Session 5: Safer Speeds in the Rural Context

In this portion of the mini-conference, you will learn examples for applying the Safe System Approach for safer speeds in the rural context. This includes: Why safer speeds are important and examples of countermeasures to use for speed management. An overview of the Operation Southern Slow Down Public Awareness Campaign and High Visibility Enforcement. Why and how to use land use and road design for safer speed, a Washington State DOT example. The presenters include: Andi Bill, Director, Wisconsin Local Technical Assistance Program Andi Bill is the Director of the Wisconsin Local Technical Assistance Program and Associate Director of the Traffic Operations and Safety Laboratory and Eastern Tribal Technical Assistance Program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. With these roles, she has been bringing research to technology transfer through in person and virtual webinars throughout Wisconsin and the U.S. She focuses on safe system, human factors, traffic operations, work zone design, incident management, roadway lighting, engineering ethics, connected and automated vehicles, and traffic safety. She is a passionate advocate for making research tangible to practitioners and to foster implementation and widespread adoption. She is actively involved in the Transportation Research Board, Institute of Transportation Engineers, Association of Traffic Safety Information Professionals, and American Society of Engineering Education. Brent Kelly, Special Programs Director, Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs, South Carolina Department of Public Safety Brent Kelly began his law enforcement career in 2000 with the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office before joining the South Carolina Highway Patrol in 2007. He served four years as a road trooper before transitioning to the Community Relations Unit. In 2013, he moved to the Office of Highway Safety and Justice Programs as a Law Enforcement Liaison. In 2020, he was promoted to Special Programs Director, where he oversees the Law Enforcement Support Services Section, Traffic Records Section, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Officers Hall of Fame. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Ashworth College. Jacob B. Gonzalez, Senior Land Use & Transportation Planner, Washington State Department of Transportation Jacob Gonzalez is the Senior Land Use and Transportation Planner at the Washington State Department of Transportation, where he works at the intersection of land use, transportation, housing, and safety. He has 15 years of experience across local, regional, and state government and has presented at forums including the Transportation Research Board and Washington Main Street. His work has also included public-sector partnerships with the NYU Furman Center Housing Solutions Lab, National League of Cities, and Urban Land Institute’s Health Leaders Network. Jacob holds degrees from the University of Washington and Claremont Lincoln University.