This summer the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission released a study called Traffic Crash Facts for Champaign-Urbana, Selected Crash Intersection Locations 2005-2009. The study provides detailed data on traffic crashes on specific corridors and at specific intersections over the four year period. The report is required to be prepared and submitted to the Federal Highway Administration every two years. The report shows a downward trend in the number of crashes from 2005 to 2009. Additionally, total injuries steadily decreased from 2008 to 2009, and traffic crash injuries declined by 19% from 2005 to 2009. The report also studies pedestrian and bicycle crash data and notes that between 2005-2009 there were 10 pedestrian fatalities and one bicycle fatality in Champaign-Urbana. Two of these fatalities were in the University District.

The following trends were also noted in the crash data:

• Majority of the crashes occurred between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM
• Rear-end, turning, and angle crashes are the predominant crash types in C-U
• The majority of the crashes were under clear weather conditions (80%)
• The majority of impaired/distracted driving crashes were alcohol related (71%)

Of particular interest is where the crashes are happening most frequently. The University Avenue and Prospect Avenue corridors had over 1,000 crashes over the five year period which is the highest among any of the major corridors in the Champaign-Urbana area. The maximum number of severe crashes along the key corridors occurred in 2009.

It is anticipated that the installation of the curb-bump outs along University Avenue in downtown Champaign will help reduce the number of crashes by slowing traffic thus making the University Avenue corridor safer for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists. Reducing crashes on the Prospect Avenue corridor will require a closer examination of crash locations and causes. It is likely that the existing four-lane cross-section, narrow travel lanes, lack of accommodation for left turns causing them to interrupt traffic flow, and high frequency of east-west traffic crossing the street all contribute to the issue.