Background

“Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for every age from 3 through 33.” “One American dies in a motor vehicle accident every 12 minutes.” “NHTSA estimates that 15,632 lives were saved in 2005 by the use of safety belts.”

Statistics like these prompted Congress to require all states to develop and implement a Strategic Highway Safety Plan (SHSP). Successful implementation of an SHSP requires the statewide management of safety-related initiatives and activities across multiple agencies. OnTrackCS was designed exclusively to assist states in this process. Using OnTrackCS:

• Agencies and organizations across the state can centrally store safety-related project information;
• Safety personnel can view and track progress on strategies, projects, specific action items, and project milestones;
• Emphasis area and project coordinators can collect updates on progress using automated e-mail; and
• Any user can quickly generate and print a full status report on any number of strategies or emphasis areas.

OnTrackCS enables states to efficiently reallocate resources from managing its safety plan to making roads safer.

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Benefits

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• Centralized and Simplified – OnTrackCS makes life easier for people on every level of transportation. Those working in the field benefit from a centralized repository for storing and sharing projects, documents, and deadlines that can be accessed anywhere. Those managing these projects can easily schedule reminders and audit for changes. All users are able to track progress and print reports. OnTrackCS simplifies planning from the top down.
• Efficient Tracking – A tracking system that lets you know when projects are off track can be very useful, but OnTrackCS goes further, providing tools that can help you keep projects on schedule. OnTrackCS users can track projects from “big picture” through “details” with a practical system of status indicators. Review the project details with one click, and schedule updates to the project coordinator with two.
• On-Demand Reporting – Reporting on a plan typically involves tracking down any number of projects and agencies across a state, and wrangling updates and information months in advance of any actual deadline. OnTrackCS condenses this reporting marathon through a centralized, web-based tracking system, and can go from start to a printed, submission-ready report in a few mouse-clicks.

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Case Studies

Getting Started with a SHSP – Some states met the initial SAFETEA-LU requirement for a SHSP by assembling a bare-bones short list of high-priority emphasis areas and strategies.  Moving forward, these states need to craft a plan that balances research, implementation, and assessment; and they must coordinate their activities in such a way that can attract and keep all the parties to the table.

First and foremost, OnTrackCS is a central, shared repository through which agencies can collaboratively identify emphasis areas and strategies, as well as crucial information such as the schedule and responsible agency and/or person.

And OnTrackCS enables states to go much further. Users can store objectives and detailed strategy descriptions; upload and share documents such as Word, Excel, or PDF files; define and track any number of milestones per strategy; and with a click of the mouse produce formatted, print-ready reports that communicate the plan and its progress verbally and graphically.

Moving into Implementation – Louisiana is one of many states moving into the implementation phase of their SHSP. They need to flesh out the details of their plan, assign responsibilities, define schedules, and monitor internal progress.

Because OnTrackCS was designed for the sole purpose of supporting a state’s Strategic Highway Safety Plan, it clearly guides agencies through their critical first steps. State personnel can collaboratively and continuously draft and store project information from any location. 

As a state entering its implementation phase, OnTrackCS provides Louisiana with a rich set of tracking and reporting features. Managers quickly browse their project strategies, identify obstacles at a glance, and schedule reminders of upcoming or delinquent milestones.  Coordinators generate a status report prior to their group meetings, and everyone knows which projects are on track and which ones need attention.

Communication Need with Limited IT Resources – Many agencies and a host of people are involved in developing and implementing an SHSP. Most states cannot easily share desktop applications or databases among multiple agencies. Keeping everyone fully informed on all aspects of the plan by e-mail or phone is simply unworkable.

OnTrackCS does away with these problems. It is a web-based application that enables any user to access the system from any computer with a web browser. The information is stored in a central relational database, so information and updates entered by any user are immediately accessible to any qualified user.  

OnTrackCS is licensed as a fully-supported, hosted application, so a state can get up and running instantly, without requiring any installation work or IT support. All information is stored on secure servers and regularly backed up. User support and training by CS staff is included in the package.

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Cambridge Systematics – Leaders in Transportation Safety

Cambridge Systematics, Inc. is deeply committed to improving the safety of our nation’s transportation system. For nearly a decade we have conducted safety-related research, developed safety plans and programs for Federal, state, and regional agencies, and deployed information systems that make highways and other modes of transportation safer.

Our staff understands key Federal and state safety programs and processes, and we work extensively with our clients in the areas of safety planning, implementation, safety tools, and decision support systems. We also support our clients as they evaluate the safety impact of their investment decisions and work to improve the safe operation of their systems.

Our safety clients include Federal agencies such as the FHWA, FMCSA, NHTSA, and the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). We currently are supporting more than a dozen state departments of transportation (DOT) and state safety offices, as well as several regional agencies.

In short, we are transportation safety experts, and we bring our expertise to the table in every OnTrackCS deployment.

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OnTrackCS Technical Specifications

• Designed for Microsoft Internet Explorer Version 6.0 or later
• ASP.NET
• Microsoft SQL Server
• Maximum number of emphasis areas:  unlimited
• Maximum number of strategies:  unlimited
• Maximum number of users:  unlimited
• Graphical display of performance measure data
• Graphical tracking of strategy and milestone status
• Customized support plans and hosting options available

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Contact Information

Ruth Miller, Software Product Specialist; 617-354-0167; rmiller@camsys.com

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