[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 126 (Wednesday, July 1, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 36012-36018]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-17511]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Discretionary Cooperative Agreement in Support of a Large City/
Jurisdiction Demonstration and Evaluation Program for Pedestrian Safety
AGENCY: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, DOT.
ACTION: Announcement of a discretionary cooperative agreement in
support of a large city/jurisdiction demonstration and evaluation
program for pedestrian safety.
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SUMMARY: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
announces a discretionary cooperative agreement program to demonstrate
and evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive behavioral and
engineering-based countermeasures program for reducing the occurrence
of crashes involving pedestrians of all ages. Past Departmental
research efforts typically have focused on developing and, when
possible, assessing countermeasures for a single target group, such as
school-age children. The idea here is to determine the combined effects
of various crash prevention approaches to maximize the safety benefits
to all pedestrians. The study will use a recently developed methodology
for identifying land areas (or zones) within jurisdictions containing
concentrations of crashes for specific target groups. Subsequently,
existing, refined, and, as needed, newly developed countermeasures will
be directed within these zones at pedestrians of all ages, especially
those at high risk of crash involvement. To the extent possible, the
program also will determine the impact of countermeasures directed at
one or more diverse racial or ethnic group known to have a traffic
safety problem.
This notice solicits applications from public and private, non-
profit, for profit and not-for-profit organizations, governments and
their agencies, or a consortium of these organizations that are
interested in implementing and evaluating the safety zones and
countermeasures program within a large jurisdiction. Preference will be
given to those applications which help NHTSA meet its needs to obtain
an urban diverse mix, potential for replication in other communities,
and/or other factors deemed relevant by NHTSA.
NHTSA anticipates awarding one demonstration and evaluation project
for a period of four years as a result of this announcement. In the
event additional money becomes available a second award may be made
during FY'99 or FY 2000.
DATES: Applications must be received at the office designated below on
or before July 31, 1998.
ADDRESSES: Applications must be submitted to the NHTSA, Office of
Contracts and Procurement (NAD-30), ATTN: Lamont Norwood, 400 7th
Street, SW, Room 5301, Washington, DC 20590. All applications submitted
must include a reference to NHTSA Cooperative Agreement Program No.
DTNH22-98-H-05183. Interested applicants are advised that no separate
application package exists beyond the contents of this announcement.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: General administrative questions may
be directed to Lamont Norwood, Office of Contracts and Procurement, at
(202 366-8573) or by e-mail to LNorwood@nhtsa.dot.gov. Programmatic
questions relating to this cooperative agreement program should be
directed to Marv Levy, Traffic Safety Programs, NHTSA, NTS-31, 400
Seventh Street S. W., Washington, D.C. 20590 (202 366-5597), or by e-
mail at mlevy@nhtsa.dot.gov.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Background
The Problem
On average, a pedestrian is killed in a traffic crash every 97
minutes, and injured every six minutes. In 1996, 5412 pedestrians were
killed in traffic crashes in the U.S. and 82,000 were injured. The
economic costs of these crashes are substantial, costing billions of
dollars each year. The Department of Transportation, via the
Secretarial Initiative for Pedestrians and Bicyclists, has targeted a
decrease in the number of pedestrian crashes of 10 percent by the year
2000. This demonstration will support the Departmental effort.
Why a Large City or Jurisdiction is Needed
In 1996 seventy-one percent of pedestrian fatalities occurred in
urban areas. For example, in 1996, cities with high percentages of
pedestrian fatalities among all traffic related deaths included New
York (52.7 percent), Baltimore (47.1 percent), Buffalo (44.8 percent),
Miami (43.1 percent), Honolulu (41.7 percent), Long Beach (41.7
percent), and San Jose (40.0 percent).
Target Groups of Interest
Over the past twenty-five years NHTSA and the Federal Highway
Administration (FHWA) collected data on pedestrians most likely to be
involved in crashes. These data suggest that three groups are most at
risk: young children, alcohol impaired adults, and older pedestrians.
