CENTERED ON SERVICE
Volume 5, Issue 3
July 2009

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Only a few days left to participate in the Annual Call for Service

The FHWA Resource Center is currently conducting its annual call for service, which began May 29 and concludes July 3, 2009. When you have determined what services you want to request from the FHWA Resource Center, you should enter your requests in the online database located Call for Service

IN THIS ISSUE

CA Develops Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE
Pavement & Materials TST and HQ Evaluate NC's I-795/US 117 Bypass
Going International with RSA
Intersection Safety Reviews Offer Powerful & Productive Measures for Reducing Crashes

TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT
PDS UPDATE: ACS Lite Training for Signal Timing Comes to TX
DE Showcases Precast Concrete Pavement Systems at Night

TRAINING
New Online Course on ADA and Pedestrian Facilities
What is Transportation Conformity?
ABC Seminars Offered Nationwide
Nat’l Concrete PRR Conference held in St. Louis
"Acceptance" of Self Consolidating Concrete
Safety & Bridge Blast Behavior Workshop Launched

PARTNERSHIPS
KAT joins FHWA RC

SPECIAL FEATURE
The Learning Highway

CENTERED ON QUALITY
EMPLOYEE HIGHLIGHT: ARC Salutes 2009 Legends Award Winner

CENTERED ON RESULTS
New RC Staff

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Start article 1
CA Develops Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Template

In 2007, California ranked ahead of every State in the Nation for pedestrian fatalities. Based on the Traffic Safety Facts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), California had 640 pedestrian fatalities— the highest number in the country. Recognizing the need for improvement, the State chose to make pedestrian safety one of its priority Challenge Areas within the California Strategic Highway Safety Plan -- Challenge Area 8: Make Walking and Street Crossing Safer.

Caption: A photo of a mother and her two children holding hands waiting at a corner of the street before safely crossing the roadway in the pedestrian crosswalk.

This Challenge Area 8 established priority actions to advance pedestrian safety in California. One of the actions called for “…a task force to assist in the development of pedestrian safety action plans, to facilitate training delivery, and to establish pedestrian safety improvement programs in California’s urban and rural communities.” The Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) California Division Office began discussions with the FHWA Resource Center’s Safety and Design Technical Service Team (TST) in March 2008—requesting technical assistance and initiating the core group of the task force.

California Obtains Resources through Opportunity States Program to
Advance Pedestrian Safety

California Division Safety Engineer, Ken Kochevar collaborated with RC Safety Team Leader Pat Hasson and team members Rudy Umbs and Peter Eun, to obtain additional resources for California’s pedestrian priorities through the FHWA’s Opportunity States Program. Along with 12 other States, California is a designated focus State in pedestrian safety, receiving training and technical assistance from the FHWA. In a coordinated effort between the FHWA Resource Center and a contract established through the pedestrian safety program under Tamara Redmon in the agency’s Office of Safety, Headquarters — California was afforded the opportunity to acquire further resources in support of the State’s pedestrian program and task force efforts. Training for the focus States and cities included the following two courses:

1. Developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. This course is targeted toward a broader audience interested in exploring the 4 Es in safety — Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Medical Services.

2. Designing for Pedestrian Safety. This course is targeted more toward engineers and planners.

The intent of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan course was to have agencies produce pedestrian safety actions plans. However, only a few agencies actually developed plans. Participants benefited from the training, finding the course valuable and helpful in their jobs, but the majority of locations where the training was conducted did not follow up and create concrete plans.

California decided to focus on helping local agencies in the development of tangible pedestrian safety action plans. Peter Lagerwey, Senior Transportation Planner, City of Seattle, joined the core group of the task force and was employed as a contract instructor. Lagerwey brought with him a familiarity and practical understanding in developing pedestrian plans. Lagerwey’s experienced hands-on knowledge in the field was provided through the FHWA Office of Safety, Headquarters.

Task Force Produces Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Template

The task force originated the concept of establishing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan template. The template offers an agency the ability to complete a comprehensive Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, just by filling in the necessary information. In addition, the template is designed as a complement to the guide and training outline for the course, How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan.

Caption: Image of cover of the How to Develop a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan publication.

One of the more time-consuming tasks in the development of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan template was deciding on what information to include. If the template included all the different countermeasures taught in the training courses, the template would be so large that many agencies may be overwhelmed and may not even want to start. Therefore, the task force began by including those pedestrian safety countermeasures that had the greatest Crash Reduction Factors (CRF). From there, other countermeasures that practitioners knew to be effective from case studies were added. These included countermeasures from all the 4 Es.

The first draft of the template was more than 80 pages long, and one of the task force members stated this was too long and some agencies would be scared off by the size. After gaining further insight into the issue, the group decided on a shorter version where only the highest CRF countermeasures were included to entice smaller agencies. From this decision, a shorter 40 page
version was developed.

To download a copy of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan template you can follow this link to walkinginfo.org

Elements of Pedestrian Safety Action Plan Template

A typical template includes the following elements:
Short description of the countermeasure and why it is beneficial.
Photographs
Crash Reduction Factors
References
Examples (where available, with hyperlinks to those resources on the web)

The template consists of two parts:

Part 1. Existing Policy or Information.
Part 2. Proposed Policy or Guidelines.

The template focuses on policies since institutional changes over the long term have a greater benefit. Without good pedestrian design policies an agency is dependant on how informed the staff may be, rather than good standard operating procedures or designs.

Caption: Image of the sample template

The template is a Microsoft Word document, allowing an agency to revise or customize the template — making minor edits and adding web links. The process for using the template consists of a 1-day overview presentation of the countermeasures, followed by two days of completing the template. The agency prepares a draft Pedestrian Safety Action Plan during the 3-day session.

With the core group in-place, practitioners from a diverse background and rich in transportation, safety, health, and pedestrian knowledge were convened to complete the task force. The working group was comprised of the following:

Barb Alberson – California Department of Public Health – Injury Section Chief
Wendy Alfsen – California WALKS – Executive Director
Jill Cooper – UC Berkeley Traffic Safety Center – Assistant Director
Peter Eun – FHWA Resource Center – Safety Engineer
Ed Gebing – Office of Traffic Safety – Law Enforcement Liaison
Richard Haggstrom – Caltrans – Pedestrian Program Manager
Ken Kochevar – FHWA California Division – Safety Engineer
Peter Lagerwey – Senior Transportation Planner – City of Seattle (Consultant to the FHWA)
Tom Mattson – Humboldt County Department of Public Works – Director
Bob Planthold – CA Pedestrian Advisory Committee (CalPED) – Co-Chair
Rudy Umbs – FHWA Resource Center – Safety Engineer

California Conducts Pilot Sessions in Humboldt County, Eureka, and
Chula Vista

Within 8 months of the initial request for technical assistance to the FHWA Resource Center, the first two pilot sessions occurred -- one on November 12-14, 2008 in Humboldt County and another on November 17-19, 2008 in Eureka, CA.

Although it was not possible to have the workshops back to back during the same week, it is beneficial to have two locations fairly close in distance to each other. Ideally, the first day (Monday) is an overview attended by members of both communities.

