Mobility and Safety Product Team (Work Zones)

Integrated Product Teams “Integrated Product Teams (IPT’s) are chartered by agency leadership to address specific high priority activities related to the strategic plan, and to develop products for widespread use throughout the highway community.”

Issue Statement “Data reveals that the impacts on motorist and worker mobility, safety and productivity by highway construction and maintenance work zones are significant. These conditions coupled with the increase of the number of work zones brought about by increased highway funding and an aging infrastructure has raised concerns by highway program managers as well as those who use and work on the roadways. Current best practices must be implemented and new technologies must be discovered in order to prevent escalating user delays, crashes that result in fatalities and injuries, and incidents affecting traffic flow.”

Team Objective Conduct a program to increase mobility and safety during construction and maintenance operations, through: –Products –Outreach –Staffing –Funding

Expected Outcome For highway construction and maintenance operations: –Increase mobility by reducing user delays –Improve motorist and worker safety by reducing crashes –Increase productivity by increasing mobility and reducing crashes

Relationship to Strategic Plan Mobility No. 2 – Improve the operation of the highway system and Intermodal linkages to increase transportation access for all people and commodities (Reduce delays on Federal-aid highways by 20% in 10 years). Safety No. 1 – Reduce the number of highway related fatalities and injuries (20% reduction in the number of highway-related fatalities and injuries in 10 years) Productivity No. 1 – Improve the economic efficiency of highway transportation (reduce delays on Federal-aid highways by 20 percent in 10 years)

Membership Christine Johnson, Operations, Team Champion Shelley Row, Operations, Team Advisor Jim Sorenson, Infrastructure Janet Coleman, Safety Michael Robinson, Safety Raj Ghaman, R&D John Harding, R&D Deborah Vocke, Eastern Resource Center Jon Obenberger Jerry Blanding, Operations Phil Ditzler, Operations, Team Leader

Current Activities Development of a Best Practices Guidebook in partnership with AASHTO Conduct a National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week in partnership with AASHTO, ATSSA & the highway community Develop a Strategic Work Zone Analysis Tools in partnership with practitioners Perform a Technology Scan to advance state-of- the-art to state-of-the-practice

Current Activities Development of a New Drivers Education Program Promote participation in Work Zone Traffic Management Self Evaluations

Best Practices In partnership with AASHTO Collection of highway community best practices Document at GOP for printing Guidebook & CD distributed in mid April Regional seminars are now being planned Checklist is under development to enhance usefulness

National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week In partnership with AASHTO and the ATSSA April 3 - 7, 2000 Heighten motorist and worker awareness Foundation for future year events Platform to present annual initiatives Tool Kit Materials Outreach materials distributed mid March Press Conference on April 3

Strategic Work Zone Analysis Tools Impact analysis, decision making tools spreadsheet tool, called “QuickZone”, is underway Full release of “QuickZone” is planned for April 2001 Initiated program steering activities and research into measuring delays

Technology Scan Identify, demonstrate, and showcase new and emerging technologies & practices Outreach through multi-State workshops Scan - 5/20/00 thru 7/31/00 Demonstrate - 8/1/00 thru 1/29/01 Disseminate - 2/1/01 thru 9/30/01 Additional demonstrations in FY 2002

New Driver Education Program Catalogue existing materials, develop training materials, and outreach. Award of contract, 9/30/00 Program development, 9/30/00 to 3/31/01 Outreach, 4/1/01 to 6/30/01 Evaluation 7/1/01 to 6/30/02 Report 9/30/02

Self Evaluation Guide Performance measurement tool Easy to use, providing a framework for discussion Allows identification of strengths and weaknesses Allows focused planning for future activities With the Tony Kane memo, we will strongly encourage Division offices to initiate activities through the self evaluation process.

FY 2001 Activities Best practices –Establish maintenance and updating mechanisms in coordination with AASHTO –Develop web based resource –Conduct workshops National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week Strategic Work Zone Analysis Tools –Development of cost analysis & expert systems components –Development of delay measurement strategies

FY 2001 Activities Technology Scan –Identify, demonstrate and outreach new and emerging technologies in a narrow subject (e.g. contracting, materials, or …..) –Link with best practices activities Self Evaluation Guide Training –Develop traffic management training course –Evaluate New Driver Program

FY 2002 Activities Best practices –Implement/evaluate web based resource –Continue maintenance and updating National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week Strategic Work Zone Analysis Tools –Advance simulation and modeling tools –Conduct workshops

FY 2002 Activities Technology Scan –Identify, demonstrate and outreach new and emerging technologies in a narrow subject (e.g. simulation & modeling, or …..) –Link with best practices activities Self Evaluation Guide Training –Present traffic management training