On-Call Safety Audit

The Federal Highway Administration defines a Road Safety Audit RSA as the formal safety examination of an existing or future road or intersection by an independent, multidisciplinary team. The purpose of an RSA is to identify potential safety issues and possible opportunities for safety improvements considering all roadway users. RSA’s provide a low-cost alternative to determine a wide range of both short-term and long-term improvements that can be undertaken to improve safety. MassDOT has embraced the Road Safety Audit (RSA) program as an opportunity to make significant safety improvements. BETA was selected as one of the first firms to conduct audits as well as to prepare reports and contract documents through an on-call services agreement.

As part of the RSA, a multi-disciplinary team examines the roadway corridor or intersection to identify potential safety problems. The audit team typically consists of representatives from Federal, State and Local agencies and includes a cross-section of engineering, planning and emergency response experience. BETA facilitated the audit meeting and led discussion during a site visit with all audit participants. Following the site visit, BETA facilitated a group discussion of safety issues and potential countermeasures. BETA prepared and distributed a report which summarized the project location and the safety issues and potential countermeasures identified during the audit.

BETA conducted over 60 RSA’s under this on call.