In 1996, nearly one-third (31 percent) of all children between the ages
of five and nine years who were killed in traffic crashes were
pedestrians, more than one-fifth (22 percent) killed under the age of
16 were pedestrians, and 7 percent of all traffic injuries under the
age of 16 were pedestrians. Older pedestrians (ages 65+) accounted for
22.4 percent of all pedestrian fatalities; however, this group
constitutes only 12.8 percent of
[[Page 36013]]
the population. Older adults have the highest pedestrian fatality rate
among all ages. Excessive drinking is a major traffic safety problem
facing pedestrians. In 1996, 36 percent of all pedestrian fatalities
(16 years of age or older), were intoxicated, with blood alcohol
concentrations of 0.10 grams per deciliter or greater. Recent study
findings suggest the alcohol crash problem for pedestrians crosses both
racial and ethnic groups. The problem is not confined to white
Americans but extends to groups such as Afro -Americans, Hispanic
Americans, and Native Americans. As with drinking drivers, most victims
are male, and the crashes occur primarily at night and on weekends.
Preventing Pedestrian Crashes
Within the Department of Transportation both NHTSA and FHWA have
responsibilities in the area of pedestrian safety. NHTSA is primarily
responsible for developing and testing public information and
education, training, legislative, and enforcement based
countermeasures, whereas the FHWA is primarily responsible for
improving pedestrian safety by developing and testing engineering
applications. The types of countermeasures developed and implemented by
both Agencies typically complement each other. For example, crash
reduction effects have been achieved at intersection locations for
older pedestrians in Phoenix, AZ by combining behavioral advice in
conjunction with engineering activities. FHWA sponsored improvements to
the physical environment at selected intersections within a set of
``safety zones'' containing concentrations of crashes. These
improvements included removal of visual ``screens,'' which blocked
pedestrians and drivers from viewing each other, and adding new traffic
signs explaining the meaning of different signal phases such as
flashing ``Don't Walk''. NHTSA, on the other hand, sponsored the
development of educational materials for use with older pedestrians.
Door hangers were prepared containing information about what
pedestrians should do at intersections and what they should do as
drivers to avoid crash involvement. Some of the advice provided
specifically discussed the meaning of pedestrian signals, including
``Don't Walk''. Thus, the materials and environmental changes likely
had the effect of ``positively reinforcing'' each other. Findings from
this recently completed study reported a forty-six percent decrease in
crashes involving older pedestrians within the zones. This was in
contrast to an increase in crashes involving older pedestrians outside
the zones during the program period.
Tools for Problem Identification
Jurisdictions seeking to counter pedestrian traffic safety problems
have to deal with key issues such as determining the nature and extent
of the problem and ways to impact identified problems in an efficient
manner due to limited resources. Past Departmental research has
developed methodologies that may be used to (1) identify areas (zones)
within jurisdictions where countermeasures may be implemented for
maximum impact and (2) identify the specific types of crashes occurring
within these zones. This approach permits existing, refined or newly
developed countermeasures which address the major pedestrian traffic
safety problems to be disseminated in a cost effective manner.
Zoning Methodology
Jurisdictions have used school safety zones for years as a means of
preventing crashes. In these zones, young children are protected by a
combination of behavioral advice, enforcement of traffic laws, and
engineering activities. Rather than using a facility, i.e., a school,
for identifying where a zone should be located, recent research found
that zones could be identified by locating areas within a jurisdiction
where concentrations of crashes have occurred. A mapping methodology
(either manual or incorporating a geographic information system) has
been used to identify concentrations of crashes for older pedestrians
and for pedestrian crashes involving alcohol. Once identified,
countermeasures can be disseminated efficiently within the zones which
comprise just a fraction of the entire jurisdiction or city land area.
In Phoenix, for example, all of the zones comprised less than 5% of the
land area. Use of such an approach can save thousands of dollars by
focusing the countermeasures where they can do the most benefit. It is
anticipated that the grantee will use this approach for identifying
different sets of zones, each for a different subpopulation of
pedestrians.
Crash Typing
Within identified zones, different kinds or types of crashes occur.