The 2-day sessions are then spent with each community, Tuesday and Wednesday with one agency, and Thursday and Friday for the other. This training schedule allows instructors and facilitators to cover two communities, while saving lodging and travel funds.

The 1-day overview course was open to all staff the organizing agency invited; the 2-day session to complete the template was limited to a comprehensive 4 Es working group of 8-13 staff members. The pilots were instructed and facilitated by Peter Eun and Peter Lagerwey with assistance from Ken Kochevar. Two instructor/facilitators are needed for the workshops to focus and capture the agencies information.

Caption: Photo of pedestrians in the crosswalk crossing a busy street.

At the end of the week, two draft Pedestrian Safety Action Plans were produced. The agencies noted one of the major benefits of going through the workshop was getting everyone in the agency and community on the same page and having all information documented. Although the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan templates workshop appears successful, the FHWA CA Division office plans to evaluate the long-term results. Therefore, each community was made aware that the Division would follow up on a regular basis to discuss what has been implemented in the plan. The California Division office is developing a Microsoft ACCESS program, which will track completion of proposed changes to policy and guidance.

Several weeks later, a third pilot was conducted in Chula Vista, CA to see how well the workshop was adaptable.

California Moves Ahead with First Workshop in Glendale, CA

After the pilot sessions, some minor changes were made and the first California workshop was scheduled in Glendale, CA, the week of May 26 – 29, 2009. The city was a great candidate for the workshop, because it had support from the community and leadership due to some tragic events. Data showed the city had a higher rate of pedestrian crashes than the rest of the State. The city was pleased with the results. Some of the comments from the evaluations stated:

• “Getting so many members of different divisions, organizations together and giving their opinions, viewpoints on the workshop material was extremely valuable.”
• “Working with all the different city personnel attending through this 3-day workshop will be helpful in future endeavors, as well as providing information to fellow staff members in my department.”
• “I’m going to start looking outside the ‘box’ looking at the bigger picture.”

Caption: Photo from behind of a businessman waiting to cross the street in a crosswalk.

Some cities have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars in the development of Pedestrian Safety Action Plans. This project does not claim to be on the same
level as those projects; however, the template fills a need in assisting agencies in developing a Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. The most important aspect of a plan is that it gets implemented and based on the initial comments from the communities, some changes have already occurred. These first steps can bring positive results in the form of saving lives and reducing the pain and suffering associated with a pedestrian collision.

For more information, please contact:
Ken Kochevar
Safety Engineer
FHWA California Division
(916) 498-5853
ken.kochevar@dot.gov

Peter Eun
Safety Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(360) 753-9551
peter.eun@dot.gov

Caption: Logo of Safe Roads for a Safer Future

End of article 1

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:

Start of article 2

Pavement & Materials TST and HQ Team Up to Evaluate Premature Pavement Distress of I-795/US 117 Bypass in NC

Background:

The I-795/US-117 Bypass was a new alignment, 4-lane divided highway with 12-foot lanes, and 10-foot outside and 4-foot inside paved shoulders, approximately 18 miles long. This roadway was built through the completion of separate contracts/projects for earthwork and paving. The pavement was opened to traffic in December 2005.

Evaluation Needed:

By the summer of 2007 (less than 2 years after opening the roadway to traffic), areas of high-severity distress – including alligator pattern cracking and rutting -- were observed. Consequently, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) asked the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to perform an independent review and evaluation of the pavement failure. The FHWA North Carolina Division Office agreed to provide this service, and it called upon the Headquarters’ Office of Pavement Technology (HIPT) and the FHWA Resource Center Pavement and Materials Technical Service Team (TST) for
expertise and staff resources.

Taking Action:

The joint FHWA evaluation included a site visit of the project; the review of the pavement design; the review of construction documentation and information; and, a review of data, materials samples, and test results conducted as part of a forensic evaluation after the observation of the distress. As a part of the evaluation, comprehensive ground penetrating radar (GPR) testing was conducted, using state-of-the-art Step-Frequency GPR technology to assess the hot mix asphalt (HMA) layer interface bond conditions.

Documenting the Findings:

A report documenting the evaluation was submitted by the FHWA North Carolina Division Office to the NCDOT in January 2009. Specialists from both the HIPT and the Pavement and Materials TST provided an explanation of the evaluation and recommendations at various meetings with the North Carolina Division Office and the NCDOT leadership. The evaluation concluded that the foundation support (subgrade and aggregate base course) is uniformly good, but the top two HMA layers had air voids greater than expected in design and that the risk of HMA surface layer debonding is relatively high throughout the project. Pavement rehabilitation options were provided along with recommendations to assess DOT HMA acceptance protocols (specifications, test methods, and verification sampling and testing procedures) to reduce the risk of future failures.

Improvements Are Being Made:

The effort helped the NCDOT and the FHWA identify additional enhancements to the hot mix asphalt quality management system to ensure produced material provides long-lasting performance. The NCDOT and the FHWA formed a team last fall to develop and implement improvements in the State’s HMA program. "The Pavement and Materials TST continues to provide invaluable support to North Carolina through its participation on this team," reports John Sullivan, FHWA North Carolina Division Administrator. The FHWA Materials Quality Assurance Stewardship Review Report and FHWA National Advanced
Quality Assurance Systems Assessment Report will be used to improve the NCDOT HMA program.

For more information on evaluating pavement distress, contact:

Tom Harman, Team Leader
Pavement & Materials Technical Service Team
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-0134
tom.harman@dot.gov

End of article 2

Start of article 3

RC Goes International to Provide Road Safety Audit Expertise

At the request of the Office of International Programs, the FHWA Resource Center’s Safety and Design Technical Service Team (TST) provided an instructor for two Road Safety Audit training workshops in Barbados, West Indies. The Road Safety Audit workshops were hosted and facilitated by the Design Services Section of Barbados headed by its Deputy Chief Technical Officer, Cheryl Bennett-Inniss. The workshops were conducted at the Headquarters of the Pan-American Health Organization in Barbados.

With the vast number of cars registered on the island roads, it was becoming clear that safety on these roads was becoming a major priority for the government and indeed the average road user. Because of this, the Ministry of Transport and Works hosted an innovative workshop designed to explain the process of Road Safety Audits.

Caption: Photo showing participants performing RSA on "Triangle-About" in Barbados. The barriers used are metal drums.

Craig Allred, TST Transportation Safety Specialist, instructed the workshops. Allred presented the workshops in a fresh, bold, and sometimes immensely entertaining format. The workshop attendees included members of the Royal Barbados Police Force, insurance agents, engineers, architects, consultants, and private stakeholders with an interest in road safety. During the workshop, he emphasized that the purpose of the Road Safety Audit is to have an existing roadway or intersection examined by an independent, multidisciplinary team for road safety improvements. Allred stressed that one major difference between Road Safety Audits and other types of reports is that RSAs include an analysis of human factors. He noted that human factors play a major role in making a road safe. The workshops also addressed audit procedures;
common issues and challenges in the audit process; understanding risk; and safety case studies.

Caption: Photo showing participants in the 2-day RSA training.

