Description

The Every Day Counts (EDC) initiative is designed to identify and deploy innovation aimed at reducing the time it takes to deliver highway projects, enhance safety, and protect the environment. More information can be found about this initiative at www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/. The EDC Exchange link on this website includes the recordings available of past exchange subjects (which are also listed below).

Upcoming Webinar

Work zones are responsible for over 130 injuries, one fatality, and 10 percent of all congestion each day. One option for addressing these issues is to implement Smarter Work Zones (SWZs). SWZs utilize innovative strategies to better coordinate construction projects and/or deploy innovative technology applications to dynamically manage and minimize work zone safety and mobility impacts. SWZ techniques can improve safety and mobility for travelers, reduce schedule delays due to conflicts between projects, reduce overall operating costs to agencies, and increase the satisfaction of the traveling public, business owners, nearby residences, and politicians.

Examples of ways in which local and tribal agencies can benefit from SWZs include:

• Developing a process to better track when and where all projects that impact travel in a region are occurring, regardless of whether they are due to work by the local agency, utility company, or private developer;
• Implementing work zone intelligent transportation systems (ITS) such as those that monitor and disseminate travel times along routes approaching work zones, allowing motorists to better choose alternate routes.

FHWA has collected and developed a number of example policies, practices, and tools to help agencies implement SWZs. This EDC Exchange will present success stories from local agencies using SWZ project coordination and technology application strategies to improve safety and mobility in and around work zones within their jurisdictions. It will also include discussions on planning and implementing SWZ within your region. This Exchange will be of interest to local and tribal agencies involved with or interested in implementing SWZ.

Past Webinars

The EDC Exchange has completed a number of webinars. Recordings at www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/edc_exchange/ are available for the following subjects:

• Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects: Stakeholder Partnering
• Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil – Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS)
• Data-Driven Safety Analysis
• Road Diets
• High Friction Surface Treatments
• Intelligent Compaction
• Intersection & Interchange Geometrics: Safer, Faster, Cheaper!
• Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects Initiatives: What’s in it for You?
• SHRP2 Traffic Incident Management Responder Training
• Adaptive Signal Control Technology: Managing Risks, Achieving Objectives
• Mitigation Banking and In-Lieu Fee Programs: Can they really save you valuable time and money?
• Right-of-Way: Are There Ways to Expedite This Delivery Phase?
• Accelerated Bridge Construction: Is the Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil Integrated Bridge System (GRS-IBS) Right for You?
• Construction Manager/General Contractor (CMGC)

For More Information

If you have questions or need more information, please contact Keith Knapp at 515-294-8817 or kknapp@iastate.edu.