Work Zone OperationsMO/KS Chapter, ACPA

20th Annual P.C. Concrete Paving Conference

Kansas City, Missouri

March 8-9, 2000

Phillip Ditzler, P.E.

Work Zone Operations Team Leader

FHWA, Office of Transportation Operations

Washington, D.C.

Presentation Overview

• FHWA Headquarters Organizational Structure

• Background

• “Meeting the Customer’s Needs for Mobility and Safety During Construction and Maintenance Operations”

• Current Activities

Headquarters Restructuring

POLICY

ADMINISTRATION

RD&T

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

CORPORATE MANAGEMENT

CIVIL RIGHTS

PUBLIC AFFAIRS

COUNSEL

Core Business Units (CBUs)Service Units

Op

erat

ion

s

Saf

ety

ITS

JPO

Fed

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Lan

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Hig

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En

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ent

& P

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PRODUCT

TEAMS

PRODUCT

TEAMS

ITS Joint Program Office

Office of

Freight Management &

Operations

Office of

Transportation Operations

Office of

Travel Management

OPERATIONS CBU

Office of

Operations Technology

Services

OperationsProgram

Manager /Director, ITS JPO

Office ofTransportation Operations

• Work Zone Operations

• Weather & Winter Mobility

• MUTCD

• Emergency Preparedness

Q. What’s the public’s Q. What’s the public’s biggest complaint?biggest complaint?

A. The lane is closed and A. The lane is closed and there’s no work going there’s no work going on!on!

““It is the sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that many highway projects are that many highway projects are

carried out in a way which carried out in a way which unnecessarily disrupts traffic unnecessarily disrupts traffic

flow during constructionflow during construction and that methods need to be and that methods need to be

adopted to eliminate or reduce adopted to eliminate or reduce these disruptions.”these disruptions.”

Section 1090 ISTEA

• Only 29% of respondents Only 29% of respondents were satisfied with traffic were satisfied with traffic flow through Work Zones flow through Work Zones

• The other 71% weren’t!The other 71% weren’t!

NQI Survey

WZ Fatalities/Injuries (1998)WZ Fatalities/Injuries (1998)

• 772 fatalities *772 fatalities *

• 114 non-motorist *114 non-motorist *

• 37,000+ injuries37,000+ injuries

* NHTSA’s FARS data* NHTSA’s FARS data

SafetySafety

Work Zone FatalitiesWork Zone Fatalities (NHTSA’s FARS data)(NHTSA’s FARS data)

0

200

400

600

800

1000

1980

1982

1984

1986

1988

1990

1992

1994

1996

WZ CrashesWZ Crashes

• Majority occur:Majority occur:– Beginning of the queueBeginning of the queue– In the transition zoneIn the transition zone

• Caused by:Caused by:– Excessive speedExcessive speed– Driver inattentionDriver inattention

Delay in WZsDelay in WZs Motorist

– No quantifiable statistics on an No quantifiable statistics on an areawide or statewide basisareawide or statewide basis

Economic lossesEconomic losses– No quantified data on a national No quantified data on a national

or regional basisor regional basis

““To the public the worst To the public the worst thing is being delayed. thing is being delayed.

The second worst thing is The second worst thing is not knowing why they’re not knowing why they’re

being delayed.”being delayed.”

… … State DOT State DOT ExecutiveExecutive

The Public Wants Us To

Get In!

Do It Right!

Get Out!

Stay Out!

National ChallengeNational Challenge• 40% Increase in funding w/ TEA-2140% Increase in funding w/ TEA-21

• Congestion will increase by 50% in 10 Congestion will increase by 50% in 10 yearsyears

• Aging highway systemAging highway system

• Public demanding virtually unlimited Public demanding virtually unlimited mobilitymobility

““Meeting the Customer’s Needs Meeting the Customer’s Needs for for

Mobility & Safety Mobility & Safety During During

Construction & Maintenance Construction & Maintenance Operations”Operations”

Organizations Scanned

• 26 State DOTs• 4 Cities• 2 Counties• 7 Contractor Associations• 3 Equipment Manufacturers• 5 Toll Authorities• Others (State Police, GHSRs, AAA,

Trucking Associations, etc.)

= States visited

Report PresentsReport Presents• State of the practiceState of the practice

• State of the artState of the art

• Model traffic management Model traffic management program program

• Benchmark our future actionsBenchmark our future actions

• Best practices/policies (250+)Best practices/policies (250+)

• Menu of practical measuresMenu of practical measures

11 Categories of Best 11 Categories of Best Practices/PoliciesPractices/Policies

1.1. Policy and ProceduresPolicy and Procedures

2.2. Public Relations, Education, & OutreachPublic Relations, Education, & Outreach

3.3. Prediction Modeling and Impact Analysis: Prediction Modeling and Impact Analysis: Congestion & CrashesCongestion & Crashes

4.4. Planning & ProgrammingPlanning & Programming

11 Categories of Best 11 Categories of Best Practices/PoliciesPractices/Policies

5.5. Project Development & DesignProject Development & Design

6.6. Contracting and Bidding ProceduresContracting and Bidding Procedures

7.7. Specifications & Construction Materials, Specifications & Construction Materials, Methods & PracticesMethods & Practices

11 Categories of Best 11 Categories of Best Practices/PoliciesPractices/Policies

8.8. Traveler & Traffic InformationTraveler & Traffic Information

9.9. EnforcementEnforcement

10.10. ITS & Innovative TechnologiesITS & Innovative Technologies

11.11. Evaluation and FeedbackEvaluation and Feedback

Role of FHWARole of FHWA• ResearchResearch

• Technology SharingTechnology Sharing

• EducationEducation

• Continuous Quality ImprovementContinuous Quality Improvement

• PartnershipsPartnerships

• StandardizationStandardization

““NO DELAYS OR NO DELAYS OR CRASHES IN WORK CRASHES IN WORK

ZONES”ZONES”

FHWA’s VisionFHWA’s Vision

Current Activities• Best Practices Guidebook

• Self Evaluation Guide

• National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

• Decision Making Tools

Best Practices Guidebook

• In partnership with AASHTO

• A collection of highway community best practices used for improving mobility and safety through work zones

• Create a “living” document

Self Evaluation Guide• Allows assessment of the traffic management

process/program

• A measuring tool - easy & ready to use

• Framework for discussion

• Encouraging Division and State DOT’s to jointly partake in the evaluation

National Work Zone Safety Awareness Week

• Increase the public’s awareness of work zone safety

• April 3-7, 2000

• Partnering with industry & government

• Promote a common set of safety tips

• Emphasize the value of training – worker & motorist

• Share industry best practices

Decision Making Tools

• Evaluate strategies against each other

• Perform traffic impact analysis and delay estimations

• Economic analysis

• Real time monitoring and traffic management through the work zone

• IndustryIndustry

• State DOTsState DOTs

• FHWAFHWA

• Public

PartnershipPartnership

More InformationMain Report

www.fhwa.dot.gov/reports/bestprac.pdf

250+ Best Practiceswww.fhwa.dot.gov/quality/bestprac2.htm

National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

http://wzsafety.tamu.edu or Ph. 1-888-447-5556