More than 60 people participated in the two 2-day Road Safety Audit workshops. One of the workshops was given for the Ministry of Transportation for Barbados and the other workshop was given for representatives of eight Caribbean countries. As part of the workshops, participants visited an urban road corridor to discuss the safety and functionality aspects of the road.

Caption: Photo of participants standing on a "sidewalk" facing the "triangle-about." (drivers drive on the left there, making it very interesting to perform RSA.)

The FHWA provides national safety leadership through: conducting innovative safety research; setting national highway safety guidelines; and promoting proven or promising safety technologies. The FHWA is actively pursuing improved roadway safety through a multi-faceted approach in the fields of engineering, education, enforcement, and coordination with public safety agencies (police and fire services).

For more information on Road Safety Audits (RSA) contact Craig Allred or visit the RSA website

Craig Allred
Senior Design Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(720) 963-3236
craig.allred@dot.gov

End of article 3

Start of article 4

Intersection Safety Reviews Offer Powerful & Productive Measures for Reducing Crashes

In the United States, intersections are only a small part of the Nation’s highway and street system; however, 53 percent of all roadway crashes each year occur at intersections. These crashes constitute 56 percent in the combined sum of traffic fatalities and injuries in the country. Fatalities in intersection crashes account for 21 percent of total traffic fatalities annually.

 

Caption: Proven and powerful engineering measures are available to assist State departments of transportation (DOT) to improve injury and fatality rates at intersections. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has gathered significant data and technical engineering knowledge in the field of intersection safety—resulting in the creation of a complete and comprehensive safety technology offered as Intersection Safety Reviews. These reviews represent a dynamic and demonstrated resource enabling the FHWA division offices to effectively work with State partners, advancing technical capabilities and engineering performance in intersection safety.

Intersection Safety Reviews: Background

Over the years, the FHWA has deployed workshops and training, and provided assistance to enhance safety at intersections. Course data, best practices, and lessons learned laid the foundation for the Intersection Safety Reviews, using information compiled by the Safety and Design Technical Service Team (TST) of the FHWA Resource Center, and refined into a safety technology by the FHWA Office of Safety in Headquarters.

The Safety and Design TST developed the Intersection Safety Workshop, the Signalized Intersection Workshop, the Roundabout Workshop, and the Low Cost Safety Improvements Workshop in 2003 and 2004. The Office of Safety, Headquarters, developed the 3-day Designing and Operating Intersections for Safety course in 2005. The Safety and Design TST has deployed intersection safety technologies through more than 170 workshops from 2003 to 2008 in more than 45 FHWA division offices and State DOTs. This training deployment reached more than 4,300 participants. Beginning in 2008, the Safety and Design TST boosted its technical support to FHWA division offices and States to include on-site, hands-on assistance in the performance of Intersection Safety Reviews. The FHWA chose to make a difference in the States with higher intersection crashes, identified by the agency as focus States. Intersection Safety Reviews have been conducted for FHWA division offices in South Carolina, Indiana, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Arizona.

Caption: Photo showing participants in Baton Rouge, LA, in January at the first Intersection Safety Review.

Intersection Safety Reviews:
Purpose and Focus

The focus of Intersection Safety Reviews is two-fold:

Ensure that State DOT engineers involved in traffic design and traffic safety know the available intersection safety technologies and their safety benefits. These technologies are the 77 intersection safety strategies as identified in Volume 5 for unsignalized intersections and Volume 12 for signalized intersections published by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP).

Provide onsite, hands-on technical assistance in diagnosis of high crash intersections to identify missing components from the available best practice geometric and traffic control technologies and how to combine them into improvements, which significantly improve intersection safety.

Caption: Photo of the northbound approach of Beltline Road at Old Richburg Road with South Carolina DOT Intersection Review Team at work.

ntersection Safety Reviews:
Clarify and Simplify

Intersection Safety Reviews are a step more than what has traditionally been accomplished in deploying technology in a workshop environment:

1. The step more is to identify in the field at actual high crash locations what to look for – the best practice technologies missing from that intersection; and
2. Identify how to look, which applies the two guiding principles of intersection design and operation— clarify and simplify.
a. Clarify means: Is the presence of the intersection ahead clear to the approaching driver—can the driver see the configuration of the lanes and the traffic control?
b. Simplify is the spreading of the individual driver decisions over adequate distances in making correct driver decisions, keeping driver workload at a medium level.

Caption: Photo of instructor giving presentation to participants at the intersection of Cashua and Third Loop in South Carolina.

The role of the two guiding principles of intersection design and operation—clarify and simplify—is to provide the engineer, in this era of distracted/drowsy/ drugged/drunk driving, an engineering based method that limits driver workload to a medium amount and to avoid at all costs high workload situations in traffic control:

1. The recently published National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) 100 car study found that “38% of the actual intersection crashes were related to driver distraction.” Keeping driver workload at a medium level and never at a high level results in fewer driver errors in this time of distracted driving.

2. To keep driver workload at medium level, the design/traffic engineer needs to spread out the decisions involved in approaching and passing through an intersection by providing advance information in the form of warning to alert the driver that there is an intersection ahead, then navigation information as to destinations and routes, then as to lane assignment so that the only thing a driver needs to concentrate on during the last 200-300 feet coming into a signalized intersection is the color of the signal indication or the clear view of the STOP sign for a stop controlled intersection.

3. The principle of clarify is typified in the self guiding approach into an intersection where the geometrics are readily visible to the driver as to path, direction, and speed.

Caption: Photo of Clarify and Simplify example of the intersection of US93 and US2 near Kalispell, MT, July 2007 showing the warning sign to warn drivers of signal control of 2 rural State highways ahead.

Caption: Photo of Clarify and Simplify Example of nine highway signs on one pole making for confusion.

Caption: Photo of Clarify and Simplify Example of one sign on one pole with giving directions

Caption: Photo of Clarify and Simplify intersection in South Carolina showing over head lights in all four lanes of the intersection

The South Carolina DOT has been applying the concept, clarify and simplify, to its higher crash locations since 2004, using the comprehensive package of the FHWA intersection safety technologies. Results for the first 91 intersections improved by the Traffic Safety Assessment Program (TSAP) compared 3 years of after intersection crash data to 3 years of before crash data, revealing the following findings:
o Crash reduction of 54.7%
o Severity Index reduction of 54.5%
o Injuries reduced by 34.8%
o Fatalities reduced by 75%

Caption: Photo showing the placement of moving the stop bars forward.

Findings indicate an average benefit to cost ratio of 385, according to Joey Riddle, Safety Project Engineer for South Carolina DOT.

South Carolina is currently completing Intersection Safety Reviews with all seven of its districts as the primary means of implementing its statewide Focus State Intersection Safety Implementation Plan.

Clarify and Simplify: Ohio

Another dramatic example for an intersection, demonstrating the application of clarify and simplify, comes from Ohio for the intersection of SR-13 (Hudson Avenue) at Eastbound SR-16 in Newark, OH. The FHWA’s Ohio Division Safety Engineer Joe Glinski submitted this example, which was the 90th highest crash location in Ohio in 2004 with 184 crashes for the 3-year period of 2001 to 2003.

