February 22, 2018
Innovation of the Month:
Using Data to Improve Traffic Incident Management
While the objectives of the Every Day Counts round four (EDC-4) effort on using data to improve traffic incident management (TIM) are to improve the quantity and quality of TIM data, the goal is to expand the use of data to assess TIM performance, drive decision making, and support the business case for TIM.
The EDC-4 team developed a prototype TIM performance database and dashboard to demonstrate what can be done with sufficient high-quality data and to help States identify opportunities for improvement. The dashboard shows TIM performance data from Arizona, California, Florida, and Nevada, enabling the States to see the benefits of having access to good-quality data:
- An analysis of data in the California Performance Measurement System found that it contains statewide incident information that could be used for TIM performance analysis. The team is helping California visualize the data so their analysts can better decipher patterns and interrelationships in the information to support their decision making processes.
- While the Arizona Department of Public Safety regularly uses data on three TIM performance measures collected statewide by troopers through their crash report, data collected by local police have not been leveraged. Through the prototype database and dashboard, the EDC-4 team is helping the Arizona Department of Transportation conduct a more granular statewide assessment of TIM data quantity and quality and identify opportunities to use local data.
Contact Paul Jodoin of the Federal Highway Administration Office of Operations for information and technical assistance.
Award-Winning New York Bridge Project Delivered Using Design-Build
The New York State Department of Transportation’s (NYSDOT) Rexford Bridge replacement won a 2017 Project of the Year Award from the Capital Branch of the American Public Works Association’s New York Chapter. NYSDOT built the bridge—which carries four lanes of traffic, double the capacity of the original structure—to ease congestion on a primary commuter route over the Mohawk River between Saratoga and Schenectady Counties. NYSDOT chose design-build to shorten the delivery time of the project, which was awarded in July 2015 and completed in December 2017. With contractors assuming risk for any delays or cost overruns, design-build also provided NYSDOT with cost certainty on the $32.5 million project. The final design and construction were completed as planned, with no cost overruns. The project included construction of a roundabout at one end of the bridge that improved traffic flow. The roundabout replaced a signalized intersection that experienced rush-hour backups in the past. For information, contact Bryan Viggiani of NYSDOT at (518) 485-7768.
Incentive Funds Help Virginia Develop Standard Designs
The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) used State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive funds to adapt design standards to include the use of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) strands in concrete piles. Steel-reinforced concrete structures in marine or brackish environments can be exposed to chloride-containing salts that corrode steel strands, which can compromise the strength of the piles. CFRP doesn’t corrode when exposed to chlorides, so piles with CFRP strands are not susceptible to corrosion. The new design and standard drawings for CFRP strands were published in the VDOT “Manual of the Structure and Bridge Division, Part 3.” For information, contact Kevin Wright of VDOT.
