1. Module 6: Deep Dive Work Zone TSMO
Courtesy:

2. Session Purpose Introduce Work Zone Management as a TSMO strategy
Provide understanding of:
What is Work Zone Management?
Why is it important?
What are the benefits?
Examples of leadership actions

3. What is Work Zone Management?
Managing impacts caused by temporary work zones and maintenance activities
Reduced roadway capacity that causes congestion and traveler delay
Irregular traffic flow and changing lane configurations
Worker and traveler safety hazards

4. Many Types of Work Zones
Each have different challenges and strategies to mitigate impacts
Consider differences in planning, coordination, public messaging, and use of ITS for a:
Mobile work zone to apply new road striping that moves intermittently or continuously
Short-term stationary maintenance activity that closes a lane for 2 hours in a non- peak period
Long-term stationary construction on a major freeway with multiple lane closures over a 2-year period
There are 5 categories of work zones (based on duration as defined in MUTCD Chapter 6G.02), each defined based on the duration of their work. The other two types are:
Intermediate-term stationary occupies a location more than one daylight period up to 3 days, or nighttime work lasting more than 1 hour, and
Short duration occupies a location up to 1 hour.
The five categories of work duration and their time at a location shall be
1. Long-term stationary is work that occupies a location more than 3 days.
2. Intermediate-term stationary is work that occupies a location more than one daylight period up to3 days, or nighttime work lasting more than 1 hour.
3. Short-term stationary is daytime work that occupies a location for more than 1 hour within a single daylight period.
4. Short duration is work that occupies a location up to 1 hour.
5. Mobile is work that moves intermittently or continuously.
The key distinction within these categories is the duration of the work at a location. The various categories have implications as to how the work zone is established (set-up), the type of traffic control needed, and the amount of advance communication to the traveling public regarding the impacts.
Facilitator question to the group – From an operations standpoint, which of these is the most challenging?

5. Some Trends in Work Zone Management
Increased deployment of work zone ITS
Increased use of more innovative contracting approaches
Increased engagement with stakeholders for improved project coordination

6. Why is it Important? Construction worker and traveler safety
Over 96,000 crashes in work zones in 2015, including over 600 fatal crashes and 25,000 injury crashes
Roadway capacity and speed reductions cause congestion and delay
482 million vehicle hours of delay
Night work to reduce mobility impacts can negatively impact worker safety
Traffic pattern changes and impacts to alternate routes
Increased challenges to incident management and emergency response
Key Message: Work zone safety and mobility is always an issue.
Mention that managing traffic in WZs is now more complex because much more of our work is on existing roads.
WZs and Operations – WZs usually reduce capacity. This makes it more difficult to handle traffic if anything happens, such as a crash or vehicle breakdown or poor weather, and makes response and access more difficult.
Source:

7. What are the Benefits?
Improved construction worker and traveler safety with advanced notice to drivers
Queue warnings
Traveler information
Less congestion and delay
Variable speed limits
Traveler information for alternate routes and trip time
Intra-agency coordination of work zone activities to minimize impacts
Increased awareness through outreach to law enforcement, businesses, and other stakeholders
Key Message: Work zone safety and mobility is always an issue.
Background Information:
Mention that managing traffic in WZs is now more complex because much more of our work is on existing roads.
WZs and Operations – WZs usually reduce capacity. This makes it more difficult to handle traffic if anything happens, such as a crash or vehicle breakdown or poor weather, and makes response and access more difficult.

8. Examples of Leadership Actions
Enhance business processes to manage work zone practices
Encourage new approaches in TMPs
Invest in staff to enhance work zone practices and knowledge
Increase stakeholder collaboration for project coordination
Establish work zone management goals and measure performance
As we share these examples, we’ll learn a bit more about work zone management strategies

9. Enhance business processes to manage work zone practices
Apply and periodically evaluate effectiveness of work zone management policies
Systematic consideration of work zone impacts
Consider all stages of project development
Address traveler and worker safety and mobility needs
Institutionalize development and review of TMPs to increase effectiveness
Required by Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule
Key Message: It is critical to have policies in place to support work zone safety and mobility. These policies also support ITS in work zones.
Background Information: FHWA’s 2004 Final Rule on Work Zone and Mobility. States have developed work zone policies in response to the final rule.
Ask – How many are familiar with the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule, as well as their state’s policies in response to that rule?

10. What is a TMP? Transportation Management Plan
Shows how traffic will be managed in work zone
Required on ALL federal-aid projects
Scalable to type of project being considered
Considered a living document
Three main components, all required for significant projects:
Temporary Traffic Control Plan (TTCP)
Transportation Operations (TO) strategies
Public Information and Outreach (PI) strategies
In simple terms, the TMP is the plan that the agency will use to manage transportation needs during construction (CN).
TMPs – mention that doing a good TMP is meant to avoid surprises
It is required on Federal-aid highway projects, no matter their size.
TMPs are scalable to the project. That means, the more complex the project, the more detailed the TMP should be.
The TMP should be considered as a living document. As the project progresses through various phases of construction, the TMP should be reviewed and updated to reflect any adjustments made while under construction.
It should be noted that the TMP is essentially about Transportation Management PLANNING (Process) and NOT just Transportation Management PLANS (documents).
The Final Work Zone rule states that, at a minimum, all interstate projects within the boundaries of a Transportation Management Area (TMA) that occupy a location for more than 3 days and have some type of lane closures are to be considered significant. However, any project that is expected to cause a relatively high level of impact or disruption should be considered significant. A TTCP is also required on non-significant projects, and the TO and PI may be considered as appropriate.

