According to the Ukrainian Road Safety Strategy, Ukraine has one of the highest road accident fatality rates of European countries per 100,000 inhabitants (8.22% in 2019 compared to 5% in EU countries). This project is expected to contribute significantly to improving of the current road safety conditions. Once implemented, the proposed road safety measures can save around 100 lives and nearly 400 serious injuries per 10-year period.

This is a flagship project for the European Investment Bank that will result in saving lives and improving the economy of the cities in Ukraine. With technical support provided by DT Global consortium, five major cities in Ukraine, including its capital of Kyiv, have prepared the urban road safety project schemes for funds allocation requests for the total amount so far of €78 million to invest in the cities’ safe road infrastructure.

These schemes are going to be financed by the European Investment Bank co-financing loan to Ukraine. The investments are aimed at eliminating the most dangerous road locations “blackspots” by applying international best practice solutions for upgrading the street infrastructure, intersections, and accessibility, providing a safe environment for all road users. The work is also directed towards improving access to public transport, development of safe cycle and pedestrian networks, urban transport planning, the introduction of reduced speed in residential areas and school zones, and IT traffic management systems. The infrastructure investments will also encourage a shift to a more environmentally friendly transportation system (public transport, walking, and cycling) and contribute to economic growth by reducing the economic losses potentially incurred from the road traffic accidents. Current activities include preparation of City Road Safety Action Plans, a comprehensive design manual, a proposal for an accident data system, and conducting trainings and workshops.

Note: The project has continued despite the Russian invasion in Ukraine. All cities with the exception of Odessa are continuing their involvement and are eager to continue the support provided by DT Global. The European Investment Bank is also trying to find ways to accelerate the implementation of the project by possibly broadening the scope of the project to include the most immediate needs of the country in terms of reconstruction of roads and bridges

The project has five expected results:

• Result 1: The Ukraine Ministry of Interior’s Project Management Support Unit can effectively and efficiently check, review, and process the requests for funding from each participating city Project Implementation Unit and to monitor implementation of funded schemes in each city.

• Result 2: All five individual Project Implementation Units can prepare, package, and submit schemes for funding and for effective implementation and monitoring activities at the scheme level, and can prepare City Road Safety Action Plans.

• Result 3: Develop comprehensive design manual based on best international practices in streetscape design, safety engineering, traffic calming, and related regulations and procedures to improve road safety and to encourage walking and cycling in the project cities.

• Result 4: Create an accident data system located outside Ministry of Interior, where non-confidential accident data from police data storage system can periodically be copied for download to each of the project cities for further city specific analysis on local accident data systems or which can be accessed via cloud computing to enable each city to have access to data from their road networks.

• Result 5: Train the five participating cities’ local politicians, city and police officials and relevant specialists, engineers in design institutes, and the Ukrderzhbudexpertiza (State Construction Expertise) in accident areas including data analysis, blackspot investigation/improvement, streetscape design, low-cost safety engineering, speed reduction, and traffic calming.