NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans is proud to announce the launch of its updated Transportation Safety Dashboard, an interactive educational tool designed to empower residents and policymakers with the knowledge to make safer decisions on our streets. The redesign and information for the new dashboard were done in collaboration with the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), the Louisiana Department of Transportation (DOTD), and the Office of Information Technology and Innovation in efforts to foster transparency and inform the community about the frequency and locations of roadway crashes resulting in injuries and fatalities. By highlighting areas where crashes occur more frequently, the city demonstrates its commitment to understand and prioritizing those areas for intervention.
“Our city is taking steps towards improving road safety for everyone. The updated Transportation Dashboard is a testament to our commitment to creating a safer, more informed New Orleans. With this tool, we’re not just sharing data; we’re building a foundation for a safer tomorrow,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
“These statistics highlight the ongoing challenges in ensuring the safety of all road users, especially vulnerable groups like pedestrians and bicyclists. They emphasize the need for targeted interventions to address the rising trend of serious injuries among these populations,” said Jeanie Donovan, Deputy Director of Population Health and Disease Prevention at the Health Department.
The latest data from the transportation safety dashboard shows some concerning trends in traffic safety. There has been a 75% increase in overall yearly roadway fatalities from 2019 to 2022. In addition, there has been a 107% increase in bicycle crashes resulting in serious injuries during the same period. Most concerning, however, is the level of fatality crashes involving pedestrians. New Orleans has seen an increase in these pedestrian crashes from 11 in 2019 to 34 in 2022. Due to these trends involving vulnerable road users, the city is developing a transportation fatality review team and process to review the circumstances of each crash resulting in the death of a bicyclist or pedestrian and will develop recommendations based on the review findings.
Through our transportation data analysis, we are identifying behaviors that most commonly contribute to crashes and injuries. The new transportation dashboard provides insights into where and why crashes resulting in injury and fatality occur.
“Traffic safety data is often presented in tables and charts but when combined with GIS technology, we can visualize where in the city these crashes are occurring. This allows us to analyze what behavioral and environmental factors are contributing to an increase in crashes in those areas.” said Caroline Demay, Enterprise GIS Manager at City of New Orleans Information systems management.
“Making streets safe for walking, bicycling, and riding transit are critical to achieving the City’s Climate Action Plan goals. But we cannot make progress managing safety without measuring it. The Transportation Safety Dashboard provides a valuable tool for the public to track the safety performance of our streets,” said Greg Nichols, Deputy Chief Resilience Officer and Director of Office of Resilience and Sustainability.
New Features of the New Dashboard: Residents can now see the specifics of transportation incidents within the city and in their neighborhoods with ease. The dashboard provides detailed insights by mode of transportation, including:
- Month/Day Time: Understand the temporal patterns of roadway crashes.
- Location Data: Identify when and where crashes are happening.
- Filter Options: View data segmented by crashes involving personal vehicles, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, and commercial vehicles.
What Sets It Apart:
- User-Friendly Interface: The dashboard offers more information in a more accessible format.
- Increased Update Frequency: Moving from annual to quarterly updates ensures the data is current and relevant.
- Performance Tracking: The dashboard highlights areas of improvement and those needing attention.
Microsoft Power BI (powerbigov.us)
New Orleans Health Department Mission: To promote, protect, and improve the health of all in our community through equitable policies, programs, and partnerships.
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