January 3, 2019

New Year, New Innovations: Every Day Counts Round Five Starts Now

As Every Day Counts round five (EDC-5) kicks off this month, deployment teams are ready to provide technical assistance, resources, and training to help transportation agencies adopt 10 proven innovations that will benefit transportation agencies and the traveling public.

The EDC-5 roster includes safety-focused initiatives to reduce pedestrian fatalities and rural roadway departures, innovations such as advanced geotechnical exploration methods and hydraulic modeling tools to improve project delivery, and techniques such as project bundling to repair roads and bridges more cost-effectively.

"The EDC-5 innovations go a long way in supporting the U.S. Department of Transportation's and Federal Highway Administration's strategic priorities," said Deputy Federal Highway Administrator Brandye Hendrickson. "Safety is number one, but strengthening infrastructure and planning for the future through innovation are also priorities we're all working toward."

Transportation stakeholders gathered for fall 2018 summits for a first look at the EDC-5 innovations. State Transportation Innovation Councils are now reviewing the innovations to determine which best fit their State and local agency needs and developing plans to deploy the innovations over the next 2 years.

View the EDC-5 Destination Innovation video.

For a New Year's refresher, watch introductory webinars on the EDC-5 innovations.

Contact EDC-5 deployment teams for information, technical assistance, and training.

Hydraulic Modeling Saves Money for Colorado

The Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) saved millions in 2018 by using two-dimensional (2D) hydraulic modeling instead of traditional one-dimensional (1D) models. On a State Highway 144 project, using 2D modeling accelerated the scoping process by months and saved $2 million, compared to the cost of a 1D model. On a State Highway 55 project, 2D modeling helped CDOT more accurately calculate how the South Platte River was pushing against an abutment and develop a protection solution that reduced construction costs by $1.8 million. A 2D model created for a U.S. Highway 287 project allowed CDOT to save $300,000 in material costs by reducing the size of riprap originally proposed for the project. On a project to retrofit structures at six South Platte River crossings, 2D modeling helped CDOT optimize the structures for scour protection while saving $500,000 on materials. For project information, contact Brian Varella of CDOT. For information on collaborative hydraulics, contact Scott Hogan of the FHWA Resource Center.

Add Innovation to Your Transportation Research Board Meeting Schedule

Stop by booth #923 to learn about the EDC-5 innovations during the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Annual Meeting January 13 to 17 in Washington, DC. Attend session #1171 on "The Innovation Culture: Building New Bridges Between Research and Practice" at 10:15 a.m. on January 14 to hear how State transportation agencies link practice and research in developing research agendas and how FHWA's new Accelerated Market Readiness program will help emerging innovations reach market readiness.

See a list of all EDC-5-related events, including these sessions related to crowdsourcing to advance operations and virtual public involvement:

• "What Do Agencies Need to Assess, Plan, and Develop the Next Generation of Traffic Management Systems?", #1033, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, January 13
• "Advances in Urban Transportation Data and Information Systems," #1214, 10:15 a.m. to 12 noon, January 14
• "Migrating to the Next Generation of Traveler Information and Communication," #1336, 3:45 to 5:30 p.m., January 14
• "Multimodal Decision Making at the State and Metropolitan Levels," #1013, 9 a.m. to 12 noon, January 13
• "Facilitating Equitable Outcomes: The Intersection Between Public Engagement and Equity in Transportation," #1060, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m., January 13
• "What Crowdsourcing and Social Media Tell Us About Public Engagement: Recent Research," #1322, 3:45 to 5:30 p.m., January 14

About EDC

Every Day Counts, a State-based program of the Federal Highway Administration’s Center for Accelerating Innovation, works with State, local, and private sector partners to encourage the adoption of proven technologies and innovations to shorten and enhance project delivery.