Caption: Photo showing the marking of the intersection before clarify and simplify. This was the 90th worst intersection for the State of Ohio with 184 crashes in 3 years.

The consulting firm of DLZ Engineering, in developing recommendations for this intersection, applied the two guiding principles of intersection design and operation
-- clarify and simplify -- to the intersection as follows:

1. Removed seven signs including two overhead guide signs from overpass
2. Signal heads positioned over lanes into driver’s line of sight
3. Lowered signal heads on mast arms
4. Added supplemental left hand signal
5. Added back plates to signal heads
6. Removed two street light poles

These low cost improvements were made to intersection in 2004 with results of only six total crashes for the year 2006 and a total of seven crashes in 2006.

Caption: Photo taken of same intersection after clarify and simplify in Ohio. For a four month period before there were 15 crashes as opposed to after clarify and simplify there was 7 crashes.

For more information, please contact:

Fred Ranck
Safety Engineer/MUTCD Team
FHWA Resource Center
(708) 283-3545
fred.ranck@fhwa.dot.gov

End of article 3

TECHNOLOGY DEPLOYMENT

Start of article 4

PDS Update: Adaptive Control Software (ACS-Lite) Training for Signal Timing Comes to Texas

Outdated traffic signal timing contributes significantly to fuel consumption and congestion on our Nation’s major highways, arterials and local roads. The Federal
Highway Administration’s (FHWA) Adaptive Control Software-Lite (ACS-Lite) is an emerging technology that has shown promise in reducing traffic congestion through improved traffic signal timing. An ACS-Lite Product Demonstration Showcase (PDS) is scheduled for November 11, 2009 in Galveston, Texas. The FHWA Resource Center’s Operations Technical Service Team (TST) will be partnering with the Texas ITS Chapter as part of their Annual Meeting to be held November 11 – 13, 2009. A PDS is an information exchange mechanism that helps facilitate technology transfer at the local level. The PDSs help ease the financial, professional and political risk local public agencies face when committing funds to implement new technologies. Although there is a registration fee for the conference this one day informational exchange will be free.

This training will cover items including:

The signal timing process and how it can be supplemented and improve with adaptive systems

Tthe fundamental operations concept for ACS-Lite the current state of the practice in traffic signal operations from a national perspective the system configuration needs, detection and communications requirements for ACS-Lite how the split tuning and offset tuning algorithms work within ACS-Lite to optimize timing There will also be presentations and an open Q & A panel discussion by representatives of cities and towns that have implemented the ACS-Lite System and the process they used for implementation.

The technology behind adaptive signal systems has been researched extensively since the early 1990s and has been evaluated in over 25 field deployments in the United States. In spite of its solid performance relative to traditional time-of-day systems, adaptive systems are in use at less than 1 percent of U.S. traffic signals.

Cost is the primary barrier preventing the wide deployment of adaptive systems. ACS-Lite seeks to break that barrier by leveraging the infrastructure of closed-loop systems as an upgrade, requiring little additional equipment to existing systems. Closed-loop systems control an estimated 90 percent of the traffic signals in the United States. A public private-partnership was formed with four traffic signal controller vendors to ensure that ACS-Lite would function with a variety of products.

For more information and to register for the PDS visit the Website

For more information and to register for the PDS go to ITS Texas Chapter Annual Meeting

For more information on this PDS or other technology deployment efforts contact:

Mark Sandifer
Technology Deployment Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(708) 283-3528
mark.sandifer@dot.gov

End of article 4

Start of article 5

Night Time Site Visit Makes for an Interesting PDS

Highways for Life (HfL), the FHWA’s Resource Center, the FHWA Delaware Division Office, the Delaware Department of Transportation (DelDOT), and the PDS Eastern Operation Center partnered to host a Product Demonstration Showcase on Precast Concrete Pavement Systems (PCPS) recently in Newark, DE.

More than 120 participants, who travelled from 13 States, participated in the PDS. Representatives included Federal, State, city agencies, universities, and the private sector. This showcase featured speakers from the FHWA, HfL, DelDOT, and contractors associated with the project.

Caption: Photo showing attendees at PDS on PCPS

Day One of the PDS began with afternoon presentations covering topics ranging from planning to the more technical aspects of the State Route 896/US40 project. That evening, at 9:30pm, those interested in a site visit were issued safety vests and hard hats and loaded on buses that would carry them to the project, so they could experience first-hand the construction/installation process.

Caption: Photo showing PDS participants don safety gear and visit the nearby job site for the live demonstration.

On Day Two everyone re-assembled for a wrap up sessions delivered by Thomas Harman, Team Leader, FHWA Resource Center Pavement & Materials Technical Service Team; Gary Hoffman, Principle Engineer, ARA Consultants and Project Manager for HfL who was representing the AASHTO Technology Implementation Group on PCPS-Alternate Systems; consultants; and several concrete organizations (NPCA, ACPA, and PCI*) before the conclusion of the PDS.

Caption: Photo showing workers at night at the site visit.

The PCPS technology is being used around the Nation as an alternative pavement treatment for the repair, rehabilitation, and new construction of portland cement concrete (PCC) pavements. Ideally suited for work zone lane occupancy restrictions of 12 hours or less, existing distressed PCC panels are removed, the subbase is prepared, and a precast concrete paving slab is placed, under-sealed, post tensioned, and ready for traffic within the restrictive lane occupancy time limits - as short as 5 hours. This type of approach helps to accelerate construction sequencing of the project and reduce work zone size while maintaining traffic on adjoining lanes using temporary lane closures.

The showcase provided excellent opportunities to gain knowledge and understand how the precast pavement post-tensioning practices worked.
--Workshop evaluation form feedback

For more information on this PDS or on PCPS contact:

Tom Harman, Team Leader
Pavement & Materials Technical Service Team
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-0134
tom.harman@dot.gov

* NPCA-National Precast Concrete Association; ACPA-American Concrete Pavement
Association; PCI-Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute

End of article 5

TRAINING

Start of article 6

New Online Course Addresses Pedestrian Facilities and ADA

The landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) ushered in a new era of equal rights for the disabled. Signed into law in 1990 at the then-largest ever ceremony on the White House lawn, the ADA is the most sweeping disability rights legislation in history. Rooted in the civil rights era of the 1960s, the ADA is the world’s first comprehensive civil rights law for the disabled, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of their physical or mental disability. The law mandates that local, State, and Federal governments and programs be made accessible, that businesses with more than 15 employees make “reasonable accommodations” for disabled workers, that public accommodations such as restaurants and stores make “reasonable modifications” to ensure access for disabled members of the public, and that access be granted to the disabled in all areas of public life, including transportation and communications. In so doing, the ADA was proclaimed a new “Declaration of Independence” for individuals with disabilities. Transportation is the critical link in the opportunity chain for the disabled. In order to access jobs and services, a disabled individual must be able to get to them. Under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (DOT) leadership, the transportation community has made great strides over the past 19 years to provide transportation facilities that are accessible to the disabled.

