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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 plantings.

To highlight the importance of locally adapted native seeds and how they can help an agency meet its restoration and conservation goals, the Transportation Research Board’s Standing Technical Committees on Roadside Maintenance Operations and Landscape and Environmental Design will host a webinar on February 13 from 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Eastern.

View details about this webinar, and sign into MyTRB.org to register.

Image source: Federal Highway Administration

Chip seals are one of the most common treatments for extending the service life of asphalt pavements. To ensure its chip seals are achieving the intended results, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) conducted an assessment of eight pavement resurfacing projects across the state.

The research evaluated the agency’s practices and monitored the test pavements for multiple seasons to evaluate performance in the field. The project resulted in material and design recommendations to achieve better and more cost-effective results.

Read the report: Evaluation of Virginia Department of Transportation Chip Seal Practices: Materials and Design, January 2024.

Image source: Minnesota Department of Transportation

Smart work zone systems offer to provide real-time information to drivers and increase safety for maintenance workers. However, states have little guidance for determining when smart work zones should be deployed and how the components should be configured for maximum effect.

To better understand smart work zone systems and how they can be used to enhance safety for all road users, the Illinois Department of Transportation initiated a research project that developed an assessment tool and guidance that agency planners can use to identify appropriate situations and equipment layouts.

Read the research report: Development of Design Guidance for Smart Work Zone Systems, January 2024.

Image source: Texas Department of Transportation

The January/February 2024 issue of Innovator, the bimonthly newsletter of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), recognized the efforts of a number of No Boundaries member states.

In an article highlighting innovative state transportation projects that received funding through the FHWA’s Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration program over the past decade, Texas DOT’s 2023 project to use a traffic speed deflection device to collect pavement condition data without affecting traffic, and Missouri DOT’s 2017 compacted concrete pavement project that incorporated both pavement preservation and Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian innovations were both featured.

Next, new AID Demonstration grants have been announced. Maine DOT’s project to leverage crowdsourced data to enhance real-time roadway operations and North Dakota DOT’s pilot to measure oversized vehicles will both receive funding through the program.

Over the past 10 years several state transportation projects have also been funded through the federal State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) program. Featured projects in this issue included Missouri DOT’s traffic incident management system that collects data to measure performance and conduct post-incident reviews, Wisconsin DOT’s Standard Bridge Design Tool that increases design and planning efficiencies through automation, and Virginia DOT’s wildlife fencing project that improves safety by reducing deer-vehicle collisions.

Other featured innovations included Connecticut DOT’s use of accelerated bridge construction techniques, Missouri DOT’s project bundling procurement process to combine 17 bridge improvement projects in the state, and Utah’s use of connected vehicle technologies to inform its inclement weather response.

Sign up to get the next issue of Innovator delivered to your inbox.

While many transportation agencies have adjusted their traditional roadside maintenance work to encourage pollinator habitats, vegetation management along roadsides remains critical to ensure signs and guardrails are always visible and accessible.

In conjunction with other maintenance, the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) uses herbicides to target invasive species along the state’s roadsides and rights of way. To improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of its herbicide application practices and increase worker safety, ODOT initiated a research project to evaluate current processes and recommend solutions.

Read the final report: Improving Roadside Herbicide Application Safety and Versatility, August 2023.

Image source: Ohio Department of Transportation

Animals that enter a roadway increase the risk of motorist injuries, fatalities and property damage – especially when the animal is a large ungulate such as an elk or deer.

Fences and wildlife crossings can be effective in reducing animal crossings but may be cost-prohibitive in many areas. To identify less costly solutions, the Arizona Department of Transportation evaluated fence tags, which emit ultraviolet light visible.

The agency installed the tags at regular intervals along a two-mile stretch of highway and compared crash data before and after installation to determine whether they effectively deterred the animals from entering.

Read the research brief: Exploring New Methods to Reduce Animal-Vehicle Collisions, August 2023

Image source: Arizona Department of Transportation