These need to be identified so that appropriate countermeasures can be
applied to impact them. During the 1970s, NHTSA identified more than
thirty pedestrian crash types. This research went beyond simple
identification of the normal demographic data available (e.g., time of
day, day of week, gender, age of victim) to include information on the
dynamics leading to the crash. Both predisposing factors (alcohol
consumption, parked vehicles along the street) and precipitating
factors (e.g., inadequate search, detection, or reaction by the
pedestrian and driver) were identified that distinguished each crash
type.
Subsequent work was conducted during the 1980s which permitted the
identification of the various crash types by use of a process called
Manual Accident Typing (MAT). With this tool, coders, by responding to
a series of items, could readily classify crashes into their respective
types. By using this process, a jurisdiction is able to identify its
most significant pedestrian problems. Once identified, countermeasures
can be used to impact predisposing and precipitating conditions so as
to reduce the occurrence of these crashes. A software program called
the Pedestrian and Bicyclist Crash Analysis Tool (PBCAT) is currently
being prepared under the sponsorship of the FHWA and NHTSA. This tool,
scheduled to be available by December 1998, will automatically classify
crashes, build a data base and produce reports for use by the
jurisdiction.
Countermeasure Ideas, and Materials Developed for Impacting
Pedestrian Safety
Over the years, NHTSA and FHWA have developed a variety of
countermeasures that can be used with specific target groups. Most of
these address the problems of children, older pedestrians, and adults.
Some address alcohol impaired pedestrians. Several of these
countermeasures were conceptual in nature and not developed; others
were developed but not tested in the field for positive behavioral
change, and their crash reduction effects; still others were tested in
the field for their effectiveness. It is anticipated that existing
countermeasures may need to be refined, and that new countermeasures
may need to be developed in support of this demonstration. For example,
a jurisdiction or city may have a specific problem that has not been
addressed in past Departmental work, e.g., alcohol-impaired pedestrians
involving diverse racial/ethnic groups. Also, other existing
countermeasures will be considered for implementation which can be
justified to the government. The following provides a partial listing
of products that were produced in the Department or elsewhere which are
consistent with NHTSA/FHWA research. These and other products, as
designed by the COTR, will be used by
[[Page 36014]]
the successful applicant in fulfilling the requirements of this
agreement.
Preschool Children
Walking in Traffic Safely
A pedestrian safety program for preschoolers involving parents,
teachers, and preschoolers. Safe areas (sidewalks) are distinguished
from unsafe areas (roadways). Parents and other caretakers are
instructed to be with the child or children when crossing the roadway.
Materials are provided for parents, and teachers, and a set of
storybooks with a safety theme are provided for children of different
ages.
School-Age Children
Walk Ride Walk Getting to School Safely
These materials are based on research conducted by NHTSA. A school
bus/pedestrian safety kit is available through the National Safety
Council. It is a comprehensive safety program that covers walking to
and from the bus stop, waiting for the bus, crossing the street to the
bus, boarding the bus, etc. A set of teacher guides, videotapes and a
poster are available, as are parent and bus driver materials.
Stop and Look With Willy Whistle and Walking With Your Eyes
These videos contain traffic safety advice for school age children
from K-6th grade. The first video ``Stop and Look with Willy Whistle''
provides information on what steps are involved in safely crossing the
street. The second video--``Walking with Your Eyes''--is geared to the
older school-age child and provides information on how to cross the
street at intersections, especially when signals are present. For
example, information is provided on how to deal with turning vehicles,
such as right turn on red and the meaning of lights and signals, such
as the ``Don't Walk'' sign. The contents of these videos were tested in
the field and associated with a substantial reduction in crashes.
Alcohol-Impaired Adults
Walk Smart Baltimore Program
This ongoing study developed TV and radio public service
announcements (PSAs) and print materials (flyers, posters, etc.) that
provided pedestrian safety advice; used engineering improvements such
as nighttime lighting, analysis of parking setback violations, special
pedestrian alert signs, and program banners; developed a police
training video; and, provided retroreflective caps.