Caption: Picture of handicap sign

Today, more than 90 percent of the Nation’s bus fleet and more than 80 percent of rail stations are ADA accessible. In 1982, a toll-free hotline was established to assist air passengers with disabilities. Paratransit demand-response services for the disabled are now offered on a larger scale, and many households nationwide own at least one vehicle that has been modified to accommodate a person with a disability. Reflecting on his public career upon leaving the DOT in 2006, then-Secretary Norman Mineta indicated that the ADA, which he helped enact as a member of the U.S. Congress, was one of his proudest career accomplishments. The ADA also sets forth accessibility requirements for pedestrian facilities, including sidewalks, sidewalk crossings, paths and trails. These ADA requirements apply to all projects involving new or altered pedestrian facilities, not just projects funded by State or Federal sources. Design requirements include such necessities as curb cuts to accommodate a wheelchair, audible crossing signals for the blind, maximum sidewalk and trail widths and slopes, and requirements that sidewalk surfaces be slip resistant. The FHWA offers ADA-related training, and questions regarding the ADA also regularly arise in pedestrian safety training courses. Questions regarding the ADA are often asked because many agencies are experiencing an increase in the number of complaints or lawsuits for not addressing accessibility requirements for pedestrian facilities in conjunction with roadway improvements. Due to time constraints, and the breadth of material in both the ADA and pedestrian-related courses, instructors are unable to adequately address these questions. The FHWA collaborated with the Association of Bicycle and Pedestrian Professionals to develop an instructor-led training course, Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility, which has been very well-received but unable to satisfy the growing demand for training in this subject.

Peter Eun, Resource Center Safety and Design TST Safety Engineer, and Jodi Petersen, Civil Rights Program Manager in the Washington Division Office
developed an adaptation of the Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility course. This course differs from the instructor led course in that it is offered in a blended, on-line format and is therefore able to reach a greater number of participants. According to Washington Division Administrator Dan Mathis, this course “fills a critical need for the agency and for States and local agencies, as well.”

Caption: Photo of a man in a wheelchair getting off a bus.

This particular course is structured with the following modules:

1. Introduction: 2-hour Web conference
2. Pedestrian Access Route
3. Curb Ramps and Blended Transitions
4. Detectable Warning Services
5. Pedestrian Crossings
6. Accessible Pedestrian Signals
7. Street Furniture and Parking
8. Work Zones
9. Wrap Up: 2-hour Web conference

The target audience for the course includes: local, State, Federal, and consulting engineers with responsibility for designing and/or building pedestrian
facilities in public rights-of way, and urban designers. It is expected that at the conclusion of the training, participants will have learned about:

• Accessibility guidelines and requirements
• Availability of design resources
• Obligations to evaluate practices, policies, and activities for discrimination and to remove barriers to achieve program access
• The importance of documenting decisions;
• The range of pedestrians with disabilities; how people with disabilities use pedestrian facilities and how restrictive designs affect mobility and safety
• How to enhance pedestrian mobility, independence and safety through accessible pedestrian designs.

The new course incorporates both web conference training and web-based training to achieve a blended on-line course delivery format. The differences between web conference training and web-based training are subtle but distinct; web-based training allows the participant to follow previously developed course modules at their own pace and according to their own schedule. This is known as asynchronous training. Web conference training incorporates the use of an instructor to present information and address participants’ questions, but through a web conference format rather than live and in person delivery (known as synchronous training, where instructor and students are all present at the same time). By blending the two, this course combines the best of all possible worlds in that participants may proceed through the material at their own pace yet still have an opportunity to ask questions and interact with an instructor and other participants.

The course was piloted in December 2008, and three subsequent sessions were offered in April and May 2009. The next currently scheduled offering will be in August 2009. Participants rated this course very highly and recommended it for others.

For more information regarding this training, or to schedule a session, please contact:

Peter Eun
Safety Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(360) 753-9551
peter.eun@dot.gov

Jodi Petersen
Civil Rights Program Manager
FHWA Washington Division Office
(360) 534-9325
jodi.petersen@dot.gov

End of article 6

Start of article 7

What is Transportation Conformity?

Since February 2009, more than 400 practitioners from across the country have participated in the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) What is Transportation Conformity? webinar. Geared to those new to the conformity regulations, participants have included people with varying levels of involvement with the issue – from those with peripheral exposure to conformity, such as safety engineers, to those who expect to have additional conformity responsibilities in the future. The FHWA plans to continue to offer live sessions of this free webinar to meet interest levels. The webinar is open to FHWA employees and agency partners. Please look for future live sessions on the National Highway Institute's web conferencing http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference

You may also access an on-demand version at: http://fhwa.na3.acrobat.com/whatisconformity/

For more information, please contact:

Robert O'Loughlin, Team Leader
Air Quality Technical Service Team
FHWA Resource Center
(415) 744-3823
Robert.oloughlin@dot.gov

End of article 7

Start of article 8

ABC Seminars & Workshops Offered Around the Nation

Over the past several months, the FHWA Resource Center Structures Technical Service Team has been busy deploying Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC)
technology to State departments of transportation (DOTs) through the delivery of 1-day generic seminars, or multi-day (1½ - 2-day) project-specific workshops. The 1-day generic seminars cover such topics as:

• the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s)
• initiative to mainstream the ABC program,
• a framework for selecting ABC projects,
• cost comparisons between conventional bridge construction and ABC,
• a schematic design of an ABC project,
• a connection details manual, and
• innovative contracting methods for ABC projects.

Also vital to the success of these programs have been presentations from heavy-mover contractors and visiting State DOT champions, who discuss their project experiences and lessons learned.

A heavy-mover contractor is a contractor that can move entire bridges, superstructures, bridge decks, or other large components through the use of self-propelled modular transporters (SPMT), jacking methods, or launching methods.

The multi-day, project-specific workshops include many of the topics listed above, and they include field trips to nearby project sites and feature breakout sessions tailored to both bridge design engineers and construction/maintenance of traffic engineers. Summaries of each session are then presented to the entire group, and final recommendations are made for consideration by the appropriate FHWA division office and State DOT upper management.

A generic seminar has been conducted for the New York State DOT, and one is scheduled in the near future for the Rhode Island DOT. Project-specific workshops have been conducted in Massachusetts (twice), WI, and IL, with one scheduled in the near future for Montana. More than 300 people have been reached through these latest technology deployment efforts. The events have been overwhelming successes, as evidenced by evaluations More than 300 people have been reached through these latest technology deployment efforts. The events have been overwhelming successes, as evidenced by evaluations typically ranging from very good to excellent.

Caption: Photo showing SPMT moving a bridge.

Florida Department of Transportation employees use an SPMT to replace the span of the Graves Avenue bridge. The FHWA helps promote such vanguard technologies through demonstrations.

The ABC technology, which includes prefabricated bridge elements & systems, has received wide exposure based on the efforts of the RC team, speakers and hosts. Funding support was also received from the Offices of Bridge Technology and Highways for LIFE.