11. Encourage new approaches in TMPs
Consider innovative contracting methods to make ITS available for work zones that need it most
Statewide programs to identify work zone impacts that merit ITS deployment
On-call ITS contracts to readily deploy technologies for shorter- duration work zones at agreed-upon rates
Statewide programs to identify work zone impacts that merit ITS deployment: Iowa DOT Traffic Critical Projects
On-call ITS contracts to readily deploy technologies for shorter-duration work zones at agreed-upon rates: Illinois DOT

12. Encourage new approaches in TMPs
Traffic management systems
Dynamic merge systems
Queue warning systems
Variable speed limit
Dynamic travel time and alternate route messaging
Traveler information systems
Incident management systems
Intrusion alarm systems
Automated speed enforcement/feedback systems
Key Message: Introduce the range of technology systems that can be applied to work zones.

13. Public Information
Depending on the project scale the public information strategies may be as simple as posting to Twitter to as involved as airing TV/radio commercials leading up to the project start.
This component is becoming more essential and easier to do as technology advances.
Travel time information
Smart phone apps (Waze)
Social media

14. Dynamic Merge Systems
Dynamic signs and devices control vehicle merging approaching lane closures
Changes lane use instructions based on current traffic
Sensors determine congestion level or queue length

15. Queue Warning Systems
A series of sensors upstream of the work zone are used to automatically post messages on portable dynamic message signs to alert drivers about slowed or stopped traffic ahead
Reduces potential for crashes

16. Variable Speed Limit
Provides ability to set speed limit based on work zone conditions
Type of work being done
Characteristics of work zone

17. Intrusion Alarm Systems
Detectors placed at likely intrusion areas (such as taper)
When intrusion is detected, sirens sound to warn workers
Can be supplemented with lights

18. Invest in staff to enhance work zone practices and knowledge
Encourage staff training and engagement with national forums to learn about effective practices
National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse
FHWA Work Zone Management Program
Practices to watch for
Traffic control
Contract incentives
Contract mechanisms
Accelerated construction
Contraflow lanes
Demand management
Traveler information
The WZ management strategies
Overview of the range of WZ management strategies available (traffic control, contract incentives, accelerated construction, contraflowing lanes, demand management, traveler info, etc., etc.).  
Then, in addition to highlighting the strategies that significantly help TSM&O and reliability, and the moderator points out the need for the operations folks to engage with design folks to help ensure these types of strategies get considered during project development, especially for high-impact projects.

19. Increase stakeholder collaboration for project coordination
Project coordination can reduce mobility and safety impacts
Internally, coordinate scheduling:
Minimize construction on alternate or parallel routes at the same time
Combine multiple projects into one work zone
For public outreach and traveler information
Externally, coordinate with law enforcement, businesses, freight, and event venues
Particularly for major, long-term work zones

20. Increase stakeholder collaboration for project coordination – Proof:
WSDOT Project Coordination
Construction Impact Analysis project coordination tool reduces potential for conflicting lane and road closures
Formalized mid- to long-term project coordination
Including scheduling closures and other activities
Leadership support was critical for culture shift
Regular internal and external stakeholder meetings
Annual meetings with local road and transit agencies and trucking and port representatives to discuss projects in upcoming construction seasons
Additional internal meetings for hot spots

21. Establish work zone management goals and measure performance
May differ by agency objectives, types of work zones, and availability of data
Leverage data from deployed ITS, historic third-party probe data, and TMC, as available
Challenging to identify success of strategies given temporal nature of work zones
Report and track trends for similar work zones and work to improve

22. Establish work zone management goals and measure performance Proof:
Iowa DOT Traffic Critical Projects
Program created in 2014 to identify key work zones for improved mobility and safety
One approach deploys devices, communications, and sensors to support technologies like queue warning systems
Contractor support to identify statewide needs, implement and manage appropriate solutions, monitor, and conduct evaluation
Standalone, quals-based procurement contract for technology device vendor
Assess performance data to develop efficiencies and new ideas
Substantial improvements in traffic safety and mobility on construction projects across the state were identified

23. Discussion
What work zone management activities has your agency conducted?
Does your agency routinely conduct project coordination activities with other stakeholders?
Does your agency deploy work zone ITS on an ad-hoc or a more systematic basis?
What ITS and data does your agency use for work zones? What has been most effective?

24. Work Zone Management Resources
FHWA Work Zone Management Program
National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse
Work Zone ITS Implementation Guide
Guide to Project Coordination for Minimizing Work Zone Mobility Impacts
FHWA Work Zone Management Capability Maturity Framework
Key Message: There are many other resources for ITS in work zones
Background Information: Here are a few that I thought were good resources. These provide a good spread of coverage of work zone issues and how ITS can address those issues. They can all be found on the FHWA work zone website.
Interactivity: Ask if participants have resources that they have found particularly useful.