Older Pedestrians
Walking Through the Years
This brief paper describes the traffic safety problems facing older
pedestrians and provides safety advice for older pedestrians and
motorists. Information from this paper was incorporated in AAA
materials, including a brochure, a flyer and a slide presentation.
Pedzone Study Materials
Public information and education (PI&E) materials included a video,
``Walking Through the Years'', that offers pedestrian safety advice for
older pedestrians, five TV PSAs, and a set of 13 flyers for both
pedestrians and motorists. There were also brochures, posters, bus
cards, bumper stickers, radio PSAs and slides. These materials are the
outgrowth of a rigorous research process to highlight behavioral errors
that are amenable to change. Specific pedestrian risks addressed were
turning cars, multiple threat and other visual screens, looking before
entering the roadway, backing cars, parking lots, conspicuity, the
fresh green signal, driveways and alleyways, and the meaning of
flashing ``Don't Walk'' signs. Engineering activities included
installing overhead pedestrian warning signs, improving crosswalks,
installing signs explaining the meaning of the signal phases, etc. A
Zone Guide, currently in draft form, will describe the process of
conducting a zoning analysis. It is anticipated this product will be
published by November, 1998.
Caminado a Traves de los Anos-Segurid Para Peatones de Tercera Edad
(65+) (Walking Through the Years--Pedestrian Safety for Older (65+)
Adult).
Pedestrian safety program materials include ``La Cita telenovela'',
an illustrated brochure, a detailed report, and a slide show and
presenter's guide that identifies pedestrian risks and suggested
actions that can be taken to avoid crashes. These materials were
specifically designed for use with spanish speaking audiences.
Objectives
Under this cooperative agreement the effectiveness of the combined
pedestrian countermeasures program shall be demonstrated and evaluated
to determine the impacts on reducing the traffic related injuries and
associated costs within a large jurisdiction or city. Specific
objectives of this cooperative agreement are as follows:
1. Conduct Complete Analysis of Pedestrian Safety Problem
Fulfilling this objective will involve applying the Zoning Process
to identify concentrations of crashes within a large city or
jurisdiction for different target groups. Once the zoning process is
completed, common crash types will be identified by applying the MAT
or, if available, PBCAT.
2. Use of Traditional and Non-Traditional Partners
One of the key components of this study is to assemble a cadre of
partners that are dedicated to reducing crashes among pedestrians at
the local level. These partners will be involved in all aspects of the
demonstration, from analyzing the scope of the pedestrian problem, to
identifying appropriate countermeasures, to monitoring the field
evaluation and analyzing the data. Both traditional partners (e.g.,
State and local DOTs, including traffic engineers, national
organizations, enforcement agencies, study design and evaluation
specialists, local PTAs) and non-traditional (local public health
organizations, hospitals, alcohol rehabilitation, etc.) shall be
considered for inclusion. It should be mentioned that use of
subcontractors to administer and/or evaluate the findings is
acceptable.
3. Implement a Program To Reduce Traffic Related Injuries
The focus of the study is to reduce crashes among pedestrians. The
partners shall develop a program that will be broad based in scope and
that has the potential to impact all of the residents of the
jurisdiction or city.
Representatives within the jurisdiction or city will design their
own unique countermeasures program. Existing behavioral and engineering
countermeasures will be examined and if appropriate applied as is.
Other countermeasures will be refined or developed as needed. The key
here is that the countermeasures developed will be designed to impact
specific behavioral, engineering or environmental problems related to
common crash situations or types.
4. Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program
A process analysis as well as an impact analysis will be conducted
to determine the effectiveness of the demonstration program. What
worked and did not work during implementation is important for other
jurisdictions interested in setting up a program of their own. A power
analysis shall be conducted as part of the study
[[Page 36015]]
design activities. At a minimum, information on the effectiveness of
the program for reducing crashes overall and within specific
subpopulations, eg., school age children, older pedestrians, shall be
provided.
Availability of Funds
A total of $400K will be made available to fund this program. Of
this amount, $250K will be made available in FY'98 and the remaining
funds ($150K) will be provided in FY'99, subject to available funds,
for this demonstration and evaluation program. Of the total funds
awarded, at least, $20,000 must be used to fund an on-site staffer who
is dedicated to achieving the goals of this study. Also, at least 25%
of the awarded amount must be devoted to evaluation activities.
