a position to use them.

The program is developed on the basis of research needs identified by chief administrators and other staff of the highway and transportation departments, by committees of AASHTO, and by the FHWA. Topics of the highest merit are selected by the AASHTO Special Committee on Research and Innovation (R&I), and each year R&Iʼs recommendations are proposed to the AASHTO Board of Directors, the FHWA, and the National Academies. Research projects to address these topics are defined by NCHRP, and qualified research agencies are selected from submitted proposals. Administration and oversight of research contracts are the responsibilities of NCHRP.

The needs for highway research are many, and NCHRP can make significant contributions to solving highway transportation problems of mutual concern to many responsible groups. The program, however, is intended to complement, rather than to substitute for or duplicate, other highway research programs.

NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1181

Project 08-171
ISSN 2572-3766 (Print)
ISSN 2572-3774 (Online)
ISBN 978-0-309-60610-3
Library of Congress Control Number 2026941966

© 2026 by the National Academy of Sciences. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the graphical logo are trademarks of the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION

Authors herein are responsible for the originality and accuracy of their materials and for obtaining written permissions from publishers or persons who own the copyright to any previously published or copyrighted material used herein.

The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) grants permission to reproduce written material in this publication for classroom and non-commercial purposes subject to the rights of any third parties and appropriate attribution. Permission is given with the understanding that none of the material will be used to imply NAS, TRB, AASHTO, APTA, FAA, FHWA, FTA, GHSA, or NHTSA endorsement of a particular product, method, or practice. For other uses of the written material, users must request permission from the National Academies Press.

NOTICE

The research report was reviewed by the technical panel and accepted for publication according to procedures established and overseen by the Transportation Research Board and approved by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

This material is based upon work supported by the FHWA under Agreement No. 693JJ32350025. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed or implied in this document are those of the researchers who performed the research and are not necessarily those of the Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the FHWA; or the program sponsors.

The Transportation Research Board does not develop, issue, or publish standards or specifications. The Transportation Research Board manages applied research projects which provide the scientific foundation that may be used by Transportation Research Board sponsors, industry associations, or other organizations as the basis for revised practices, procedures, or specifications.

The Transportation Research Board; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; and the sponsors of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program do not endorse products or manufacturers. Trade or manufacturersʼ names or logos appear herein solely because they are considered essential to the object of the report.

Published research reports of the

NATIONAL COOPERATIVE HIGHWAY RESEARCH PROGRAM

are available from

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and can be ordered through the internet by going to

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Printed in the United States of America

The National Academy of Sciences was established in 1863 by an Act of Congress, signed by President Lincoln, as a private, nongovernmental institution to advise the nation on issues related to science and technology. Members are elected by their peers for outstanding contributions to research. Dr. Marcia McNutt is president.

The National Academy of Engineering was established in 1964 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to bring the practices of engineering to advising the nation. Members are elected by their peers for extraordinary contributions to engineering. Dr. Tsu-Jae Liu is president.

The National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) was established in 1970 under the charter of the National Academy of Sciences to advise the nation on medical and health issues. Members are elected by their peers for distinguished contributions to medicine and health. Dr. Victor J. Dzau is president.

The three Academies work together as the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation and conduct other activities to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions. The National Academies also encourage education and research, recognize outstanding contributions to knowledge, and increase public understanding in matters of science, engineering, and medicine.

Learn more about the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine at www.nationalacademies.org.

The Transportation Research Board is one of four centers of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The mission of the Transportation Research Board is to mobilize expertise, experience, and knowledge to anticipate and solve complex transportation-related challenges. The Boardʼs varied activities annually engage more than 5,500 engineers, scientists, and other transportation researchers and practitioners from the public and private sectors and academia, all of whom contribute their expertise in the public interest. The program is supported by state departments of transportation, federal agencies including component administrations of the U.S. Department of Transportation, and other organizations and individuals interested in the development of transportation.

Learn more about the Transportation Research Board at www.TRB.org.

COOPERATIVE RESEARCH PROGRAMS

CRP STAFF FOR NCHRP RESEARCH REPORT 1181

Monique R. Evans, Director, Cooperative Research Programs

Waseem Dekelbab, Deputy Director, Cooperative Research Programs, and Manager, National Cooperative Highway Research Program

Dianne S. Schwager, Senior Program Officer

Sheila A. Moore, Program Associate

Natalie Barnes, Director of Publications

Brian Haefs, Associate Director of Publications

Brendan Foht, Senior Editor

NCHRP PROJECT 08-171 PANEL
Field of Transportation Planning—Area of Planning Methods & Processes

Bonnie S. Polin, Massachusetts Department of Transportation, Boston, MA (Chair)

Victoria Barrett, Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, Chicago, IL

