Toolkit for Institutionalizing the Safe System Approach (2026)
Chapter: 4 How to Select Tools for Your Agency or Initiative
CHAPTER 4
How to Select Tools for Your Agency or Initiative
Toolkit Table of Contents
This toolkit includes 30 unique tools organized into four themes. Implementing all 30 tools is not required to be successful in institutionalizing the SSA. Different strategies will be more appropriate in certain jurisdictions than others. Some tools are interconnected, designed to reinforce one another, and will be more effective when used in combination.
Theme A: Authentic and Holistic Commitment to Safety
This theme is centered on fostering an authentic and holistic commitment to safety. Building a culture of safety reinforces that everyone whose day-to-day work touches roadway safety, from elected officials to media professionals, understands their role in promoting safety and accurately reporting road safety incidents.
- Train Elected Officials and Decision Makers
- Align Emergency Services Goals
- Establish Accountability and Monitoring
- Leverage Public Health Expertise and Co-Benefits
- Engage Community and Media
- Consider Upstream Conditions
Theme B: Safe System-Aligned Policies and Budgeting
This theme is centered on aligning policies and budgeting with the SSA. By striving for every dollar spent to contribute to safety, transportation agencies can proactively prioritize systemic and high-impact safety initiatives over reactive projects or those that may add additional safety risk to the system.
- Expand Funding Sources and Allocations for Safety
- Advance Treatment-Specific Policy and Legislation
- Implement Safe System Speed Management Program
- Establish Right-of-Way Reallocation Framework
- Set Safety Floors for Treatment Selection
- Revise or Remove Level of Service as a Performance Metric
- Enable Contextual Speed Limit Setting
- Enable Automated Traffic Enforcement
- Promote Safe Vehicle Design and Technology
Theme C: Design and Project Procedures
This theme is centered on making safety an integral part of design and project procedures, as established during policy and plan development. By positioning safety as the “easy” or default
design choice, agencies can develop objective design guidelines and standards that align with the SSA. Infusing Safe System principles into project development procedures helps prioritize safety upstream and in one of the most routine transportation planning and engineering tasks.
- Review Design Guidelines and Standards
- Create Proactive Transition Plan
- Expand Functional Classification
- Establish a Hierarchy of Treatment Selection
- Implement TSMO Strategies for “Win-Win” Approaches
- Update Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines
Theme D: Integration of Land Use and Transportation
This theme is centered on integrating land use and transportation to create a more cohesive and accessible roadway system for all road users at the population scale. By providing more routes and choices for travel and destinations, with a focus on reducing VMT, agencies can systemically reduce kinetic energy risk exposure.
- Evaluate All-Day Operations to Right-Size Capacity
- Right-Size Infrastructure with Demand Forecast Adjustments
- Assess System-Wide Risk Factors during Future-Year Scenario Planning
- Promote Multimodal Network Design and Application
- Remove Parking Minimums and Implement Shared Parking Procedures
- Partner with Unhoused Population Resources
- Provide Affordable Housing and Balance Jobs and Housing
- Implement Mixed-Use and TOD Strategies
- Enable Priced Parking and Congestion Pricing
The following navigation matrices (Tables I-1 to I-3) may assist users in identifying the tools best suited for their needs and unique starting points/considerations. Matrices include Role—Intended User, Implementation—Level of Complexity, and Scale—Jurisdiction Level. The tool template in Figure I-2 illustrates how these tool components are organized and can be cross-referenced.
Navigation Matrices
Long Description.
The column headers list the following roles or intended users for tools, Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, and External to Agency. The rows list the roles or intended users for tools as follows:
Row 1: Train Elected Officials and Decision Makers: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 2: Align Emergency Services Goals: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 3: Establish Accountability and Monitoring: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 4: Leverage Public Health Expertise and Co-Benefits: Planner, Engineer, Elected
Official, External to Agency
Row 5: Engage Community and Media: Planner, Engineer, External to Agency
Row 6: Consider Upstream Conditions: Planner, Engineer
(continued on next page)
Long Description.
The column headers list the following roles or intended users for tools, Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, and External to Agency. The rows list the roles or intended users for tools as follows:
Row 7: Expand Funding Sources and Allocations for Safety: Planner, Engineer
Row 8: Advance Treatment-Specific Policy and Legislation: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 9: Implement Safe System Speed Management Program: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 10: Establish Right-of-Way Reallocation Framework: Planner, Engineer.
Row 11: Set Safety Floors for Treatment Selection: Planner, Engineer.
Row 12: Revise or Remove Level of Service as a Performance Metric: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 13: Enable Contextual Speed Limit Setting: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 14: Enable Automated Traffic Enforcement: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 15: Promote Safe Vehicle Design and Technology: Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 16: Review Design Guidelines and Standards: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 17: Create Proactive Transition Plan: Planner, Engineer.
Row 18: Expand Functional Classification: Planner, Engineer.
Row 19: Establish a Hierarchy of Treatment Selection: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 20: Implement TSMO Strategies for ‘Win-Win’ Approaches: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Long Description.
The column headers list the following roles or intended users for tools, Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, and External to Agency. The rows list the roles or intended users for tools as follows:
Row 21: Update Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 22: Evaluate All-Day Operations to Right-Size Capacity: Planner, Engineer.
Row 23: Right-Size Infrastructure with Demand Forecast Adjustments: Planner, Engineer.
Row 24: Assess System-Wide Risk Factors during Future-Year Scenario Planning: Planner, Engineer.