Additional funds may become available to fund a second demonstration
project in FY'99 or FY'2000. This demonstration project will be
conducted for a period of up to four years. Given the amount of funds
available for this effort, applicants are strongly encouraged to seek
other funding sources to supplement the federal funds and include cost
sharing plans and commitments.
Period of Performance
Performance of this cooperative agreement will be four years (48
months) from the effective date of award.
NHTSA Involvement
NHTSA will be involved in all activities undertaken as part of the
cooperative agreement and will:
1. Provide a Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (COTR)
to participate in the planning and management of this Cooperative
Agreement and to coordinate activities between the Grantee and NHTSA.
2. Provide information and technical assistance from government
sources within available resources and as determined appropriate by the
COTR.
3. Serve as a liaison between NHTSA Headquarters, Regional Offices
and others (Federal state and local) interested in the application of
this comprehensive pedestrian program and the activities of the
grantee.
4. Stimulate the transfer of information among those engaged in
pedestrian traffic safety activities.
Eligibility and Other Applicant Requirements
A sufficient number of pedestrian crashes per year is required so
that appropriate statistical techniques can be used to determine the
effectiveness of various countermeasures for reducing crashes and
injuries overall, and among various subpopulations within the city or
jurisdiction.
Therefore, only cities or jurisdictions with at least 500,000
people will be considered for inclusion in this demonstration.
Applicants may, in conjunction with representatives from a large city
or jurisdiction, submit a proposal to conduct this demonstration study.
Applications may be submitted by public and private, non-profit, and
not-for-profit organizations, and governments and their agencies or a
consortium of the above. Thus, universities, colleges, research
institutions, other public and private oganizations and state and local
governments are eligible to apply. Interested applicants are advised
that no fee or profit will be allowed under this cooperative agreement
program. This demonstration project will require extensive
collaboration among the various organizations to achieve the program
objectives.
Application Procedures
Each applicant must submit one original and two copies of the
application package to NHTSA, Office of Contracts and Procurement (NAD-
30), ATTN: Lamont Norwood, 400 7th Street, SW., Room 5301, Washington,
DC 20590. Submission of three additional copies will expedite
processing but is not required. Applications must be typed on one side
of the page only, and must include a reference to NHTSA Cooperative
Agreement No. DTNH22-98-H-05183. Only complete packages received on or
before 4 p.m. on July 31, 1998 will be considered.
Application Contents
Applications for this program must include the following
information:
1. The application package must be submitted with OMB Standard Form
424 (Rev. 4-88, including 424A and 424B), application for Federal
Assistance, with the required information filled in and certified
assurances signed. While form 424 deals with budget information, and
Section B identified Budget Categories, the available space does not
permit a level of detail which is sufficient to provide for a
meaningful evaluation of the proposed total costs. A supplemental sheet
shall be provided which presents a detailed breakdown of the proposed
costs, as well as any costs which the applicant indicates will be
contributed by other sources in support of the demonstration study.
2. The application shall include a narrative which addresses the
following items.
a. A statement of goals and objectives of the project as
interpreted by the applicant.
b. A description of the city in which the applicant proposes to
work. For the purposes of this program, a large city is defined here as
a city with a population of 500,000 or more. It should be large enough
so that the program can support an impact evaluation and yield
meaningful results. The description should include city demographics,
including any information on diverse racial/ethnic groups, three years
of data on the city's overall traffic safety problem, a listing of
available data sources, the types of data collected, e.g., police
files, hospital or trauma center records, and how the data will be
accessed.
c. A description of the city's overall pedestrian crash problem and
for different subgroups, e.g., older and younger pedestrians. Data
shall include both fatality and injury data. Also, a description of the
procedure that will be used to conduct a zoning analysis and
identification of concentrations of crashes for different target
groups, including young children, older pedestrians and alcohol
involved pedestrians. As part of the application the applicant shall
identify and describe the qualifications of the person conducting this
analysis. For more information, see Reporting Requirements and
Deliverables section (b) Problem Identification Report.
d. An Implementation Plan that describes the types of interventions
or activities proposed to achieve the objectives of the demonstration
project. How will priorities be set for the different interventions?
