Accelerating the Adoption of Innovation Highways for LIFE Accelerating the Adoption of Innovation AASHTO Subcommittee on Design June 14, 2006 – Orlando, FL

Highways for LIFE Long lasting Innovative Fast construction Efficient and Safe In answering this challenge FHWA proposed a pilot program - Highways for LIFE - to build highways and bridges safer, faster and better – LIFE is an acronym for Long Lasting, Innovative Fast Construction of Efficient and Safe Highway Infrastructure. As proposed, the pilot program would involve incentives for construction projects, partnerships with industry, and extensive technology transfer, education, training and communication initiatives. Together, the program elements are intended to greatly accelerate the advancement of proven innovations into routine practice – to bring about a Leap forward in highway construction practices.

Why Long Lasting? 70% increase in freight tonnage to between 1998 and 2020 90% of urban Interstates expected to approach/exceed capacity by 2020 Aging Interstate system…1/3 in fair or poor condition

Why Innovations? “Taking advantage of innovations that are already out there is the key” DOT Secretary Norm Mineta, 4-15-04

Why Faster? Our customers have told us: We take too long to do our job! Get in, stay in, get out, stay out!

Price Trend Federal-Aid Why Efficient? Price Trend Federal-Aid Highway Construction 1987 Base Year = 100

Why Safe? 43,220 deaths 2.89 million injuries 6.3 million crashes Fatality rate 1.48 deaths/hmvm $230.6 billion or $820/person

Highways for LIFE We must have all three! Long lasting Innovative Fast Construction > Faster Efficient and Safe > Less Cost > Better He then went on to assert that we must have all three – and he’s right We must have all three!

Highway Paradigm versus “I can build it faster, but it will cost more and the quality may suffer.” or “I can get you better quality, but it will cost more and may take longer.” versus

Private Industry Paradigm Better Faster and at Lower Cost Examples: computers, televisions, automobiles

Highways for LIFE “To widely demonstrate a dramatic improvement in the American driving experience” Improve safety Reduce construction congestion Speed construction Improve quality Save money Three goals support the Highways for LIFE vision – Improve safety, reduce construction-related congestion and improve quality.

What Are We Trying to Do? Change the culture FHWA STA’s, Local Governments Industry Users Create new business models More innovation and creativity More flexibility Better performance Create new expectations Owners Builders

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Projects Technology Partnerships Technology Transfer Information Dissemination Stakeholder Input and Involvement Monitoring and Evaluation $15 M in 2006, $20 M in 2007-09

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Projects Max. of $5M/project and/or waive match Max. of 15 funded projects/yr Performance Goals for Safety Construction Congestion Quality Time Cost Effectiveness

Highways for LIFE Projects > > Performance Goals Safety, Construction Congestion, Time, Quality, Cost Effectiveness Highway motorist/user focused, “Customer Satisfaction” All Performance Goals apply “What” not “how” “Best” not “average” performance Stakeholder input Leadership, stakeholder involvement, and performance goals are the foundation of the Highways for LIFE approach. We at the Federal Highway Administration recognize that we have a key leadership role to play. Our success will be determined, in part, by how many of us embrace that role, and step up to the plate. We also recognize that we cannot do it alone. Stakeholder involvement is absolutely critical. FHWA doesn’t build highways. And we don’t have all the answers. The state highway agencies, highway construction contractors, highway users, suppliers – all the folks who have a stake in highway construction must to have a voice at the table if we are going to succeed. To quote Mary Peters “Highways for LIFE is something we want to do WITH highway stakeholders, not TO them.” The performance goals element of the Highways for LIFE approach reflects a continuation of the shift that we’ve been making over the past several decades away from specifying HOW to do things, toward specifying WHAT the end result is supposed to be. It also reflects a more fundamental shift to thinking about what we build from the perspective of the user, and not just from the perspective of highway professionals. How can we change our approach to highway construction to better respond to the wants and needs of our neighbors?

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Technology Partnerships Proven success Highway industry, other industries or Internationally Adapt for routine highway use Incentive funding

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Stakeholder Input and Involvement States, Industry, Highway Users Inform and Involve Help determine “How” Form partnerships Support in the implementation Build Projects Sustain the change

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Technology Transfer Market innovations Introduce and deliver innovations Training and technical assistance Vanguard Technologies Road Safety Audits Prefabricated Bridge Elements Making Work Zones Work Better

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Monitoring and Evaluation Gather information on program elements Improve performance Document results and benefits Justify the investment

Highways for LIFE SAFETEA-LU Information Dissemination States, Industry, Public, FHWA Highways for LIFE Program Projects Success stories Innovations Benefits

www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl The Future is Now Highways for LIFE What kinds of successes are we talking about? Take a look at the article on page 35 of the May/June 2004 issue of Public Roads that is in your handout package. This article provides a brief overview of several dozen successes identified by FHWA division offices almost a year ago. And if you would like to share this information without giving away your copy of Public Roads, you can find it on the web. Over the next few months, we’ll be looking for – and publicizing - more successes. www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl

We can build better, faster and lower cost highways Highways for LIFE We can build better, faster and lower cost highways Leap… not creep The bottom line is that all of us have a role to play in leading the highway community to accelerate the pace at which we adopt innovations for the betterment of our highway infrastructure. Let’s work together to bring about a leap forward so that the excellence that has been demonstrated becomes the norm, not the exception. www.fhwa.dot.gov/hfl