PROBLEM IDENTIFICATION
Colorado's Santa Fe Corridor is comprised of four major cities including Denver, Englewood, Littleton and Sheridan. Numerous multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional construction projects currently underway in this area result in significant interaction between motor vehicle traffic and construction vehicles. Officials with the surface mode transportation section of the United States Department of Transportation (US DOT) were concerned that the combination of vehicle interaction and construction site work practices along the Santa Fe Corridor were presenting a potential threat to worker and motorist safety. In an effort to assure, increase and enhance safety and work practices throughout this region, the Santa Fe Work Zone Safety Assessment was initiated in 1998.

GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
Colorado had an existing set of Construction Safety Programs in use, which had proven successful in the past. In order to determine if these programs should be improved or supplanted to assure the continuation of the state's excellent safety record, an Intermodal Safety Inspection Team was assembled. This team included representatives from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Regional Transportation District (RTD), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration's Office of Motor Carriers (OMC). The Intermodal Safety Inspection Team was mandated to perform construction safety inspection and assessment of the safety programs, practices and enforcement of the Santa Fe Corridor light rail and highway projects. Specific objectives of the Santa Fe Work Zone Safety Assessment were:

• To organize a meeting of the Team to establish an inspection methodology, assessment protocol, parameters, time lines and reporting of findings and recommendations
• To inspect all phases of the Santa Fe Corridor projects to determine their level of compliance
• To analyze railroad, light rail and highway construction safety practices in this region
• To make recommendations for change if unsafe work practices or traffic control problems exist
• To work with community and area public safety representatives to maintain safe coexistence among motorists, highway/rail construction workers, pedestrians and rail travelers

STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES
Intermodal Safety Inspection Team members established a protocol for conducting inspections of Santa Fe corridor construction sites. Assessment teams were dispatched to various sites, and although they identified themselves as they arrived on-site, their visits were unannounced. In this manner, they hoped to capture the true work environment. All phases of the site were then inspected and assessed for compliance with safety procedures. Recommendations for change were provided to sites with unsafe work practices or traffic control problems.

RESULTS
A total of 24 construction sites were inspected during 1998, resulting in the identification of numerous safety concerns. These included insufficient pedestrian walkways, no handicap access to temporary walkways, lack of appropriate safety gear and fall rescue systems and improper placement of barriers. Inspectors also observed positive safety practices at some sites, including good signage and well-informed safety flagmen.

All inspection sites demonstrated an overall willingness to implement the Safety Team's recommendations. In fact, many safety violations resulted from insufficient information and understanding of safety procedures. The Team recommended that future construction contract language include the requirement for contractors to provide proper safety training.

In order to better inform and involve the community, and provide a valuable opportunity to strengthen the partnering aspect of the Safe Communities concept, an information sharing and planning seminar was presented in March, 1999.

SUMMER 1999