Row 25: Promote Multimodal Network Design and Application: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
Row 26: Remove Parking Minimums and Implement Shared Parking Procedures: Planner, Elected Official.
Row 27: Partner with Unhoused Population Resources: Planner, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 28: Provide Affordable Housing and Balance Jobs and Housing: Planner, Elected Official, External to Agency.
Row 29: Implement Mixed-Use and TOD Strategies: Planner, Elected Official
Row 30: Enable Priced Parking and Congestion Pricing: Planner, Engineer, Elected Official.
(continued on next page)
Long Description.
The column headers of the table provide the following jurisdiction levels for tools: Local, Regional, State. The rows present the jurisdiction levels for each tool as follows:
Row 1: Train Elected Officials and Decision Makers: Local, Regional, State.
Row 2: Align Emergency Services Goals: Local, Regional, State.
Row 3: Establish Accountability and Monitoring: Local, Regional, State.
Row 4: Leverage Public Health Expertise and Co-Benefits: Local, Regional, State.
Row 5: Engage Community and Media: Local, Regional, State.
Row 6: Consider Upstream Conditions: Local, Regional, State.
Row 7: Expand Funding Sources and Allocations for Safety: Local, Regional, State.
Row 8: Advance Treatment-Specific Policy and Legislation: Local, State.
Row 9: Implement Safe System Speed Management Program: Local, Regional, State.
Row 10: Establish Right-of-Way Reallocation Framework: Local, Regional, State.
Row 11: Set Safety Floors for Treatment Selection: Local, Regional, State.
Row 12: Revise or Remove Level of Service as a Performance Metric: Local, Regional, State.
Row 13: Enable Contextual Speed Limit Setting: Local, State.
Row 14: Enable Automated Traffic Enforcement: Local, Regional, State.
Row 15: Promote Safe Vehicle Design and Technology: Local, Regional, State.
Row 16: Review Design Guidelines and Standards: Local, State.
Row 17: Create Proactive Transition Plan: Local, Regional, State.
Long Description.
The column headers of the table provide the following jurisdiction levels for tools: Local, Regional, State. The rows present the jurisdiction levels for each tool as follows:
Row 18: Expand Functional Classification: Local, State.
Row 19: Establish a Hierarchy of Treatment Selection: Local, Regional, State.
Row 20: Implement TSMO Strategies for ‘Win-Win’ Approaches: Local, Regional, State.
Row 21: Update Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines: Local, Regional, State.
Row 22: Evaluate All-Day Operations to Right-Size Capacity: Local, Regional, State.
Row 23: Right-Size Infrastructure with Demand Forecast Adjustments: Local, Regional, State.
Row 24: Assess System-Wide Risk Factors during Future-Year Scenario Planning: Local, Regional, State.
Row 25: Promote Multimodal Network Design and Application: Local, Regional, State.
Row 26: Remove Parking Minimums and Implement Shared Parking Procedures: Local.
Row 27: Partner with Unhoused Population Resources: Local, Regional, State.
Row 28: Provide Affordable Housing and Balance Jobs and Housing: Local, Regional, State.
Row 29: Implement Mixed-Use and TOD Strategies: Local, Regional.
Row 30: Enable Priced Parking and Congestion Pricing: Local, Regional, State.
(continued on next page)
Long Description.
The column headers of the table are Tool, Low, Medium, and High. The data given in the table row-wise are as follows:
Row 1: Train Elected Officials and Agencies: Low.
Row 2: Align Emergency Services Goals: Medium.
Row 3: Establish Accountability and Monitoring: Low.
Row 4: Leverage Public Health Expertise and Co-Benefits: Medium.
Row 5: Engage Community and Media: Low.
Row 6: Consider Upstream Conditions: High.
Row 7: Expand Funding Sources and Allocations for Safety: Low.
Row 8: Advance Treatment-Specific Policy and Legislation: Medium.
Row 9: Implement Safe System Speed Management Program: Low.
Row 10: Establish Right-of-Way Reallocation Framework: Low.
Row 11: Set Safety Floors for Treatment Selection: Medium.
Row 12: Revise or Remove Level of Service as a Performance Metric: Medium.
Row 13: Enable Contextual Speed Limit Setting: Medium.
Row 14: Enable Automated Traffic Enforcement: Medium.
Row 15: Promote Safe Vehicle Design and Technology: High.
Row 16: Review Design Guidelines and Standards: Medium.
Row 17: Create Proactive Transition Plan: Low.
Long Description.
The column headers of the table are Tool, Low, Medium, and High. The data given in the table row-wise are as follows:
Row 18: Expand Functional Classification: Low.
Row 19: Establish a Hierarchy of Treatment Selection: Low.
Row 20: Implement TSMO Strategies for ‘Win-Win’ Approaches: Medium.
Row 21: Update Transportation Impact Assessment Guidelines: Medium.
Row 22: Evaluate All-Day Operations to Right-Size Capacity: Medium.
Row 23: Right-Size Infrastructure with Demand Forecast Adjustments: High.
Row 24: Assess System-Wide Risk Factors during Future-Year Scenario Planning: High.
Row 25: Promote Multimodal Network Design and Application: Medium.
Row 26: Remove Parking Minimums and Implement Shared Parking Procedures: Medium.
Row 27: Partner with Unhoused Population Resources: High.
Row 28: Provide Affordable Housing and Balance Jobs and Housing: High.
Row 29: Implement Mixed-Use and TOD Strategies: Low.
Row 30: Enable Priced Parking and Congestion Pricing: High.