How will the respective roles of the various parties be determined,
monitored and modified if needed? What types of interventions will be
considered? How will government-provided materials be used in
countermeasure implementation? The implementation plan shall also
address prospects for program continuation beyond the period of Federal
assistance. A milestone chart with proposed deadlines (weeks after
award) shall be included as part of the Implementation Plan.
e. A proposed Evaluation Plan that at a minimum shall contain the
following:
1. The study design proposed and whether a control or matching
procedure will be used;
2. The types of process and impact data collected;
[[Page 36016]]
3. The duration of the data collection period, including
predelivery, delivery (of countermeasures), and post delivery;
4. What the (outcome) measures are expected to be and how they will
be measured;
5. How often the data will be collected, and how the data will be
analyzed;
6. How action undertaken by the community will be linked with the
outcome measures;
7. How the collected data may be disaggregated to provide relevant
population; and subpopulation data. (For more information see
Objectives, Item 4, Evaluate the Effectiveness of the Program.)
f. A description of the full working partnership that has been or
will be established to conduct the Comprehensive Pedestrian Safety
program. The application shall describe all the partners that will
participate in the program (e.g., local city and state government, law
enforcement, education, media) and what the role for each partner will
be. A complete set of letters of commitment, written by major partners,
organizations, and groups proposed for study involvement, shall detail
what each partner is willing to do over the course of the program
(provide data, staff, in-kind resources, etc.). Form letters that do
not specifically address these issues will not be acceptable. Letters
from owners of the data required for successful completion of this
project also must be submitted. These letters must indicate that the
data required for the project are accessible to the project team.
g. A description of how the project will be managed both at the
grantee level and at the local level. The application shall identify
the proposed project manager and any support personnel considered
critical to the successful accomplishment of the project objectives,
including a description of their qualifications and respective
organizational responsibilities. The roles and responsibilities of the
grantee, the local level staff and any others included in the
application package also shall be specified. The proposed level of
effort in performing the various activities shall be identified. A
staffing plan and resume for all key personnel shall be included in the
application.
h. A dissemination plan that describes how the results from this
demonstration may be shared with other interested parties. The plan
should include materials, e.g., a how-to guide for developing and
implementing a comprehensive pedestrian safety program in other
communities, and delivery mechanisms. Also, proposed presentations and
submission of articles to peer review journals shall be included as
part of the plan.
i. A separately labeled section of the document shall be prepared
with information demonstrating that the applicant meets all of the
following special competencies.
1. Knowledge and experience accessing and using relevent data
sources such as police crash reports, hospital data collection
procedures, and to the extent possible, injury cost data (e.g., costs
of injuries in the city).
2. Experience in designing comprehensive program evaluations,
collecting and analyzing both qualitative and quantitative data and
synthesizing, summarizing and reporting evaluation results which are
readily understandable to lay and technical audiences. Also,
demonstrated experience in designing comprehensive program manuals or
guides. An example of a manual or guide produced should be submitted,
if available.
3. Experience in field research, and in working cooperatively in
partnerships with governmental agencies, media, local organizations and
others in implementing solutions to traffic safety problems.
4. Experience in implementing pedestrian crash reduction programs
at the local level.
j. A dissemination plan that describes how the results from this
demonstration may be shared with other interested parties. The plan
should include materials, e.g., a how-to guide for developing and
implementing a comprehensive pedestrian safety program in other
communities, and delivery mechanisms. Also, presentations and
submissions of articles to peer reviewed journals shall be part of the
plan.
