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Data-Driven Approach Needed to Prioritize Areas for Safer Road Design
Board members of Bike West Hartford call on the West Hartford Vision Zero Task Force to explore the data:
Where did motor vehicle crashes with injuries happen in West Hartford from 2018-2022?
Our analysis of CT Crash Repository Data found:
- 61% of all crashes with fatal or serious injuries took place on 7 local corridors, shown below in red.
- Although more motorists crashed on high-volume Interstate 84 (21% of Town total), the second-highest number of crashes was on New Britain Avenue (11% of total), with a disproportionately larger share of crashes with any injuries (13% of total).
- While motorist crashes on I-84 comprised 6% of all fatal and serious injuries, higher or similar levels occurred in local neighborhoods: Main Street and Albany Ave (both 13%), Quaker Lane (9%), Farmington Ave and Prospect Ave (both 7%), and New Britain Ave and Park-Sedgwick Rd (both 6%).
Recommendation: Focus on where crashes are happening to prioritize areas for safer road design.
Notes:
a) Based on police reports to CT Crash Data Repository, where Town = West Hartford, last updated 12 April 2023
Local crashes based on geocoordinates located inside corridors. Interstate crashes based on Roadway type.
This spatial analysis simplifies crashes at intersections by arbitrarily assigning them to one specific corridor.
See data sources and spatial analysis methods at https://bikewesthartford.github.io/wh-crash-analysis
See more specific crash “hot spots” in West Hartford crash heatmap at https://bikewesthartford.github.io/wh-crashes
b) Police reports of Most Severe Injury included any suspected or possible injuries for motorists, pedestrians, cyclists.
Shows number of crashes (not number of people injured). Not normalized for corridor length or traffic volume.
c) Crashes may be underreported for West Hartford corridors bordering other towns (such as Prospect Avenue).
d) CT Crash Data (delayed 1-6 months) does NOT yet include 3 fatal crashes in Dec 2022:
- Dec 20th at Boulevard & Whiting Ln
- Dec 21st at Mohegan Dr & Carlyle
- Dec 25th at Simsbury Rd & Timberwood
