August 4, 2016
Innovation of the Month: Road Diets
The Every Day Counts innovation of the month for August is road diets, a safety-focused alternative that reconfigures a road cross-section to accommodate all users, increase mobility, cut crashes and improve a community’s quality of life.
Road diets are attracting widespread interest as part of the third round of the Federal Highway Administration’s Every Day Counts initiative. They are a standard practice in 14 states and Washington, D.C. Another 31 states are installing road diets and developing processes for identifying potential sites for roadway reconfiguration.
Watch a webinar on road diet benefits and policies.
Read facts and frequently asked questions about road diets.
Contact Becky Crowe of the FHWA Office of Safety and Keith Harrison of the FHWA Resource Center for information and technical assistance.
Roundtable Encourages Planning Coordination in Iowa
FHWA convened a roundtable of planners from the Iowa Department of Transportation and metropolitan planning organizations to discuss the Ladders of Opportunity initiative, PlanWorks decision support tool, linking planning and the National Environmental Policy Act, and using safety data in the planning process. The July 28 roundtable enabled participants to share ideas to improve transportation planning and coordination in the state. Iowa is one of the states participating in the EDC-3 effort to use regional models of cooperation to coordinate planning.
Iowa Conference Explores Ultra-High Performance Concrete
More than 200 people attended the First International Interactive Symposium on Ultra-High Performance Concrete July 18 through 20 in Des Moines, Iowa. The symposium featured presentations on UHPC research and bridge projects around the world, as a well as a day of bridge site visits highlighting UHPC applications. FHWA, Iowa State University and other stakeholders cosponsored the event.
Smarter Work Zone Technologies Demonstrated in Iowa and Missouri
The Iowa and Missouri Departments of Transportation cooperated with FHWA on a smarter work zone demonstration this week. Participants from eight transportation agencies observed the use of queue warning system, dynamic lane merge and vehicle entering warning technologies at project sites in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Kansas City, Missouri. They also discussed challenges, success stories and lessons learned with the project team members.
Pennsylvania Event Focuses on Safety Technologies
Transportation professionals from six states participated in an FHWA peer exchange on roadway departure safety and high-friction surface treatments on July 19 and 20 in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Topics included using a systemic approach to identify horizontal curve projects, technical challenges of applying high-friction surface treatments, and new data that show the Safety Edge paving technique is more effective than previously believed. Participants also developed safety action plans for their states.
Tennessee Hosts High-Friction Surface Treatment Peer Exchange
A high-friction surface treatment peer exchange with the Tennessee Department of Transportation enabled Puerto Rico Highways and Transportation Authority staff to prepare for installation of Puerto Rico’s first projects using the treatments. Discussion topics at the exchange—cohosted by FHWA—included strategies to evaluate safety and material performance and site selection guidelines. Participants also visited the Tennessee DOT high-friction surface treatment testing facility and several project sites.