Application Review Process and Evaluation Factors
Each application package will initially be reviewed for eligibility
(See Eligibility and Other Applicant Requirements section of this
announcement). Each complete application from an eligible recipient
will subsequently be reviewed by an evaluation committee. The
applications will be assessed using the following criteria:
1. Goals, Objectives and Implementation Plan (25%)
The extent to which the applicant's goals are clearly articulated,
the objectives are time-phased, specific, measurable and achievable and
the goals and objectives relate to identified problems. The extent to
which the implementation plan will achieve an outcome-oriented result
that will reduce pedestrian related injuries and, to the extent
possible, costs to the city. The implementation plan will be evaluated
in terms of its feasibility, realism, and ability to achieve the
desired outcomes as well as prospective plans for program continuation
beyond the period of Federal assistance. For more information, see
application contents, items 2a and d.
2. Understanding Pedestrian Safety Problem and Problem Identification
(15%)
The applicant's capacity to demonstrate an understanding of the
theory and findings of NHTSA's and FHWA's research efforts relating to
pedestrian crash typing and the zoning process for identifying
concentrations of pedestrian crashes within the city. Also, the
applicant's ability to identify the significance of the pedestrian
safety problem within the overall traffic safety problem and to
identify among the residents involved in pedestrian-related crashes the
populations involved, types and locations of crashes, types of
vehicles, and the types of injuries incurred. For more information, see
application contents, item 2c.
3. Collaboration (15%)
The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated experience in a
full working partnership for data acquisition and analysis, design,
implementation and evaluation of a city/community based program; and
the extent to which such a partnership has been established among the
applicant and critical components in the city/community representing
various elements within and outside of the traditional traffic safety
community. The extent to which commitment has been demonstrated by the
various partners and the roles of each are specified. For more
information, see application contents, item 2f.
4. Evaluation Plan (15%)
How well the applicant describes the proposed evaluation plan
design and the methods for measuring the processes and outcomes of the
proposed interventions (countermeasures). How well the measures
described provide useful information on the effectiveness of the
comprehensive pedestrian countermeasures program? Does the applicant
provide sufficient evidence that the proposed partners are sufficiently
committed to evaluation? Are there sufficient resources or capacity to
ensure access to needed
[[Page 36017]]
data, and the collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative
data for measuring the effectiveness of the comprehensive pedestrian
countermeasure program? See application contents, item 2e, for more
information.
5. Special Competencies (15%)
The extent to which the applicant has demonstrated knowledge and
experience accessing and using relevant data sources, designing and
implementing comprehensive program evaluations, implementing problem
identification and countermeasure development and test programs, and
working in partnerships with others on the local (city) level. For more
information, see application contents, item 2i.
6. Project Management and Staffing (15%)
The extent to which the proposed staff, including management,
program staff and local (city) partners are clearly described,
appropriately assigned, and have adequate skills and experiences.
The extent to which the applicant has the capacity and facilities
to design, implement, and evaluate a complex and comprehensive local
(city) program. The extent to which the applicant provides details
regarding the level of effort and allocation of time for each staff
position. See application contents, item 2g, for more information.
Special Award Selection Factors
Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek funds for the purpose of
cost-sharing from other Federal, State, local and private sources to
augment those available under this announcement. Applications which
include a commitment of such funds will be given additional
consideration.
Terms and Conditions of Award
1. Prior to award, each grantee must comply with the certification
requirements of 49 CFR Part 20, Department of Transportation New
Restrictions on Lobbying, and 49 CFR part 29, Department of
Transportation government-wide Debarment and Suspension (Non-
procurement) and Government-wide Requirements for Drug Free Workplace
(Grants).
2. Reporting Requirements and Deliverables:
a. Quarterly Progress Reports should include a summary of the
previous quarter's activities and accomplishments, as well as the
proposed activities for the upcoming quarter. Any decisions and actions
required in the upcoming quarter should be included in the report. The
grantee shall supply the progress report to the Contracting's Officer's
Technical Representative (COTR) every ninety (90) days following the
date of award.
b. Problem Identification Report: The grantee shall submit a
Problem Identification Report within six months after award. This
report will describe the overall pedestrian safety problem, within the
city and by subpopulation. Subpopulations to be described will include
at a minimum, school age children, older pedestrians (65+ years of age
and older) and crashes involving alcohol-impaired pedestrians. Also,
information on crashes involving different racial and ethnic groups
shall be presented as part of the report. A crash typing analysis will
be conducted to determine the types of crashes occurring within the
city. This analysis will be based on the MAT coding procedure or, if
available, the software package containing the (PBCAT).