Jesse Barrus, Idaho Transportation Department, Shoshone, ID

Cynthia Burch, Baltimore Metropolitan Council, Baltimore, MD

Matthew Harding, Indiana Department of Transportation, Indianapolis, IN

Katherine Dogan Jefferson, Loudoun County Government, Leesburg, VA

Brian K. Mayhew, North Carolina Department of Transportation, Garner, NC

Brian Sorenson, Minnesota Department of Transportation, Roseville, MN

Janel Veile, Illinois Department of Transportation, Springfield, IL

Brian Goodson, FHWA Liaison

James D. Thorne, FHWA Liaison

John Dean, AASHTO Liaison

Bernardo B. Kleiner, TRB Liaison

FOREWORD

By Dianne S. Schwager
Staff Officer
Transportation Research Board

NCHRP Research Report 1181: Toolkit for Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach provides a toolkit for transportation and planning agencies with strategies to institutionalize the Safe System Approach (SSA) throughout planning and programming processes. Institutionalizing SSA focuses on system-wide opportunities for injury prevention that can offer broader impact than siloed or isolated safety efforts. The toolkit includes 30 unique tools organized into four themes. The toolkit is envisioned as a menu of options to meet agencies where they are in terms of their needs and readiness. Different strategies will be more appropriate in certain jurisdictions than others, and some tools are interconnected, designed to reinforce one another and create greater impact when used in combination. The toolkit should be of particular use to state, regional, and local agencies actively working to eliminate traffic-related serious injuries and fatalities.

Roadway user safety continues to be a top priority for the FHWA, state departments of transportation, metropolitan planning organizations, and local transportation agencies throughout the United States. The SSA, initiated about 30 years ago internationally, has achieved significant safety improvements in jurisdictions where it has been adopted. The approach requires commitment and action by various stakeholders, including planners, roadway system designers and managers, roadway users, law enforcement, and vehicle manufacturers, to build redundancies that protect roadway users and reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries.

Under NCHRP Project 08-171, “Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach in Transportation Planning and Programming” Fehr & Peers was asked to develop a toolkit to fill a critical gap by focusing on broader institutionalization, helping agencies assess, refine, and align their systems, funding strategies, decision-making processes, and project delivery practices with SSA principles. Phase I of the research included a literature review and focus groups with representatives from different sizes and types of transportation and planning agencies to develop a recommended framework for the toolkit. In Phase II, 30 tools for successfully institutionalizing the SSA were developed, tested by a focus group, and refined.

In addition to the toolkit, published as NCHRP Research Report 1181, the following materials can be found at nationalacademies.org/publications by searching for NCHRP Research Report 1181: Toolkit for Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach:

• A conduct of research report summarizing the entire research effort, published as NCHRP Web-Only Document 451: Developing a Toolkit to Institutionalize the Safe System Approach.
• An implementation memo.
• A slide summary.

CONTENTS

PART I Toolkit Instructions

Chapter 1 Introduction

Chapter 2 Why This Toolkit?

Chapter 3 Supporting Change Management in a Paradigm Shift

Chapter 4 How to Select Tools for Your Agency or Initiative

Chapter 5 What to Expect with Each Tool

References for Part I

Disclosures

PART II The Toolkit

Tool 1 Train Elected Officials and Decision Makers

Tool 2 Align Emergency Services Goals

Tool 3 Establish Accountability and Monitoring

Tool 4 Leverage Public Health Expertise and Co-Benefits

Tool 5 Engage Community and Media

Tool 6 Consider Upstream Conditions

Tool 7 Expand Funding Sources and Allocations for Safety

Tool 8 Advance Treatment-Specific Policy and Legislation

Tool 9 Implement Safe System Speed Management Program

Tool 10 Establish Right-of-Way Reallocation Framework

Tool 11 Set Safety Floors for Treatment Selection

Tool 12 Revise or Remove Level of Service as a Performance Metric

Tool 13 Enable Contextual Speed Limit Setting

Tool 14 Enable Automated Traffic Enforcement

Tool 15 Promote Safe Vehicle Design and Technology

Tool 16 Review Design Guidelines and Standards

Tool 17 Create Proactive Transition Plan

Tool 18 Expand Functional Classification

Tool 19 Establish a Hierarchy of Treatment Selection

Tool 20 Implement TSMO Strategies for “Win-Win” Approaches

Tool 21 Update Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines

Tool 22 Evaluate All-Day Operations to Right-Size Capacity

Tool 23 Right-Size Infrastructure with Demand Forecast Adjustments

Tool 24 Assess System-Wide Risk Factors during Future-Year Scenario Planning

Tool 25 Promote Multimodal Network Design and Application

Tool 26 Remove Parking Minimums and Implement Shared Parking Procedures

Tool 27 Partner with Unhoused Population Resources

Tool 28 Provide Affordable Housing and Balance Jobs and Housing

Tool 29 Implement Mixed-Use and TOD Strategies

Tool 30 Enable Priced Parking and Congestion Pricing

PART III Toolkit Background and Development

Project Context and Toolkit Development

Abbreviations and Acronyms