Making Work Zones Work Better Chung Eng Work Zone Mobility & Safety Team Office of Transportation Operations Federal Highway Administration US Department of Transportation Talking Freight Seminar June 20, 2006

Agenda  What Do We Know?  What Can Be Done?  What is FHWA Doing? Work Zones:

Work Zones – What We Know:  Our highway infrastructure is aging  Construction work is increasing  Growth in VMT is outpacing the addition of new lane miles  Congestion is growing

Growth in Wasted Hours  Congestion has increased dramatically over the past 2 decades.  In the 13 largest cities, drivers spend the equivalent of almost eight work days each year stuck in traffic.  Work Zones account for 10% of overall congestion. Source: Texas Transportation Institute, 2005 Urban Mobility Report Annual Hours Lost to Congestion Per Peak Hour Driver Very Large Metro Areas, 1983 v Philadelphia Hours Atlanta Washington Dallas LA/Long Beach Chicago San Francisco Detroit Miami Boston New York Phoenix Houston City Average

Portland General Electric estimates that it spends around $500K/year for additional travel time for maintenance crews due to congestion. In 2000, congestion at the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit, Michigan and Windsor, cost motor carriers between $150M and $200M. Intel has moved their last shipment departure time up two hours for outbound shipments through PDX due to increased pm peak congestion. Atlanta area distributor of pet food with an 11-truck fleet finds it difficult for one truck to make more than 12 daily deliveries; in 1984, one truck made as many as 20 deliveries each day. Cost of Congestion to U.S. Businesses

Work Zones – What We Know:  Our highway infrastructure is aging  Construction work is increasing  Growth in VMT is outpacing the addition of new lane miles  Congestion is growing  Crashes are increasing

Work Zones – What We Know: Crashes are Increasing According to a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration analysis, approximately 25% of work zone fatal crashes in 2005 involved a large truck.

What Can Be Done?  To reduce work zone delay  To reduce crashes, fatalities, and injuries?

What Can be Done to Make Work Zones Work Better?  Recognize impacts early and develop projects to include strategies that minimize impacts  Look for ways to reduce exposure:  Reduce number work zones  Reduce duration of work zones  Work during off-peak periods  Consider full closures as appropriate  Provide information to drivers  Reduce hazards in work zones

What is FHWA doing?  Issued Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule  Identifying & promoting best practices  Providing training  Providing guidance  Providing technical assistance and facilitating information sharing

WZ Safety and Mobility Rule  Published Sept 2004 – Compliance by Oct 2007  Major Provisions  Develop & Implement a WZ Policy  Implement Processes and Procedures to Support the Policy - WZ impacts assessment & management - Training - Use of safety & operational data - Process reviews  Implement Project Procedures - Identify significant projects - Develop transportation management plans (TMPs)

WZ Safety and Mobility Rule  What We Expect to See  More focus on system impacts versus individual WZ site impacts  WZs impacts considered throughout project delivery process  More WZ training  More effective communication with the public  Safer WZs  More performance monitoring and assessment

Work Zone Best Practices  Best Practices Guide  Case Studies  Fact Sheets

Training  New NHI Course – Advanced Work Zone Management  Work Zone Law Enforcement Training  WZ Safety and Awareness Program for New Drivers  Quick Zone Training  Work Zone Safety Grants – Development of Training & Guidance

Guidance  Implementing the Rule on WZ Safety & Mobility  WZ Public Information & Outreach Strategies  Developing & Implementing TMPs for Work Zones  WZ Impacts Assessment

Technical Assistance  Work Zone Peer-to-Peer Program (WZ P2P) – Provides short-term assistance in the application of methods, tools, and strategies to improve WZ safety and mobility.

For More Information...  Chung Eng, FHWA Work Zone Team Leader,  Tracy Scriba, FHWA Work Zone Team  FHWA Work Zone Website,