SPIRIT LAKE TRIBE TRANSPORTATION SAFETY MANAGEMENT PLAN April 2016 Spirit Lake Road Department TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................... 1 Education ................................................................................................................ 1 Enforcement ............................................................................................................. 1 Engineering .............................................................................................................. 1 Emergency Response ................................................................................................... 2 BACKGROUND .............................................................................................................. 2 Review of 2012 Road Safety Audit ................................................................................... 4 DATA ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................ 5 Crash Mapping ............................................................................................................. 9 Focus Area 1 ........................................................................................................... 10 Focus Area 2 ........................................................................................................... 11 Focus Area 3 ........................................................................................................... 12 Focus Area 4 ........................................................................................................... 13 Focus Area 5 ........................................................................................................... 14 2016 TRIBAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY PLANNING MEETING ..................................................... 15 Transportation Safety Issues ........................................................................................ 15 Existing Transportation Safety Programs ......................................................................... 16 IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES ......................................................................................... 17 Education .............................................................................................................. 17 Enforcement ........................................................................................................... 18 Engineering ............................................................................................................ 20 Emergency Response ................................................................................................. 22 APPENDIX A SAFETY MEETING .......................................................................................... 24 AND CRASH MAPPING .................................................................................................... 24 Meeting Agenda ....................................................................................................... 25 Tribal Transportation Safety Meeting Sign-In Sheet ............................................................ 26 APPENDIX B 2015 NDDOT LOCAL ROAD SAFETY PROGRAM ........................................................ 32 Spirit Lake Nation Tribal Transportation Safety Management Plan 2016 i TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures and Tables Table 1 NDDOT Crash Data Compared to BIA Crash Data by Year ................................................ 6 Table 2 NDDOT Crash Roadway Geometrics 2008 to 2014 ......................................................... 6 Table 3 Crash Lighting Conditions ...................................................................................... 6 Table 4 First Harmful Event, Junction Relation and Manner of Collision ........................................ 7 Figure 1 Alcohol and Drugs .............................................................................................. 8 Figure 2 Seatbelt Use ..................................................................................................... 9 Figure 3 Mapping Key ..................................................................................................... 9 Figure 4 Focus Area 1 ................................................................................................... 10 Figure 5 Focus Area 2 ................................................................................................... 11 Figure 6 Focus Area 3 ................................................................................................... 12 Figure 7 Focus Area 4 ................................................................................................... 13 Figure 8 Focus Area 5 ................................................................................................... 14 Spirit Lake Nation Tribal Transportation Safety Management Plan 2016 ii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY From 2008 to 2014, more than 328 traffic crashes were recorded on the Spirit Lake Nation that resulted in 26 fatalities. In an effort to reduce fatalities and injuries and improve the overall safety of the transportation system on the Spirit Lake Nation, a road safety audit was performed in September of 2012. This audit identified a number of strategies to reduce traffic crashes, including roadway infrastructure improvements, sharing crash data between the NDDOT/State of North Dakota and the Spirit Lake Nation, suggestion that the Spirit Lake Tribe adopt or reevaluate formal policies for approving new access points to roadways and to retrofit existing facilities so physical features are in compliance with the Americans With Disabilities ACT (ADA). Progress has been made, but there is still work to be done. In 2015 the Spirit Lake Tribe began efforts to complete their first Tribal Transportation Safety Management Plan. This effort culminated with a meeting where Tribal, county, state, federal and interested parties came together to review the available crash data, identify ongoing safety efforts, and develop new or continuing strategies to improve transportation safety within the Spirit Lake Nation. These strategies were prioritized around the 4E’s of transportation safety; Education, Enforcement, Engineering and Emergency Response and included: Education » Continue the Spirit Lake Nation Traffic Safety Facebook updates to provide traffic safety related information to the members of the Spirit Lake Nation. » Continue and expand Tribal Health’s child restraint fitting clinics Enforcement » Share electronic Crash Record Data among agencies. » Expand Use of High Visibility DUI Enforcement Saturations Including Sobriety Checkpoints, and Report DUI’s to the State » Rewrite Tribal Laws to Allow BIA Officers to Issue Citations to All Road Users » Expanded Use of Solar Automatic Speed Reader Board » Adopt gross and axle weight restrictions on tribal roads through the Tribal Law and Order code Engineering » Complete shoulder widening project on BIA Route 21 and installation of a recovery approach at the intersection of BIA Routes 1 and 6. Spirit Lake Nation Tribal Transportation Safety Management Plan 2016 1 » Complete light installation at intersections as outlined in the NDDOT Local Road Safety Program » Widen shoulders and flatten inslopes, especially along curves. » Install Chevrons on BIA 15 » Shared use path to connect the new wellness center to Four Winds High School and the Crow Hill housing development Emergency Response » Install 911 address signs throughout the Spirit Lake Nation to aid in the proper documentation of incidents and the ability to find remote locations. » Adopt consistent street names to eliminate singular streets having multiple names and install mile markers. Once adopted, distribute the data and update Street signs to match the newly adopted naming convention. BACKGROUND The Spirit Lake Nation encompasses approximately 405 square miles primarily in Benson County, with portions in Eddy, Nelson, Wells and Ramsey County. The Spirit Lake Nation was established in 1867 by treaty between the United States Government and the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Bands. Today there are more than 7,000 enrolled members in the Spirit Lake Tribe. The land’s main uses are for agriculture and ranching, with Devils Lake being a major recreational tourist attraction. Other tourist attractions located within the Spirit Lake Nation are Sully’s Hill National Game Preserve, Fort Totten State Historic Site and the Spirit Lake Casino and Marina. Within the Spirit Lake Nation there are 80 miles of BIA roads, 23 miles of tribal routes, 94 miles of county roads, 270 miles of township roads, 20.8 miles of US Highway 281, and 48.4 miles of state highways including ND 15, 19, 20 and 57. There is a considerable amount of tourist and truck traffic that visits and passes through the Spirit Lake Nation each year. Large numbers of tourists are attracted for the Devils Run Car show, Spirit Lake Annual Powwow, and various fishing tournaments. The safety of the tribal transportation system is an important factor to the visitors and residents of the Spirit Lake Nation. Available data has indicated that injury and fatality crash rates on reservations are much higher than the rest of the United States. Federal programs are available to help resolve traffic related crashes and provide safer reservation transportation routes for Tribal members and the traveling public. The Federal Highway Administration