InTrans / Jul 30, 2021

REACTOR Lab research on smart arrow boards featured in ATSSA publication

Smart arrow board in a work zone

The American Traffic Safety Services Association (ATSSA) publication Roadway Safety recently featured research on smart arrow boards by the Real-Time Analytics of Transportation Data Laboratory (REACTOR Lab) at the Institute for Transportation.

The article “Iowa Making Smart Use of Arrow Boards” highlights the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) efforts to implement arrow boards that can share information about their location and usage in work zones and the REACTOR Lab’s research into the benefits of the technology that include integration with connected and autonomous vehicles and additional clarity on work zone lane closures.

“There was a massive amount of work zone events we found that were on other [non-DOT] roadways that weren’t being reported out any other way,” Skylar Knickerbocker, REACTOR Lab co-director, said in the article. “That is going to be a huge value in identifying these other work zones that have no other reporting mechanism out to the public.”

The article also highlights the collaborative effort, including consultation with ATSSA members at its Innovation Council, that led to the implementation of smart arrow boards in work zones across the state.

The summer edition of Roadway Safety out now also includes an interview with the Iowa DOT Director Scott Marler and Iowa ATSSA Chapter President Vaugn Miller. Read all the articles here.

TOP