For additional information about ABC technology and/or scheduling a seminar or workshop, please contact:

Claude Napier
Sr. Structural Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(804) 775-3327
claude.napier@dot.gov

Lou Triandafilou
Sr. Structural Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-3648
lou.triandafilou@dot.gov

End of article 8

Start of article 9

Nat’l Concrete PRR Conference held in St. Louis

Over the past two decades, much progress has been made in the development of effective concrete preservation, repair, and rehabilitation (PRR) techniques. However, many gaps still remain and many practices are not implemented consistently from one region to another. An important technical limitation is associated with the practitioners’ ability to rationally determine what treatments need to be performed at what stage in the pavement’s life, and what the consequences are of delaying needed treatments. In today’s environment, where a highway agency’s budget cannot fully meet the need for managing the pavement assets -- even though there is no lessening in traffic growth and/or the public’s expectations -- it is important that the limited funds available
to maintain our Nation’s highway systems are expended in an optimum manner.

Caption: Photo showing nighttime replacement of damaged concrete slabs with precast concrete panels.

In an effort to improve the situation, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) held a “National Conference on Preservation, Repair, and Rehabilitation of Concrete Pavement” in St. Louis, MO, on April 21-24. This 2½-day conference was organized as a part of technology transfer activities conducted under the National Concrete Pavement Technology Program, which operates within the FHWA.

Caption: Photo showing joint repair of concrete slabs using dowels bars.

The conference provided a national forum to address various aspects of concrete pavement preservation, repair, and rehabilitation activities, as well as strategies that result in safer, smoother, and extended-service-life-concrete pavements with the least life-cycle costs. More than 175 pavement and materials engineers and specialists attended the event, from Australia, Belgium, Canada, Colombia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. These practitioners came from city, county, State, and Federal Government agencies, as well as the private sector. In fact, attendees from the U.S. came from more than 28 States and the District of Columbia.

Caption: Photo showing diamond grinding concrete pavement surface

More than 30 presenters provided a technical program that included technical sessions, practice-oriented forums on PRR, a workshop on FHWA’s Real Cost/Life Cycle Cost Analysis Software (including agency experiences), and a workshop on concrete
pavement preservation.

For more information on concrete preservation, repair, and rehabilitation visit the Web site.

For more information about the national concrete conference, or to learn about future events, contact:

Sam Tyson
Concrete Pavement Engineer
FHWA Office of Pavement Technology
(202) 366-1326
sam.tyson@dot.gov

End of article 9

Start of article 10

RC Staffer Addresses ‘Acceptance’ at Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC) Webinar

The Federal Highway Administration recently offered the first-ever Webinar on Self-Consolidating Concrete (SCC). The webinar was hosted by the Highways for LIFE office in partnership with the National Highway Institute (NHI), as part of the continuing series on NHI Real Solutions.

A lively Q&A period was held after the presentations to answer any remaining questions that participants had on the SCC technology. Follow-up questions were also entertained by the speakers via email exchanges. The webinar was considered an overwhelming success with more than 100 individuals participating nationwide from the Federal Highway Administration division offices, State DOTs, local agencies, and private industry.

Webinar presentation focus areas included:

• “What is SCC?” presented by Myint Lwin, Director of the FHWA Office of Bridge Technology
• “Acceptance of SCC by the State DOTs” presented by Lou Triandafilou, FHWA Resource Center Sr. Structural Engineer (High Performance
• Structural Materials)
• “The State’s Perspective in Using SCC in Precast/Prestressed Concrete Beams and Girders” presented by Dr. Celik Ozyildrim, Principal Research Scientist with the Virginia Transportation Research Council
• “Application of SCC in Drilled Shafts” presented by Dr. Anton Schindler, Associate Professor at Auburn University

For more information on SCC technology please contact:

Lou Triandafilou
Sr. Structural Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-3648
Lou.triandafilou@dot.gov

End of article 10

MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Two Important Events in August:

Title VI/Non-discrimination Forum: Birmingham, AL -- August 19
To register for the Forum please visit the website Southern Transportation Civil Rights Executive Council Training Symposium

For more information contact:

Teresa Banks, Team Leader
Civil Rights Technical Service Team
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3592
teresa.banks@dot.gov

Southern Region Air Quality Summit STAQS 2009: Jacksonville, FL -- August 25-27
To register for the conference and obtain more information, visit the STAQS website
There is a registration fee of $100.00 to attend the summit.

For additional information, contact:

Mike Roberts
Air Quality Specialist
FHWA Resource Center
(404) 562-3928
michael.roberts@dot.gov

Start of article 11

Workshop on Safety & Bridge Blast Behavior Launched

The significance and urgency of developing guidelines for the blast resistant design of bridges has become more prominent in recent years due to increased security concerns about risks to our Nation’s infrastructure. In addition, the recent collapse of the I-35 Bridge in Minnesota has vividly demonstrated the risks -- not only for the potential loss of life, but also economic disruptions and other societal ramifications -- that a collapse of a bridge can cause. Analyzing and designing bridges to sustain blast load effects requires the use of specialized and complicated computation tools. This task is made more complicated by the fact that bridge components must be designed to sustain different hazards, many of which have conflicting demands. Bridge owners and their staff should also be trained in analyzing and understanding effects of a blast on the structure in a multi-hazard environment.

Caption: Photo showing Waider Wong, Structural Design Engineer, FHWA Resource Center, addressing attendees

With these objectives in mind, a workshop on safety and behavior of bridges subjected to blast in a multi-hazard environment was organized in New York City earlier this year. The workshop was organized and sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration, University Transportation Research Center Region 2, New Jersey Department of Transportation, the New York State Department of Transportation, and the City College of New York. This by-invitation-only workshop was attended by 80 people from State transportation agencies, the Federal Government, consulting firms, and research institutions. On the first day, the program included presentations from leading experts in this unique field on:

1. bridging the gap between state-of-the-knowledge and state-of-the-practice
2. the current status of blast analysis, design, and detailing
3. the role of multi-hazard design philosophy in blast mitigation
4. the design paradigm and the emergence of performance-based design
5. the AASHTO and the FHWA perspectives, and ongoing efforts related to bridge security
6. bridge security initiatives/issues

The presentations were followed by lively discussions on issues raised by the presenters. The second day of the workshop consisted of 16 breakout sessions and one general session, where participants were divided into groups: bridge owners, Federal employees, researchers and consultants. Participants were provided carefully designed questionnaires and discussion items for each of the breakout sessions. The feedback provided is being analyzed and will be reported in the near future. Representative chairs of each of the groups presented a summary of discussions completed during the breakout sessions. The general session (on the 2nd day started with a presentation by Dr. Mary Ellen Hynes and R. John Fortune of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) on various research initiatives undertaken by the DHS in improving the safety of our Nation’s bridges and other infrastructure.

Caption: Photo showing the Jamestown Bridge during planned blast/detonation.

Based on the feedback received, workshop co-chairs are preparing formal proceedings which will be available in the near future. These proceedings will contain brief descriptions of the presentations, a summary of the feedback, recommendations for future work, and, if possible, a roadmap to achieve the goals identified at the workshop deliberations. These will be distributed to all stakeholders including the FHWA, AASHTO, DHS, and others. A white paper will also be prepared and published for wide circulation.

