Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety (2022) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
Pages 44-63
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 44... ...
46 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety (Map created with mapchart.net ©) (Map created with mapchart.net ©)
|
From page 45... ...
Survey Results 47 (Map created with mapchart.net ©) (Map created with mapchart.net ©)
|
From page 46... ...
48 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety • One DOT attempts to disseminate information using both Internet-enabled methods and older technologies such as radio. • A responding DOT used a QWS once.
|
From page 47... ...
Survey Results 49 Additional details on frequency of use from survey comments include the following: • One DOT noted that it usually uses queue warning and dynamic lane-merge systems together. • One DOT recently implemented construction equipment entering/exiting systems and work zone location technologies and is working toward making them standard on all Interstate projects.
|
From page 48... ...
50 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety Source: NOAA n.d. Region Tr av el er In fo rm at io n Sy st em s (A ve ra ge R an ki ng )
|
From page 49... ...
Survey Results 51 Use of Multiple Smart Work Zone Technologies by DOTs Question 4 of the survey sought information regarding how frequently DOTs use combinations of smart work zone technologies on the same project. As shown in Table 10, approximately 80% of DOTs use multiple technologies on the same project to some extent.
|
From page 50... ...
52 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety • One DOT has obtained significant safety and capacity improvements through combined implementation of dynamic lane merge and QWSs at long-term freeway closures. • One DOT recently implemented work zone location technologies and is encountering some challenges with how to broadcast the information.
|
From page 51... ...
Survey Results 53 DOT Performance Measures for Smart Work Zone Technologies Questions 12 through 15 of the survey collected information regarding the use of performance measures for smart work zone technologies. As shown in Figure 42, crash statistics are the most commonly employed safety performance measure for assessing safety impacts of smart work zone technologies.
|
From page 52... ...
54 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety smart work zone technologies. One responding DOT indicated in the comments that it collects monthly performance metrics for a subset of high priority projects that may or may not include smart work zone technologies.
|
From page 53... ...
Survey Results 55 Total number of respondents = 51; ordered by Always + Almost Always -- high to low. Figure 43.
|
From page 54... ...
56 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety mitigation of project-level concerns is the most common application of performance measures for smart work zone technologies. At least one-third of DOTs also use measures to evaluate the performance of smart work zone technologies, improve work zone policy and procedures, or provide support for continued implementation and expansion of smart work zone technologies.
|
From page 55... ...
Survey Results 57 Q5. How frequently does your agency use each of the following methods to communicate information regarding work zones to travelers?
|
From page 56... ...
58 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety DOT Communication Components for Smart Work Zone Technologies Question 7 of the survey sought information regarding the frequency of use of various communication components for smart work zone technologies, and the results are shown in Table 17. Cellular telephone and wireless ethernet are the most commonly used communication components and are always or almost always employed by at least one-quarter of DOTs.
|
From page 57... ...
Q9. When implementing smart work zone technologies, how frequently does your agency install smart components on existing non-smart equipment (for example, adding smart arrow boards or smart cones at the beginning and end of the work zone)
|
From page 58... ...
60 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety always or almost always considered by at least half of the DOTs: traffic volumes, type of work, duration and length of work zone, existing traffic or safety issues, work zone configuration, time of day, cost, past experience, proximity of workers to traffic, and urban or rural jurisdiction. These results show that DOTs take a wide range of considerations into account when choosing smart work zone technologies.
|
From page 59... ...
Survey Results 61 of DOTs strongly or somewhat agreed that those factors hinder efforts. Other challenges noted by the majority of DOTs include contractor availability and expertise, time to research and implement, proper expertise to design or review, and lack of perceived need.
|
From page 60... ...
62 Use of Smart Work Zone Technologies for Improving Work Zone Safety information regarding projects for possible case examples. Open feedback from DOTs can be found in Appendix C, and some notable comments are listed as follows.
|
From page 61... ...
Survey Results 63 ratings. There is a great deal of variability in the DOT performance ratings for smart work zone technologies, suggesting a wide range of DOT experiences.
|
From page 62... ...
64 This chapter presents case examples for the use of smart work zone technologies by seven state DOTs (Figure 44) : Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Oregon.
|
From page 63... ...
Case Examples 65 on a project to replace the Virgin River Bridge Number 1 on I-15 in northwestern Arizona. The Arizona DOT uses a customized smart work zone feasibility worksheet (Appendix F)
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.