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INSTRUCTORS: 
Wei Zhu, PE, TE, PMP, M.ASCE
Tyler H. Grau, P.E.
Donna Lewandowski, AICP

This techsession will only award PDHs for completion.

Purpose and Background

Vulnerable road users (VRUs) accounted for 18% of the 43,353 people killed in motor vehicle crashes in 2021 - an overall increase of 16% over 2020. 2022 brought increases in pedestrian deaths in 22 states. An additional 123,000 people are seriously injured each year while walking or biking on our roadways. In California, progressive environmental policies - including a ban on the sale of new combustion-engine vehicles starting in 2035 - are further accelerating the modal shift towards alternative modes, but concern for safety remains high. This shift cannot be achieved without higher level systems-thinking, applying innovative and emerging technology, and active and effective policy legislation and public education. A focus on VRUs is woven throughout the transportation funding in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with significant new requirements for documenting how VRU crashes are being remediated at the state level, and an increased emphasis on the Safe System Approach and equitable access. This session will provide an overview of the new VRU Assessment requirement for State Highway Safety Plans and showcase one way that Arizona is addressing pedestrian safety issues through the Arizona Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (AZ STEP) website - an on-line tool to help planners and engineers select and prioritize appropriate pedestrian crossing treatments. We will also present a case study in Orange County, California demonstrating how a public agency strives to build an integrated, multimodal system serving all roadway users and develop new standards to enhance safety, expand mobility and improve efficiency using a multimodal approach.

Benefits and Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Describe the Vulnerable Road User Assessment requirement for State Highway Safety Plan
• Demonstrate use of the AZ STEP tool
• Explain the challenges of shifting to alternative transportation modes while recognizing potential opportunities of using new standards to enhance safety, expand mobility and improve efficiency through a multimodal approach

Assessment of Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are assessed by responding to the post-session survey. If the course is taken On-demand, there will also be a 10-question multiple choice post-test.

Who Should Attend?

• Transportation Engineers
• Transportation Planners
• Civil Engineers
• Students

How to Earn your PDHs

This course is worth 1.5 PDHs. To receive your certificate of completion, you will need to watch the recording(s) and complete the post-session survey. If the course is taken On-demand, there will also be a 10-question multiple choice post-test.