According to data from the NC Vision Zero program, there were 4,741 fatal and/or serious injury traffic crashes in the seven-county Central Pines region within the five year period from 2020 to 2024, for an average of almost 1,000 each year. The injuries and deaths caused by these crashes cause a heavy toll on the health and well-being of our region's residents and visitors.
In 2024, Central Pines Regional Council began work on a project to provide tools for communities in the Central Pines region to engage in planning around the topic of roadway safety. As part of this project, CPRC worked with two communities in the region to develop pilot-case Safety Action Plans (one in a more rural setting and one in a more urban/suburban setting), created a regional online data dashboard of severe and fatal crash data, and created template documents, maps, and instructions for other communities within the region that wish to engage in similar types of planning. This work is being funded through the Federal Highway Administration's "Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A)" program.
Work on the project wrapped up in late 2025. Two pilot case study Safety Action Plans were completed by consultants (an urban/suburban example in Morrisville and a rural example in Lee County), and CPRC developed templates and data tools, and compiled other resources other jurisdictions in the region can use to create similar plans. We want all communities in our region to have the tools they need for addressing transportation safety!
As a statement of our organizational commitment to improving transportation safety, the Central Pines Regional Council Board of Delegates adopted a Resolution in Support of Transportation Safety Action Plans in the Central Pines Region on October 22, 2025.
Pilot Case Studies
For more information on the two pilot plan communities, click on the expandable sections below. These plans were developed both to serve as actionable plans for the communities involved and to serve as examples for other communities to follow.
The Town of Morrisville has developed a Safety Action Plan that analyzes traffic safety data and provides the Town with a strategic and actionable set of recommendations to improve road safety in the town for all types of road users.
Over the summer and fall of 2025, we gathered input from the community through a variety of events, surveys, and online feedback opportunities. Your input has been a critical component of our planning process and we appreciate your participation!
The Safety Action Plan was adopted by the Morrisville Town Council on October 14, 2025.
Plan Document - Morrisville in Motion: A Safety Action Plan
Presentation to Town Council - PowerPoint Slides
The City of Sanford, Town of Broadway, and Lee County have collaboratively worked to develop a Safety Action Plan for Lee County that analyzes traffic safety data and provides the community with a strategic and actionable set of recommendations to improve road safety for all types of road users.
Over the summer and fall of 2025, we gathered input from the community through a variety of events, surveys, and online feedback opportunities. Your input has been a critical component of our planning process and we appreciate your participation!
The Safety Action Plan was adopted by the Sanford City Council on December 16, 2025, by the Broadway Town Board on December 15, 2025, and by the Lee County Board of Commissioners on December 15, 2025.
Plan Document - Lee County Safety Action Plan
Presentation to City/Town Council and County Commissioners - PowerPoint Slides (slides were tailored to each board based on this template)
Templates and Resources
The following sections contain links to the document templates, instructions, safety data dashboard and other resources for communities in the Central Pines region to use in developing their own safety action plans, as well as links to other external resources.
Central Pines Regional Council has developed a number of tools and resources for communities within our region to use in developing their own transportation safety action plans. These materials include:
- A Microsoft Word document template for creating a Transportation Safety Action Plan for your community, annotated with notes throughout that provide instruction and guidance on how to use the template
- A step-by-step instruction document for gathering data, preparing maps, and performing the main technical analysis steps of your Transportation Safety Action Plan
- A memo outlining major themes and elements from the pilot Safety Action Plans in Morrisville and Lee County that may be helpful as you work on your own plan
- A listing of strategies and actions from the two pilot Safety Action Plans, as a resource to use while your community develops its own strategies and actions
- A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet template to aid in your analysis of crash data for your community
- A sample adoption resolution and letter of commitment
In addition to all the resources above, we have developed a number of mapping and data tools in our Safety Data Toolbox, to aid in your safety planning process. The toolbox includes dashboards showing the following:
- Maps of Fatal and Serious Injury Crash Locations
- Maps of Non-motorized Crash Locations
- Maps Comparing Crash Locations with Transportation-Disadvantaged Areas
- Maps of High Injury Networks
- Crash Viewer "web experience" that allows more detailed analysis of crash data
- Crash Rate Viewer that can be used to help define a High Injury Network
CPRC Safety Data Toolbox
As part of the project development process, we have also developed a few materials and resources specifically about CPRC's role in this Safe Streets for All project. These can be found below: