January 5, 2017
New Year, New Innovations – Every Day Counts Round Four (EDC-4) Starts Now
In 2017 and 2018, the Federal Highway Administration will collaborate with State transportation agencies and their partners to deploy the 11 EDC-4 innovations and make them mainstream practices. The innovations range from collaborative hydraulics and targeted pavement preservation treatments to cost-effective pedestrian safety strategies and weather-savvy roads.
As in past EDC rounds, FHWA teams will provide technical assistance and training to help the transportation community adopt the EDC-4 innovations. FHWA will also offer deployment assistance and incentives through its State Transportation Innovation Council (STIC) Incentive and Accelerated Innovation Deployment (AID) Demonstration programs.
At fall 2016 summits introducing the EDC-4 innovations, Center for Accelerating Innovation Director Thomas Harman issued what he called a “2 percent challenge.”
“Two percent of a day is only half an hour,” he said. “If you can spend just 2 percent of a day once a week focusing on innovative ideas, you can help advance the culture of innovation in your agency.”
Visit the EDC Web site for information on the EDC-4 innovations, resources for deployment, and contacts for assistance.
Attend Workshop on Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures
The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) will offer a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures on January 18 and 19 in Salt Lake City. The workshop will review and demonstrate UDOT's source code for automated traffic signal performance measures, an EDC-4 innovation that modernizes traffic signal management by providing high-resolution data to manage performance and improve safety and customer service. Registration is free.
Learn About Innovation at Transportation Research Board Meeting
Several exhibits and sessions at next week's Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, will offer opportunities to learn about innovation. The EDC exhibit will showcase the 11 innovations FHWA is promoting in EDC-4, along with the STIC Incentive and AID Demonstration programs to provide deployment resources.
Other sessions and exhibits will highlight safe transportation for every pedestrian (STEP), pavement preservation: how, weather-savvy roads, data-driven safety analysis, and ultra-high performance connections for prefabricated bridge elements. A free workshop on State Transportation Innovation Councils: Leading the Way in an Era of Rapid Change—January 8 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. ET—will explore the elements needed for a STIC to succeed.