The grantee shall conduct a zone analysis to determine those areas
within the city that contain the highest concentration of crashes. The
zone process will be applied to each target group of significance using
the crash analysis tool. The Problem Identification Report will contain
the grantee's recommendations on the most critical groups of
pedestrians within the city that require a comprehensive
countermeasures program as well as information on the areas within the
city where pedestrian crashes occur most often. The NHTSA COTR will
review and comment on this report.
c. Program Implementation and Evaluation Plan (PIEP): Within nine
months the grantee shall submit a refined Program Implementation and
Evaluation Plan. This plan will describe the approach recommended for
determining the effectiveness of the Comprehensive Pedestrian
Countermeasures program. Information will be provided on target groups
to be addressed, partners involvement, the types of countermeasures
(e.g., behavioral, engineering and enforcement) that will be used
during field implementation, the extent of countermeasure refinement
and development, the dissemination mechanisms that will be used, the
areas within the city receiving countermeasures. A set of refined
milestones will be presented with a listing of countermeasures and
expected dates of administration. This PIEP shall be submitted to the
COTR and within 30 days comments will be received from the government
and incorporated in the PIEP.
d. Draft Final Report and Draft ``How-To'' Manual: The grantee
shall prepare a draft final technical report that includes a
description of the city, and its pedestrian traffic safety problem,
overall and for different subgroups, the partners, intervention
strategies, program implementation activities, evaluation methodology
and findings from the program evaluation. The grantee shall answer the
question: Did the program impact the pedestrian safety problem and, if
so, to what extent? Also, what was the impact of the countermeasures
program on crashes among different subgroups such as young children,
older adults and alcohol impaired pedestrians.
The grantee shall also prepare a Draft ``How-To'' Manual that
describes what happened in the community in establishing the
Comprehensive Pedestrian Countermeasures program and provides advice on
ways to set up a similar program in different communities. Included in
this manual will be information on the use of crash typing and zoning
methodologies as precursors to countermeasure development; the types of
countermeasures needed, the process used to decide which
countermeasures to pursue; the dissemination mechanisms used; the
extent to which the countermeasures were implemented; the reactions of
those who were responsible for disseminating the countermeasures; and
if possible, those impacted by these countermeasures. Also, advice
shall be presented on what worked and what did not work; how the
various partners interacted; and the lessons learned to avoid potential
problems in other communities. The grantee shall submit four copies of
the Draft Final Report and Draft How-To Manual to the COTR 90 days
prior to the end of the performance period. The COTR will review the
draft document and provide comments to the grantee.
e. Final Report and Final Version of ``How-to'' Manual: The grantee
shall revise the Draft Final Technical Report and Draft How-to Manual
to reflect the COTR's comments. The final documents, as revised, shall
be delivered to the COTR on or before the end of the performance
period. The grantee shall submit to the COTR one camera ready copy and
four additional hard copies of each final document. In addition, the
grantee shall prepare these publications for printing and incorporation
into the World Wide Web. (See attached printing and web guidance.)
f. Meetings and Briefings. The grantee shall plan to participate in
two working sessions per year in Washington, DC.
[[Page 36018]]
These meetings will last up to four hours. The exact dates shall be
decided by mutual consent of the COTR and grantee. In addition, the
grantee shall plan for a presentation at one national meeting (e.g.,
Lifesavers, Pro-Bike Pro-Walk) per year.
g. Professional Journal Paper: The grantee shall prepare and submit
at least one paper for publication in a professional journal if deemed
appropriate by the COTR.
3. During the effective performance period of the cooperative
agreement awarded as a result of this announcement, the agreement shall
be subject to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's
General Provisions for Assistance Agreements.
James Nichols,
Acting Associate Administrator for Traffic Safety Programs.
[FR Doc. 98-17511 Filed 6-30-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4910-59-P
