Citian in Ft. Lauderdale: Day One at the Safe Roads Summit

Citian’s Fredy Santos and Rahul Kapoor are in Ft. Lauderdale this week attending the Safe Roads Summit, where transportation leaders from across the country have gathered to focus on one shared goal: safer roads and safer communities. While the conference continues today, Tuesday’s sessions reinforced a powerful theme: meaningful safety progress requires alignment across agencies, disciplines, and levels of government.

‍

A Safe Systems Focus

‍

Throughout the day, speakers emphasized the importance of the Safe Systems Approach, designing roadways and policies that anticipate human error and prioritize reducing the severity of crashes when they occur. Rather than viewing safety as a single program or funding stream, leaders framed it as a coordinated strategy requiring engineering, planning, policy, and community engagement to work in sync. A consistent message emerged: safety outcomes improve when agencies move from siloed decision-making toward shared accountability and common metrics.

‍

Bringing Different Perspectives to the Same Table

‍

MPO leaders from multiple states were invited to participate in this year’s summit, creating a strong cross-state dialogue around roadway safety strategy. Those leaders shared candid perspectives on their experiences, including both their wins and the challenges they have faced implementing safety initiatives. Discussions ranged from aligning regional priorities and strengthening stakeholder coordination to navigating data limitations and communicating decisions to elected officials and the public. By bringing together agencies at different stages of implementation, the summit fostered a practical exchange of lessons learned. The conversations were grounded in real-world application, giving attendees insights they can take back and apply within their own regions.

‍

Federal Insights on the Road Ahead

‍

One of the most notable moments from Day One was a fireside chat featuring Loren Smith from USDOT. The discussion touched on federal safety priorities and what agencies should expect in the upcoming cycle. Among the updates shared: the next Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO), anticipated on March 30, will be open for 60 days instead of 90. While timeline adjustments are important, the larger takeaway from the conversation was this: readiness matters. Agencies that have clear prioritization frameworks and internal alignment before opportunities open will be positioned to act decisively.

‍

Strengthening Regional Collaboration

‍

Beyond the mainstage sessions, Fredy and Rahul connected with Amanda Carpenter, Director of Florida MPOAC, to discuss how MPOs are coordinating safety efforts across regions. Conversations like these reinforce the central theme of the summit: improving roadway safety is not the responsibility of a single agency. It requires shared focus, shared language, and shared commitment.

‍

📸 With Amanda Carpenter, Director of Florida MPOAC

‍

Continuing the Conversation

As the Safe Roads Summit continues today, one idea remains clear: advancing safety is as much about collaboration as it is about data. When state leaders, MPOs, federal officials, and local agencies align around a Safe Systems framework, safety strategy becomes more consistent, more defensible, and ultimately more impactful. We look forward to sharing additional insights as the summit concludes.

‍