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Highway maintenance and field work requires a high level of management to ensure worker safety. Many state departments of transportation (DOTs) use an in-house-developed or vendor-provided safety management system to track and report incident data and identify effective mitigation strategies. To help DOTs across the country understand the various systems and tools in use, the National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) published Synthesis 591: Use of Safety Management Systems in Managing Highway Maintenance Worker Safety.

To discuss the publication’s findings, the NCHRP will host a webinar on February 9 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

View details and register.

Image source: Iowa Department of Transportation

Healthy vegetation along highway roadsides is critical for stabilizing soil after construction and minimizing dust and erosion. New Mexico’s increasingly dry climate and elevated temperatures has made finding and maintaining suitable plants a challenge.

To expand its list of viable options, the New Mexico Department of Transportation initiated a four-year research study to identify drought-resistant plants with deep root systems that establish quickly. The findings and recommended growing strategies can help transportation agencies with similar climates restore problem areas and enhance their revegetation efforts.

Read the report: Developing and Implementing Native Seed Germplasm From the Wild for Arid Lands, April 2022.

Image source: New Mexico Department of Transportation

The January/February 2023 issue of Innovator, the bimonthly newsletter of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), highlights the efforts of a number of No Boundaries member states.

Colorado DOT is featured for its commitment to restoring access and reconnection between communities in the Denver area as part of its Central 70 Project – the site of a No Boundaries technical visit in 2021. After more than 300 meetings with stakeholders and members of the public, the agency removed physical barriers and added sidewalks, lighting and other amenities to improve safety and mobility.

State Transportation Innovation Councils (STIC) in Ohio and Idaho were both awarded STIC Excellence Awards in 2022. The Ohio STIC was honored for expanding its membership to include organizations devoted to rural transportation planning and higher education, while Idaho’s STIC was recognized for strategically expanding its career training program.

In other innovation news, the California Department of Transportation’s 2022 Innovation Expo showcased new technologies and improvements related to operations, safety and public engagement efforts. Virginia DOT is leveraging value capture strategies to secure private funding for a major transportation project, and Ohio DOT is promoting the advantages of restricted crossing U-turns – an alternative roadway design that significantly reduces the likelihood of serious crashes.

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

Image source: FHWA

Work zone safety for highway maintenance crews and road users alike is a top concern across the United States. To help states identify and implement technologies that improve safety, the National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) recently released Synthesis 587: Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety. The publication documents and reviews the challenges and practices state DOTs have found for putting a variety of smart work zone technologies to use.

To discuss the publication’s findings, as well as promising new technologies still on the horizon, NCHRP will host a webinar on February 7 from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Eastern.

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

Image source: NCHRP

The current revision to the 2009 Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) published by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) offers a number of treatment options designed to make traffic signs eye-catching. However, the influence of these strategies on driver behavior required more study.

To learn the effectiveness of MUTCD-provided strategies like adding flashing beacons, colored flags and reflective strips, the FHWA partnered with three state DOTs to conduct field tests and observe drivers’ reactions. The results can help states identify effective treatments for a variety of sign types and locations.

Read the tech brief: Enhancing Conspicuity for Standard Signs and Retroreflectivity Strips on Posts, May 2022

Image source: FHWA

Across the United States, statistics show that highway work zones rank among the most hazardous for workplace injuries and fatalities. Especially dangerous are the transitional periods before and after the work zone is established, when placement or removal of traffic control devices can cause driver confusion or distraction.

To find ways to make workers safer in work zones, the Oregon Department of Transportation launched a multi-phase research project. In the first phase, the agency investigated other states’ practices for setting up and removing temporary work zones. Future phases will explore which aspects of work zone transitions are most hazardous and identify potential recommendations to improve worker safety.

Read the final report: Best Practices for Work Zone Safety During Traffic Control Placement, Removal, and Modification – Phase I, December 2022

Image source: Indiana Department of Transportation