News

Animals that enter a roadway increase the risk of motorist injuries, fatalities and property damage – especially when the animal is large like a deer.

To better understand where vehicles are most likely to encounter animals in the roadway as well as effective solutions for reducing the likelihood and severity of crashes, the Illinois Department of Transportation conducted a research study that identified key contributing factors and offered recommendations to mitigate the risks.

Read the research brief: Understanding Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions in Illinois, June 2025

Image source: Illinois Department of Transportation

Earlier this summer, the Transportation Research Board (TRB) adopted a new committee structure. TRB’s Technical Activities Division is currently soliciting expressions of interest for volunteers to serve as appointed members on standing committees.

If you would like to express interest in one of the several new committees related to maintenance, complete the form in mytrb.org by the due date of this Friday, June 27, 2025.

As before, you can become a friend of any TRB committee at any time throughout the year.

Image source: Transportation Research Board

Snow fences are an important maintenance tool for capturing blowing and drifting snow and keeping it away from the roadway. However, these structures are only useful during winter months, serving little purpose throughout the majority of the year.

To increase the snow fences’ value, the Minnesota Department of Transportation conducted a research study that explored the functional and economic viability of adding solar panels to the fences in order to create clean energy year-round year without using any additional land.

Read the Research Summary: Solar Snow Fence Controls Drifting Snow While Generating Power, June 2025

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

An accurate inventory of the state’s road signs is important to ensure signs are in good condition and necessary maintenance activities are performed effectively, but traditional inventory methods are often time-consuming and inefficient.

To discuss how artificial intelligence may be able to make inventorying traffic signs easier and more automated, the Washington State Department of Transportation will host a webinar, “AI-Empowered Computer Vision Tool for Locating and Recognizing Traffic Signs” on June 18 from 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. Central.

Learn more and register.

Image source: Washington State Department of Transportation

Highway maintenance activities performed in and around fast-moving traffic can be high-risk and even deadly.

To explore available technologies that may be used to automate the work and reduce the risks maintenance crews face working alongside vehicles every day, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) investigated the current state of national research, identifying knowledge gaps and potential next steps for further study.

Read the report: Automated Connected Technologies (ACT) and Remote Virtual Inspection (RVI) for Work Zones, March 2025.

Image source: Caltrans

Seeds that are native to a local environment tend to be more resilient and require less maintenance than other seed varieties when used in roadside rights of way. Once established, native plantings can also help to reduce erosion and provide pollinator habitats.  

To update its recommended practices for seeding the state’s roadside areas, the Illinois Department of Transportation evaluated a variety of seed mixes for more than a year after planting, and surveyed other Midwestern states’ best practices for selecting and managing vegetation in roadside areas.

Read the final report: Illinois Department of Transportation’s Seeding Standards and Best Management Practices, May 2025.

Image source: Illinois Department of Transportation