Ensuring safe, accessible, and efficient transportation across the Salem-Keizer region is a central goal of the SKATS MPO. SKATS strives to promote improved safety outcomes across all core programs, plans, and projects, with the aim to create a regional transportation system that safely accommodates all users.
Information here highlights the current work on safety issues at SKATS.
We’re developing a Metropolitan Transportation Safety Action Plan (MTSAP) to address safety concerns related to driving, walking, biking, and rolling in the Salem-Keizer area.
What’s an MTSAP?
The MTSAP will recommend safety policies and actions as well as goals to measure how well they work. We’ll study crash data, analyze safety issues, and talk with the public to make sure the plan reflects community concerns and experiences.
From 2015 to 2019 there was an average of 3700 crashes per year, resulting in 3000 injuries, 100 serious injuries, and 18 fatalities each year within the Salem-Keizer-Turner area. On average, 150 of these crashes each year involve a bicyclist or pedestrian, resulting in 6 fatalities and 12 serious injuries.
This plan will help guide investments in regional roads over the next few years to improve everyone’s safety - no matter how they get around. A draft plan is anticipated in late spring 2024.
The MTSAP website with draft documents, agendas and presentations.
The MTSAP public input map.
For the SKATS Metropolitan Transportation Safety Action Plan (MTSAP), staff recently completed a High-Injury Corridor (HIC) crash analysis, evaluating 2017 to 2021 crash data provided by ODOT. The purpose of this analysis was to identify where the highest concentrations of fatal, serious, and non-motorist injury crashes are occurring on Salem-Keizer streets. This can help us improve decision-making related to addressing transportation-related safety issues in our area. An ArcGIS StoryMap was created to summarize the analysis.
High Injury Corridor data, maps, and overview.
Crash reports were produced as documents from 2007 to 2014. Beginning in 2015, an online resource has been maintained providing similar reports with the data from 2007 to the latest available.
Interactive pages for the latest crash analysis and data.
The crash data by year is also available to view on a series of maps.
Crash maps and associated data.
SKATS collects and analyzes data sources relevent to regional safety planning. Below are links to more information about current and recently completed projects, projects by type, and sidewalk gap analysis for the region.
Examples of safety improvement projects with photos
Gap analysis map of the sideway inventory
Dashboard of Transportation Projects since 2005
Safe Routes to School promotes access to walking, bicycling, and rolling to school for students and families. By providing education, activities, and resources, we work to make it easier for students to choose active and shared transportation options for navigating their communities.
Safe Routes to School website.
Marion County is currently developing a Transportation Safety Action Plan (TSAP), a strategic safety plan that will guide the County’s investments in transportation safety. The County is committed to improving safety and reducing the risk of fatal and serious injury crashes in Marion County.
Information on Marion County's TSAP on their website
In 2024, the City of Salem has been awarded a $2.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to support Salem’s Vision Zero program to reduce or eliminate pedestrian deaths and serious injuries on our roadways. In addition, the city has a Safer Pedestrian Crossings Program in which the public and indicate where they would like to see improvements.
Safer Pedestrian Crossings Program