Work Zone Data Initiative at TRB - Pilot Opportunity, National Work Zone Awareness Week, WZITS and CMF Resources, and more

U.S. DOT Federal Highway Administration sent this bulletin at 03/13/2019 11:43 AM EDT
Banner. Work Zone Management Program.

Quarterly Newsletter - Winter 2019

Work Zone Data Initiative at TRB – Pilot Opportunity

During this year’s Transportation Research Board (TRB) conference, FHWA’s Work Zone Data Initiative (WZDI) was highlighted during the session “FHWA Innovations in Work Zone Event Data Management.” Session discussion focused on the WZDI goal to develop a recommended practice for managing work zone activity data (WZAD), and to create a consistent language for communicating work zone activity information across jurisdictional and organizational boundaries.

An overview of the scope of WZAD throughout the project life-cycle was provided, along with information on the eventual development of a unified specification for the data to be used across the industry.

FHWA is looking for states interested in pilot deployment site participation.

Participants will:

  • Engage in the development of the evolving data standard
  • Receive free technical assistance in implementation
  • Be able to explore the benefits of participation in a shared, standardized work zone data environment

➜ For more information, contact Todd Peterson, FHWA WZDI Project Manager.

Todd Peterson, WZDI Project Manager, provides an overview of the initiative to TRB participants.

National Work Zone Awareness Week

This annual spring campaign, sponsored by FHWA and its partners, is held at the start of construction season to encourage safe driving through highway work zones.

This year’s theme is Drive Like You Work Here, focusing on speed and safety in work zones. The event will be held April 8-12, 2019.

➜ Resources will be available on the FHWA Work Zone Management Program site and the American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) site.

➜ For more information, please contact Martha Kapitanov, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

WZITS Implementation Tool Updates

The Work Zone Intelligent Transportation Systems (WZITS) Implementation Tool is getting an upgrade. The WZITS Implementation Tool serves as a software companion to the WZITS Implementation Guide, with features that enhance the data collection and quantitative assessments necessary to determine the suitability of work zone ITS solutions. This software is currently being used by transportation agencies across the country to support independent decision-making regarding selection, design, procurement, deployment and evaluation of ITS systems for construction and maintenance projects.

During the next several months, the FHWA Work Zone Management Program is seeking your input into future improvements and upgrades to the tool and will be conducting training workshops with interested participants and host agencies to train staff on how the tool can be integrated into an agency’s project development process.

➜ If you are interested in participating in a  training workshop or would like additional information, please contact Todd Peterson, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

WZITS Webinar

This January 23 webinar focused on leveraging the WZITS Implementation Tool to assist in planning WZITS deployments on highway construction projects. The webinar recording and presentation materials will be made available at a later date.

➜ For more information, please contact Todd Peterson, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

Contents

WZ Resources

National Work Zone Management Conference. Presentations from this fall event are now available for download. These include the following slides from the WZDI Symposium:

➜ For more information, please contact Todd Peterson, FHWA WZDI Project Manager.

Slides from the Large Trucks in Work Zones session are also available:

➜ For more information, please contact Martha Kapitanov, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

Work Zone Fatal Crashes and Fatalities Data. 2016 update and 2017 data are now available.

➜ Find the details here. 

Impact of Work Zone Signage on Driver Speeding Behavior: A Driving Simulator Study. This study evaluates the influence of three different work zone signs – speed photo enforced signs, dynamic speed display signs (DSDS), and reduced speed limit signs – on driving speed behavior using a high fidelity driving simulator.

➜ Read the study here.

Upcoming Events

Work Zone Traffic Incident Management (TIM) for First Responders and Contractors. This training includes two separate webinars on Work Zone TIM: one focusing on contractor TIM considerations and the second specifically addressing first responder considerations for TIM in work zones. 

➜ For more information, please contact Todd Peterson, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

Work Zone Design Training. Various in-person training courses specifically developed for work zone designers are now available.

➜ For more information, please contact Todd Peterson, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Transportation Specialist.

Recent Events

Work Zone Management (WZM) Capability Maturity Framework (CMF) Assessment Tool and Process Review Workshops. The framework is intended for agencies or regions to assess current work zone management capabilities. Once determined, the CMF tool provides a list of actions for organizations to raise their capabilities to the desired levels. 

  • Montana Department of Transportation (DOT), March 4-5, 2019
  • South Carolina DOT, January 30-31, 2019
  • New York State DOT, November 6-7, 2018
  • New Hampshire DOT, October 29-30, 2018

➜ For more information, please contact Jawad Paracha, FHWA Work Zone Management Team Program Manager.

➜ More information about the tool is available here.

Smarter Work Zones

Transportation agencies can now access the final report for the SWZ initiative. Other resources, related publications, case studies, tools, and webinars are also available here.