1. Transportation Operations Group Designing for Speed, Congestion, and Delay in the Work Zone Gerald Ullman Research Engineer Texas Transportation Institute

2. Transportation Operations Group Work Zone Safety Trends

4. Transportation Operations Group Work Zone Consequences  40,000 injuries/year nationally  120 workers killed annually  $4.5 billion/year national economic cost

5. Transportation Operations Group Some other facts… 43,500 miles of the National Highway System sees at least one day of work zone activity annually In summer, we lose the equivalent of 41 million vehicles per day of roadway capacity due to work zones

6. Transportation Operations Group Work Zone Exposure

7. Transportation Operations Group The Result…

8. Transportation Operations Group Speed Management in Work Zones Enforcement Speed control technologies

9. Transportation Operations Group Enforcement considerations Realistic and “reasonable” speed limits Adequate coordination between DOT and enforcement agencies Labor availability

10. Transportation Operations Group Enforcement Circulating2-3 mph  Stationary3-13 mph  Police Traffic Controllers2-14 mph  Operation Hardhat???

11. Transportation Operations Group Work Zone Speed Control Technologies Enforcement surrogates Driver information/feedback Perceptual methods

12. Transportation Operations Group Enforcement Surrogates “Dummy” vehicles ----- Unmanned radar0-2 mph  Remote enforcement ----- Automated enforcement -----

13. Transportation Operations Group Driver Information/Feedback Changeable Message Signs (CMS)0-2 mph  CMS w/ radar0-6 mph  Speed trailers2-10 mph  CB Wizard0-2 mph  Variable Speed Limits0-5 mph  *

14. Transportation Operations Group Perceptual Methods Rumble strips1-6 mph  Transverse markings0 mph Narrowed lanes0-8 mph 

15. Transportation Operations Group Congestion and Delay Management in Work Zones Increase work zone capacity and efficiency of flow Reduce traffic demands at work zone bottleneck points Communicate accurate estimates of delay and congestion expectations

16. Transportation Operations Group “Get In, Get Out, Stay Out” 77% motorists prefer long-term repairs, even if delays are more significant Focus on longer-lasting materials, better construction methods, longer service life horizon Major constraint: $$

17. Transportation Operations Group Increasing Capacity Late-merge or dynamic merge control Moveable barrier systems Contractor accountability

18. Transportation Operations Group Late Merge

19. Transportation Operations Group Moveable barrier

20. Transportation Operations Group Contractor Accountability Arizona SR 68 (FHWA-HOP-04-032) $400k incentive pool Travel times exceeding 27 minutes reduced incentive pool

21. Transportation Operations Group Reducing Traffic Demands Working at night and weekends Full roadway closures Portable Intelligent Transportation System (ITS) technology

22. Transportation Operations Group Extent of Nightwork

23. Transportation Operations Group Concerns about Nightwork Efficiency, quality of work Safety Traveling public Workers Worker quality of life

24. Transportation Operations Group Full Roadway Closures Roadway completely closed, traffic routed to alternative routes Increases work efficiency Eliminates traffic/work crew conflicts Requires high degree of coordination and contingency planning Impacts off-site difficult to predict and assess

25. Transportation Operations Group A Broader Perspective

26. Transportation Operations Group ITS Applications in Work Zones

27. Transportation Operations Group Key principles Motorists should not be told something they already know Motorists should never be provided incorrect information (must maintain credibility) Motorist diversion thresholds: 10-20 minutes delay

28. Transportation Operations Group Questions

29. Transportation Operations Group Transportation Management Plan Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) Plan Transportation Management Considerations Public Information Considerations