For more information, contact:

Waider Wong, P.E.
Structural Design Engineer
FHWA Resource Center
(410) 962-9252
waider.wong@dot.gov

End of article 11

PARTNERSHIPS

Start of article 12

Knowledge Applications Team joins FHWA Resource Center

The February 2009 issue of Centered on Service featured an interview with Amy Lucero, FHWA’s new Director of Technical Services. The Office of Technical
Services, which Lucero oversees, was created when the FHWA Resource Center was realigned along with the FHWA’s former Office of Professional and Corporate Development, which included the National Highway Institute, workforce development, and technology partnership programs.

As part of this reorganization, the Knowledge Application Team (KAT) joined the Resource Center. While not a new team in the FHWA, KAT is new to the FHWA Resource Center community, its customers, and its partners. Under the leadership of Debbie Gwaltney, KAT’s mission is to identify new approaches to sharing knowledge that will improve the FHWA’s ability to achieve its goals. KAT has effectively utilized new technology to meet its mission to facilitate distance learning and the sharing of information and knowledge. These activities complement both the Resource Center’s vision, to be the leader in advancing transportation technologies and solutions, and its mission, to advance transportation technologies through training. KAT provides organizational leadership and direction to the FHWA’s management and staff to implement knowledge management principles and practices, institutionalize knowledge sharing, and enable the creation of a comprehensive learning organization. Chances are you have participated in an FHWA-led Web conference or a Community-of-Practice (CoP). If you have, then KAT has affected your work, as KAT provides all of the FHWA’s Web conferencing support and facilitates 15 online CoPs.

Web conferencing has consistently grown since it was first introduced in the FHWA. Web conferencing enables individuals to conduct live interactive presentations, demonstrations, meetings, or training sessions via the Internet, while simultaneously communicating through a teleconference line. Attendees participate from their personal workstations or from any remote location. No special equipment is needed. Web conferencing can be used for staff meetings, training, and demonstrations of new products or services, announcements or conferences. Between FY07 and FY08, the number of Web conferences more than doubled, from 1,000 sessions in FY07, to more than 2,000 in FY08. The principal reason for this increase is that staff are able to see the ease with which they can use the technology, save travel time and funds, while still accomplishing important agency business.

Agency-led CoPs are virtual groups of people connected by interest and expertise in a specific discipline. The FHWA’s CoPs cover a wide range of key skill areas, and provide members with access to information, discussion, and collaboration. Each community is dedicated to a specific subject area of interest to the highway community. KAT regularly conducts facilitator and user training sessions for the communities and collaborates frequently with community leaders to plan growth strategies. Visit the website at FHWA CoPs

Caption: Logo of KAT

KAT is currently working to brand FHWA’s knowledge management program,
CLiKS (Collaboration, Learning, Knowledge Services), to increase agency-wide
awareness of the knowledge sharing resources within the FHWA. Look for more
information about CLiKS in a future edition of Centered on Service.

Welcome, KAT, to the FHWA Resource Center!

For additional information about KAT services, contact:

Debbie Gwaltney
Team Leader
FHWA Resource Center
(703) 235-1199
debbie.gwaltney@dot.gov

End of article 12

SPECIAL FEATURE

Start of article 13

Training Follows the Learning Highway

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) supports the development of its employees through a variety of training opportunities throughout their careers. The
agency has always recognized that a knowledgeable, skilled workforce is vital to helping its customers achieve their goals, and in turn, achieving its own goals. Recently, the system for providing training opportunities was restructured to make the learning process more efficient, and cost effective. The new training program structure is referred to as The Learning Highway.

The Learning Highway is a revolution in the way training is delivered at the organization. Based on Learning Routes, employees have the opportunity to grow their skills. These Learning Routes are Corporate Competencies, Leadership Competencies and Professional Competencies. All three categories of skills are vital toward progressing in one’s career.

The Learning Routes are defined as follows:

- Corporate Competencies are basic behaviors and skills that contribute to FHWA’s mission that supports values focus on Public Service, Integrity, Respect, Family, Collaboration and Personal Development. These behaviors and skills include communication, technology management, time management, teamwork, organizational awareness, integrity and honesty, problem solving, continuous learning, flexibility, customer service, interpersonal, and influencing and negotiating.

- Leadership Competencies are skills that effective leaders exhibit. The FHWA encourages all employees to develop competencies so that they can successfully manage projects, programs, and/or people. These behaviors and skills include leveraging diversity, conflict management, strategic thinking, developing others, decisiveness, partnering, team building, leading change, resilience, human capital management, political savvy, financial/acquisition management, creativity and innovation, external awareness, vision, and entrepreneurship.

- Professional Competencies relate to specific disciplines and occupations and are keys to accomplishing the day-to-day work of the agency. The FHWA encourages all employees to strengthen and build competencies to effectively provide program oversight and stewardship and continue to serve as national leaders with the transportation community. These skills are specific to a person’s professional area. Within the Learning Highway structure, the specific training employees receive is based on an Individual Development Plan (IDP) that they design with their supervisor. An IDP may be viewed as a road map and includes key elements of employees’ use of the Learning Highway.

The FHWA has identified a wide variety of classes, seminars and workshops available through the FHWA, NHI, or outside vendors that contribute to the Individual Development Plan objectives. Employees can easily select specific courses from each category to meet their needs.

Caption: Logo of the learning highway

A key part of training in professional competencies is a tool called the Discipline Support Seminar (DSS). Developed under the guidance of champions within each discipline, learning seminars will provide both technical training and networking opportunities. Each discipline will hold a learning seminar every 2 years. The first seminars, in areas such as Safety & Operations; Civil Rights; and Planning, Environment, Air Quality, and Real Estate (PEAR) are taking place this Summer. More are being planned for fall 2009 and still more are in the development stages. Certain FHWA employees will be able to attend one seminar per year.

The Learning Highway has a more coordinated approach to learning and development than in the past, and this will help the FHWA meet the challenges of the future. The Learning Highway is an important element for efficiently and effectively achieving the FHWA’s mission, improving corporate capacity, and functioning as national leaders in the industry.

For more information see the Learning Highway website or contact:

Laurie Montgomery
Team Leader, Training and Development Group
FHWA Office of Human Resources
(202) 366-9437
laurie.montgomery@dot.gov

End article 13

CENTERED ON QUALITY
Start of article 14

ARC Salutes 2009 Legends Award Winners

The American Recreation Coalition (ARC) presented its 2009 Legends Awards to seven Federal managers in recognition of their outstanding work to improve outdoor recreation experiences and opportunities for the American people. The awards were presented on June 9, during Great Outdoors Week - ARC’s celebration of the value and importance of outdoor recreation. Initiated by ARC in 1991, the Legends Award program involves seven Federal agencies: Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Forest Service. Each agency nominates an individual whose extraordinary personal efforts have made a real difference in enhancing outdoor recreation programs and resources.

