NYMTC Regional Pedestrian Safety Study - New York Metropolitan ...

influence pedestrian trip making and route choice. It estimates pedestrian volumes, and then
computes pedestrian crash exposure rates for each link. The priority pedestrian crash locations
that were identified in this way were considerably different from those that were identified as
simply high crash-prone locations, which gave added insight into where actual problem locations
occur.
The New York State Department of Health has data on persons with injuries from traffic crashes;
however, the database is designed for the use of the health system. It lacks the location and
engineering information that would make it useful to transportation agencies. NHTSA has a
program that is attempting to link traffic injury data from health systems to crash data from state
systems. The linkage is probabilistic, rather than a one-to-one link between injury and specific
crash. The program is Crash Outcome Data Evaluation Systems or CODES.
NYSDOT and NYS DMV are introducing the TraCS (Traffic and Criminal Software), an
electronic data collection and communication system developed by US DOT and the state of
Iowa. Hardware in the police vehicles allows the traffic police to input the crash and violation
records directly into an electronic form, which is transmitted via wireless technology to the
database. The system also includes forms needed for other activities, GPS ability to establish the
crash location, a GIS system, and bar code readers for driver and vehicle information. As its
name implies, its applications go beyond crash data collection to criminal activity. The system is
being introduced to the many police departments around the state. When its implementation is
complete, the problems of crash data timeliness and crash location accuracy should be solved.
The system has the following features:
• Ticket and accident form information can be scanned directly into the TraCS system from
the 2D bar code on drivers’ licenses and vehicle registrations.
• Driver license and vehicle registration data can be immediately searched for matches with
files of suspended and revoked licenses and registrations and for stolen vehicle records.
• A diagram tool allows officers to create clear, accurate depictions of accident scenes.
Templates of problematic intersections or roadways can be saved for repeated use.
• TraCS includes a location tool with DOT maps for pinpointing exact accident locations.
These maps contain X-Y-Z coordinates and other location identifying features.
In July 2003, NYMTC adopted Resolution #172 recognizing and expressing the need for timely
and accurate accident data. The resolution urges the NYS DMV to take immediate steps to
improve the timeliness of accident data reporting and the resolution encourages it member
jurisdictions to work with the NYS Police on taking steps to adopt and deploy the electronic
accident reporting strategies that will ensure the long term realization of the most efficient,
timely and accurate accident data system. As of July 2006, TraCS is licensed in 248 local police
agencies in 54 counties. Additional information can be found on the NYS Police website at:
http://www.tracs.troopers.state.ny.us/ .
Some agencies maintain their own crash database. For example, NYCDOT receives crash data
within a few days of the crash directly from NYPD; however, it is not as detailed as the AIS
data. The NYPD investigates all fatal or likely-fatal accidents, but their first interest is
culpability. NYCDOT sends their own team out to investigate the fatal accident sites to ensure
NYMTC Pedestrian Safety Study 26