States achieved 82 percent of their goals to reach demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized implementation of the 11 innovations in Every Day Counts round four (EDC-4). “Every Day Counts: An Innovation Partnership With States” documents progress in accelerating deployment of the innovations in 2017 and 2018 and highlights State success stories.

Thirty-one States attained demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized stages of automated traffic signal performance measure (ATSPM) implementation. The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC)—the metropolitan planning organization for the San Francisco Bay Area—launched a $13 million challenge grant program called IDEA: Innovative Deployments to Enhance Arterials. The objective is to help cities, counties, and transit agencies improve arterial operations through the deployment of commercially available technologies, such as ATSPM systems or emerging technologies that support regional readiness for a connected and automated vehicle environment.

Nine ATSPM projects were selected. A systems engineering analysis is being conducted for each project, to be followed by system procurement and implementation. The MTC intends to conduct a comprehensive evaluation to assess costs and benefits at the completion of each project. The ATSPM projects selected through MTC’s IDEA Program are expected to provide a foundation for continued expansion of the technology in California.

Twenty-six States achieved demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized stages of implementing community connections strategies for planning, designing, and building transportation projects. The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) developed an Active Transportation Policy to direct its planners and engineers to consider the need for community connections on all projects. ODOT evaluates projects for safe, convenient access for all users, including pedestrians, bicyclists, transit users, and motorists, and assesses how projects will enhance connectivity between neighborhood, commercial, and recreational destinations.

ODOT also partnered with Stark County’s metropolitan planning organization to use State Transportation Innovation Council Incentive funds to develop a planning and analysis tool for scenario planning along Interstate 77 in Canton. The decision matrix, which allows input of multiple variables, aids in making informed choices on how to connect communities and optimize the flow of people.

Many States deployed e-Construction and partnering tools and strategies in EDC-4 to improve communication and workflows while streamlining project delivery. Forty-six States reached the demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized stages of e-Construction implementation, while 28 States attained the demonstration, assessment, or institutionalized stages of e-Construction and partnering implementation.

An example of e-Construction tools States are using is the Mobile Solution for Assessment and Reporting (MSAR) application, which played a key role in disaster recovery after some of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history. The MSAR app replaces time-consuming paper surveys and inspection reports on disaster damage required for FHWA Emergency Relief programs. When the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) used the app after Hurricane Harvey in 2017, more than 500 sites were approved for Federal recovery funds within 7 months instead of up to 2 years for prior paper-based processes. Reducing clerical work and time needed to create reports saved TxDOT about $1.3 million.