Caption: Photo of Daniel W. Johnson, Sr. Environmental Program Specialist, Environment Technical Service Team

Dan Johnson, currently a Sr. Environmental Program Specialist with the FHWA Resource Center, was among the recipients of the 2009 Legends Award. Johnson was recognized for his achievements while serving as Environmental Program Manager for the DelMar Division Office and the FHWA’s Maryland Division Office. The ARC honor notes that he has worked effectively with State partners and Federal agencies to promote FHWA programs like National Scenic Byways, Recreational Trails and Transportation Enhancements (TE), directly contributing to new, preserved and improved recreational facilities serving the traveling public. Much of the $100 million for recreational facilities and wildlife habitat in the Woodrow Wilson Bridge Reconstruction project was due to Johnson’s contributions to the team. He worked closely with the Maryland State Highway Administration (SHA) to apply the concept of “Environmental Stewardship” to the Inter-County Connector project, which now includes a number of bicycle and pedestrian facilities and rehabilitation of cultural resources. His work with the SHA also enhanced Maryland’s ability to construct transportation facilities while protecting cultural resources and recreational facilities. This resulted in SHA policies that make Maryland a national leader in context-sensitive solutions for Scenic Byways and historic national roads, the use of TE funds for wildlife-related projects, and the reconstruction of major arterial highways using “Green Highway” techniques.

Johnson commented, “I am honored. I do want to note though that most of the work to preserve and improve the recreation facilities and wildlife habitat on the Woodrow Wilson Bridge, really preceded my time in the Maryland Division Office and my teammates Dave Gamble (also on the Resource Center Environment Technical Service Team), Mary Huie (Headquarters Office of Infrastructure), and Pam Stephenson (Assistant Division Administrator in the FHWA D.C. Division Office) deserve the lion's share of credit for that success.”

Raja Veeramachaneni, Director of the Office of Project Development and Environmental Review (HEP), was the senior FHWA representative invited to be present with Johnson during the presentation. It was especially appropriate, given much of the award nomination was centered on Johnson’s role in promoting environmental stewardship as a key component of the ICC project. Johnson had the opportunity to point out that Veeramachaneni had been one of his principal partners at the Maryland SHA during the project’s development. The FHWA has been the recipient of the Legends Award on six previous occasions. Johnson reports, “the awards ceremony was an ideal place for the FHWA to be recognized for its greening partnerships with resource agencies – work done beyond providing safe access to outdoor recreational opportunities.” The awards program is one of several celebrations the ARC sponsors in celebration of American Outdoor Week.

End of article 14

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

This Calendar of Events is presented to highlight upcoming conferences, workshops, and other special
dates of interest to the transportation community.

Jul 13 - 15 -- 9th International Symposium on FRP Reinforcement for Concrete Structures, Sydney, Australia. For more info visit the Symposium website

Jul 20 - 24 -- Investigating External Complaints of Discrimination - Reno, NV - For more info: e-mail Thalia.Williams@dot.gov or call (202) 366-1595.

Jul 27 - 31 -- ICCE-17 - Hawaii. 17th Annual International Conference on Composites/Nano Engineering, organized by the International Community for Composites Engineering and the College of Engineering, University of New Orleans. For more info: e-mail dhui@uno.edu.

Aug 09 - 13 -- Federal Dispute Resolution (FDR) Conference, Phoenix, AZ. The FDR Conference provides training for all professional HR, labor and employee relations, EEO/Diversity and employment law. This conference is regarded as the premier conference on Federal dispute resolution. For more info on this FDR Conference visit the website

Aug 18 - 20 -- Southern Transportation Civil Rights Training Symposium - Birmingham, AL - This 3-day Symposium will feature concurrent sessions on major FHWA civil rights programs. Contacts: Cammie Davenport (Tennessee Department of Transportation) at (615) 741-3681, or Clarence Hampton at (334) 242-6340.

Aug 19 -- Title VI/Non-discrimination Forum. Birmingham, AL.
For more info e-mail: Teresa.Banks@dot.gov or call (404) 562-3592.

Aug 25 - 27 -- Southern Transportation and Air Quality Workshop - Jacksonville, FL - For more information visit the workshop website:

Sep 02 – 04 - China Composites Expo 2009 - Shanghai, China - For more information on this Expo visit the website.

Sep 12 – 15 - PCI/FHWA National Bridge Conference - San Antonio, TX - For more info visit the Conference website

Sep 13 – 17 - Int'l Conference On Ecology & Transportation - Duluth, MN - For more information on this conference visit the website:

Sep 15 – 17 - 24th Annual Technical Conference of the American Society for Composites - Newark, DE - For more information on this Conference visit the website.

Sep 15 – 20 - American Contract Compliance Association 23rd National Training Institute - Ft. Worth, TX - This event will describe recent activities by the DOT Office of Inspector General to detect and deter fraud associated with abuse of DBE programs by contractors and consultants. Case studies are included. Contact Ms. Felecia L. Johnson at 1-866-ACCA298 for additional details.

Sep 17 – 18 - Second Annual Federal Hispanic Career Advancement Summit - Crystal City, VA -Registration for this event will open on August 1, 2009. The Summit will be held at the Crystal Gateway Marriott. For more information on this Summit visit the website.

Sep 29 – Oct 01 - Composites World Expo 2009 - Schaumburg, IL. Organized by the publishers of High-Performance Composites & Composites Technology; to be held at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel & Convention Center - For more information visit the Composites World Expo website

Oct 07 – 10 - ACEC Fall Conference - Palm Springs, CA - For more information visit the conference website.

For event details and contact information visit the Resource Center website

CONATCT INFORMATION

Federal Highway Administration Resource Center
Editorial Staff

Carin Michel
Communications & Marketing Team Leader
Phone: (410) 962-2530/Fax: (410) 962-3655
e-mail: carin.michel@dot.gov

Ann Crouch
Leadership Development Coordinator
Phone: (202) 366-9492/Fax: (202) 366-7495
e-mail: ann.crouch@dot.gov

Judith Johnson
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (404) 562-3682/Fax: (404) 562-3700
e-mail: judith.johnson@dot.gov

Steve Moler
Public Affairs Specialist
Phone: (415) 744-3103/Fax: (415) 744-2620
e-mail: steve.moler@dot.gov

Stephanie Roth
Communications Specialist
Phone: (703) 235-0509/Fax: (703) 235-0593
e-mail: stephanie.roth@dot.gov

Marie Roybal
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (720) 963-3241/Fax: (720) 963-3232
e-mail: marie.roybal@dot.gov

Mark Sandifer
Technology Deployment Specialist
Phone: (708) 283-3528/Fax: (708) 283-3501
e-mail: mark.sandifer@dot.gov

Deborah Vocke
Marketing Specialist
Phone: (410) 962-3744/Fax: (410) 962-3419
e-mail: deborah.vocke@dot.gov

Visit the Resource Center website.

Centered on Service is dedicated to sharing success stories, information, and updates on FHWA Resource Center projects, as well as ongoing news about services provided by the Resource Center teams to the FHWA offices and transportation partners.

NOTICE: The United States Government does not endorse products or manufacturers. Trademarks or manufacturers’ names that may appear herein are only mentioned because they are considered essential to the object of this document -- to share information on innovations and technologies available to the transportation community.

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