e. Adopt 2024 to 2028 Cass County Comprehensive Highway and Bridge Plan

6 One of the critical issues identified was the higher crash rate on rural paved roads. While gravel roads make up approximately 93% of North Dakota’s 97,600 miles of rural local road system, approximately half of the severe crashes are on the paved roads that make up 7% of the rural system. The LRSP therefore focused on the Cass County paved road network and a Risk Rating Criteria was developed for the paved roads based on: Density of Road Departure Crashes; Traffic Volume; Curve (Critical Radius) Density; Access Density; and Road Edge Risk Assessment. To develop a comprehensive LRSP, a public workshop was held with an emphasis on the 4 E’s: Engineering, Enforcement, Education, and Emergency Medical Services. Through group discussion and review of crash data, participants worked to address severe crashes on the County roadways. Critical emphasis areas discussed were: Unbelted Vehicle Occupants; Lane Departure Crashes; Alcohol Related Crashes; Excessive Speed or Aggressive Driving; Intersection Crashes; and Crashes Involving Drivers Under Age 21. Crash data from 2008 to 2012 was used for the countywide crash analysis. For Cass County, there were not enough crashes to be statistically reliable; therefore, decisions were based on the crashes for all cities, statewide data, or national research. The safety emphasis areas for Cass County are consistent with the state’s emphasis areas. This process revealed where crashes were overrepresented based on a comparison to statewide averages or where a large enough number of crashes represented an opportunity to substantially reduce crashes. As a result, the following safety emphasis areas were identified as priorities for safety investments: • Driver Behavior – Young drivers, aggressive drivers, alcohol-related, and unbelted vehicle occupants • Highways – Lane departure and intersection crashes.