November 25, 2015
Innovation of the Month: Regional Models of Cooperation
Through Every Day Counts, the Federal Highway Administration is encouraging broader use of regional models of cooperation to improve collaboration across agency boundaries and develop multijurisdictional transportation plans.
Several states are using regional models of cooperation successfully:
- The New Jersey Department of Transportation collaborates on planning with metropolitan planning organizations, NJ TRANSIT, FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration.
- Transportation and planning organizations in the Charlotte, North Carolina, area are developing a Regional Freight Mobility Plan that includes performance measures. The plan will address traffic congestion, bottlenecks and freight mobility.
- The Missouri Department of Transportation maintains a collaboration website for metropolitan planning organizations, regional planning commissions, FHWA, the Federal Transit Administration and highway agencies in surrounding states. The website includes resources, checklists and performance management reporting examples.
See the Transportation Planning Capacity Building website administered by FHWA and the Federal Transit Administration for resources and training on transportation planning.
Arizona Conference Features Intelligent Compaction
FHWA staff presented an overview of intelligent compaction and the Every Day Counts initiative at the 2015 Arizona Pavements and Materials Conference on November 17 and 18 in Tempe, Arizona. FHWA was a sponsor of the conference, which drew about 400 people from the public and private sectors. The conference also featured presentations on the latest in pavement technology and emerging asset and performance management trends.
Rhode Island to Use Innovative Contracting on Bridge Project
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation is getting ready for a project that uses the construction manager/general contractor delivery method. The agency received Accelerated Innovation Deployment Demonstration funds for the project, which involves designing and replacing the Park Avenue Bridge on Route 12 in Cranston. The Rhode Island DOT held a training session on CM/GC and early contractor involvement for agency staff and representatives of engineering firms and contractors. The agency chose CM/GC to accelerate project delivery by involving a contractor at the design stage to recommend schedule and cost savings.
Workshop Offers Hands-On Experience in Bridge Design
Technical staff from tribal agencies and the Bureau of Indian Affairs learned the skills to design geosynthetic reinforced soil-integrated bridge systems at a hands-on workshop in Lakewood, Colorado. FHWA’s Office of Federal Lands Highway sponsored the workshop, held November 17 through 19. Participants learned how to identify and collect key hydraulic, geotechnical, structural and material information, then used a spreadsheet tool to design a GRS-IBS for a tribal project.
FHWA Hosts Chinese Delegation
Technologies being deployed through the Every Day Counts initiative were among the topics discussed at an exchange on highway construction advances FHWA hosted for a delegation from China’s Sichuan Provincial Transportation Department. The delegation included about 20 department engineers, researchers, financial specialists and representatives of academia. The Sichuan Provincial Transportation Department is beginning to use 3D modeling and intelligent compaction.
Webinar Series Explores e-Construction
