At the January 27, 2022 Infrastructure Committee meeting, Joe Wang, Megan Weir, Brian Sukkar, and Mandana Ashti gave an update on the Rapid Response program. The presentation [PDF] is below, followed by notes.

Activation:

A Rapid Response may be activated for traffic crashes resulting in pedestrian or bicyclist fatalities, or severe injuries to pedestrians or bicyclists who are youth or seniors. A Rapid Response may be activated for additional crashes based on the individual circumstances of a crash.

Investigation:

Engineering staff will conduct site visits and review already available data, plans, and policies to make recommendations in one or more of the following four categories:

1. Maintenance Treatment
2. Quick-Build Improvement
3. Current Capital Project to coordinate with
4. New Capital Improvement

Presentation

Presentation notes

• Proactive work responding to about 800 requests per year from the public for safety upgrades. Staff uses equity screen data to score requests and determine which receive responses.
• Also reactive opportunity to respond to safety issues at locations of fatal or high injury crash locations. This resulted in initiation of the rapid response program.
• Rapid Response program is activated via investigation after every fatal or bicyclist or pedestrian crash, fatalities or high injury crashes involving seniors or children, or other crashes as appropriate.
• Follow-up categories include:
  • Maintenance
  • Quick-build treatments
  • Integration into current, large capital project, or
  • Creation of a new, large capital project
• Example projects:
  • 98th Ave and Cherry
    • Paint & post crosswalk median created as rapid response, concrete median crosswalk refuge installed with flashing beacons as follow-up
  • E 27th St and 23rd Ave
    • Rapid response centerline posts & curbs added, and LPI walk signal phases. Shifted centerline to accommodate AC Transit buses
    • Under construction now, to be completed within a week
  • E 12th St and 2nd Ave
    • Centerline posts & curbs added, and leading pedestrian interval (LPI) signal phases
  • Existing capital project with Rapid Response collaboration: Bancroft Ave and 85th Ave
    • Paving project was already scheduled for October
    • Included restriping of crosswalk and buffered bike lane 
  • Existing capital project with Rapid Response collaboration: 10th St and Harrison
    • Existing project is adding sidewalk extensions at corners.
    • Rapid Response will add center island and “do not enter” signs
  • Existing capital project with Rapid Response collaboration: Park Blvd and E 38th St
    • Existing project will narrow and simplify intersections
    • Rapid Response added temporary flexposts to reduce traffic lanes from two to one through the intersection
  • New capital project from Rapid Response collaboration: Foothill Blvd and 22nd Ave
    • The project was first a quick-build project added centerline posts and curbs to slow turn movements
    • Longer term project was identified to upgrade traffic signals with protected left turns and leading pedestrian interval signal phases

Discussion

• Are quick-build projects ever found to be sufficient, with no further concrete or other upgrades? Such as first installation at Harrison/23rd St.
  • For paving project opportunities or other capital projects where rapid responses were installed, staff look for ways to make them more permanent.
  • Some locations require less maintenance than others, paint/posts have held up.
• On what timeline is it appropriate to integrate a Rapid Response into a capital project? One year, something else?
  • No defined timeline determined yet, but it’s on a case-by-case basis
• Some Rapid Response locations that were folded into other capital programs (TDA3 project at 7th/Harrison, paving project on 69th Ave) ended up being abandoned or not delivering on bike/walk safety upgrades. What happens to the Rapid Response initiative at that point?
  • Those locations were managed by other staff previous to the current Rapid Response Program formation.
    • Commenter suggested that current program then also look back to overlooked opportunities in preceding years, to ensure some follow-up.
• How is the success of a rapid response installation measured? 98th/Cherry location is still seeing crashes even after the concrete island is installed.
  • Separate OakDOT department is looking at safety improvements along 98th Ave more comprehensively.
• Could 98th Ave project be added as a future infrastructure committee meeting agenda request?
  • Yes, it will be added to the list. Great Streets Division Manager Ami Salwan is the follow-up contact.