January 18, 2018
Innovation of the Month:
Road Weather Management—Weather-Savvy Roads
Integrating mobile observations (IMO), one of the road weather management—weather savvy roads solutions in Every Day Counts round four (EDC-4), is a cost-effective way to gather weather and road condition information using agency fleet vehicles.
Vehicle-based technologies provide agencies with data to manage transportation systems and issue traveler advisories before the negative effects of road weather occur. Maintaining a high level of service on roads can reduce crashes and keep traffic moving smoothly.
Highway agencies in Michigan, Minnesota, and Nevada collaborated with the Federal Highway Administration on a pilot program to deploy IMO equipment on snowplows and fleet vehicles and are sharing their experiences through EDC-4 events. A site visit in Reno, NV, provided participants from 14 State transportation departments with a firsthand look at how the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) uses IMO to improve safety, reliability, and mobility of the road system during weather events.
See the weather-savvy roads resource toolkit for more IMO information and resources.
See the Road Weather Management website for training information, publications, and research.
Connecticut Plans Safety Improvements for Curves
The Connecticut Department of Transportation (CTDOT) is developing plans to improve four curves on Route 15 in Greenwich. The purpose of the project is to decrease the number of crashes occurring on these stretches of the highway, a scenic, high-volume road known as the Merritt Parkway. The project includes applying high-friction surface treatments, pavement overlay systems with exceptional skid resistance. It also includes making superelevation improvements to the road through bituminous concrete wedging. CTDOT anticipates beginning construction this summer. Contact William Britnell of CTDOT for information.
Send Us Your Every Day Counts Stories
This is your opportunity to share your firsthand experiences using Every Day Counts (EDC) innovations with your fellow EDC News readers. We're looking for one-paragraph stories that describe a challenge your agency faced, how you implemented an EDC innovation to address the challenge, and the resulting outcomes, such as positive impacts in safety, mobility, and quality and savings in time, money, and lives. Send your story to innovation@dot.gov. Include a link to a web page or other background information and a point of contact. Stories featuring innovations from any EDC round are welcome. Contact Jeff Zaharewicz with questions.
