Transportation Intelligence

Volume 2 Number 3

June 2004
Urban
Traffic Operations
Pavements
Safety
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Urban
Critical Issues and Opportunities for Managing Municipal Infrastructure: Preliminary Survey Results of the Municipal Infrastructure Investment Planning Project
The three-year Municipal Infrastructure Investment Planning (MIIP) Project is focused on the investigation of decision support tools for strategic asset management. This paper is the summary of a survey on: (1) the actual and sustainable "Level of Investment" expenditures for maintenance of municipal infrastructure; (2) the extent of asset management in practice today, and (3) the state of Canada's municipal infrastructure assets. (CIB 2004 Trienniel Conference, May 2004, pp. 1-12.)

Design
Review of Truck Characteristics as Factors in Roadway Design
Under NCHRP Project 15-21, a research team reviewed the range of dimensions and performance characteristics of trucks currently used on US highways and predicted how these characteristics may change in response to current political, economic, and technological trends. The report (1) provides valuable guidance for designers of roads and facilities that need to accommodate large trucks and (2) will assist AASHTO in updating geometric design policy. (NCHRP Report 505, 2004, 194 p.)

Structures
Performance Evaluation of Various Corrosion Protection Systems of Bridges in Colorado
The present study is the first attempt in Colorado to address some of the important issues related to corrosion protection systems used for highway bridges. The study has the following objectives: to determine the extent of the steel corrosion problem in Colorado’s existing reinforced concrete structures (i.e., bridge deck, pier caps, abutment seats, and locations around the joints) and how critical the problem is, and to provide recommendations to enhance CDOT’s current guidelines for corrosion projection of reinforcing steel in Colorado bridge structures. (Colorado DoT Report CDOT-DTD-R-2004-1, January 2004, 141 p.)
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Urban

Priority Planning and Budgeting Process for Pavement Maintenance and Rehabilitation
This best practice should be of interest to managers and technical personnel responsible for the identification of pavement maintenance and rehabilitation needs and for the development of municipal pavement preservation budgets (maintenance and capital budgets). The practice describes a logical, systematic planning and budgeting process for pavement preservation. It provides a technically sound, business-oriented approach for taking care of the pavement infrastructure. (National Guide to Sustainable Municipal Infrastructure, November 2003, 41 p.)

Life cycle cost analysis as a decision support tool for managing municipal infrastructure
Life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) is a process for evaluating the total economic cost of an asset by analyzing initial costs and discounted future expenditures, such as maintenance, repair and renewal (MR&R) costs, and user and social costs over the service life of the asset. The Institute for Research in Construction (IRC) has initiated a three-year project on Municipal Infrastructure Investment Planning (MIIP) to provide managers of municipal infrastructure with decision support tools to optimize their investments and to maximize the value of their assets over their life cycles. (CIB 2004 Trienniel Congress, May 2004, 12 p.)

The Metropolitan Transportation Planning Process: Key Issues - A Briefing Notebook for Transportation Decisionmakers, Officials, and Staff
This notebook provides government officials, planning board members, and transportation service providers with an overview of transportation planning, including basic understanding of the key concepts and references for additional information. Part I discusses transportation planning and its relationship to decisionmaking. Part II presents short descriptions of important policy and planning topics. It is not intended to provide details of each policy issue. (US Federal Highways Administration.)

Design Manual for Small Towns: Transportation and Land Use Strategies for Preserving Small Town Character
The Design Manual is a practical handbook for residents of small towns, their elected officials, and the local government staff who support them. It is organized in a fashion that shows the community how to work together to better understand the existing conditions, identify current transportation problems, and articulate desirable solutions. (Virginia Department of Transportation Rural Planning Grant Study, January 2004, 44 p.)

Economic Impact of Investing in Bicycle Facilities: A Case Study (Summary Report)
In the summer of 2003, the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation (DBPT) commissioned a study to examine the value of public investment in bicycle facilities. The study was conducted by the Institute for Transportation Research and Education (ITRE) at North Carolina State University. Researchers concluded that the economic impact of bicycling visitors is significant. (North Carolina Dot Case Study, April 2004, 11 p.)

 

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Traffic Operations

clipart.comÉvaluation de la congestion routière dans la région de Montréal (Evaluation of road congestion in greater Montréal)
In 1997, a study ordered by the Ministry of Transportation of Quebec (MTQ) pegged the annual socio-economic cost of road congestion in Greater Montreal at $502 M ($1997). The 1997 study examined 1993 road congestion using data from the 1993 Origin-Destination (O-D) Study, the most recent one at that time, and the MTQ’s Montreal regional transportation model then in use (MOTREM 93). To monitor the changing situation, in 2001 the MTQ ordered a new congestion evaluation from this same consultant based on the 1998 OD Study and MOTREM 98. The 1993 data were transposed into MOTREM 98 in order to measure on a comparable basis the change in congestion that had occurred between 1993 and 1998. (Le ministère Des Transports du Québec, 2004, 123 p.)

 

Minimum Retroreflectivity Levels for Overhead Guide Signs and Street-Name Signs
This report describes the research activities and consequent findings related to the development of Minimum Retroreflectivity (MR) levels for overhead guide signs and street-name signs. The research included a literature review of the pertinent studies and available photometric models. This review initiated the development of an analytical model to develop MR for overhead guide signs and street-name signs. Using the findings from the literature review and a state-of-the-practice survey, an initial set of MR levels was developed. Once the minimum luminance values were determined, the analytical model was used to develop a set of recommendations. (FHWA Report FHWA-RD-03-082, December 2003, 118 p.)

Effective Pavement Marking Practices for Sealcoat and Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements
This report describes the tasks of research conducted to identify effective pavement marking practices for sealcoat and hot-mix asphalt (HMAC) pavements in Texas. The researchers reviewed literature, determined current Texas Department of Transportation (Tx DOT) and alternative pavement marking practices, and evaluated various pavement marking treatments in the field. The researchers identified few short comings related to pavement marking practices on HMAC pavement surfaces. However, for sealcoat pavement surfaces, numerous opportunities for improving pavement marking quality were identified. (Texas Transportation Institute Report 0-4150-4, August 2003, 106 p.)

Signal Technician's Installation and Maintenance Manual for Advance Warning of End-of-Green (AWEGS) Phase at High Speed Traffic Signals
This report describes the research conducted within a two-year study that developed an effective advance warning for end-of-green phase at high-speed traffic signals in Texas. High-speed signals are defined as having approach speeds of 45 mph or more. Installation and maintenance procedures for efficient operation of AWEGS are also described. Deployments at two locations showed a reduction in average red-light running per day of approximately 40-45 percent. (Texas Transportation Institute Report 0-4260-3, December 2003)

 

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Pavements

Evaluation and Analysis of Highway Pavement Drainage
This report presents an analysis of pavement drainage using various finite element models. The analysis included a range of pavement materials and drainage parameters. Finite element models in this study covered various drainage practices and quantified their relative drainage advantages. Finally, recommendations were provided for optimum drainage practices as well as future research topics in this area. (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet report KTC-03-032/SPR207-00-1F, October 2003, 40 p.)

Moisture Sensitivity of Asphalt Pavements
TRB's report, Moisture Sensitivity of Asphalt Pavements, documents the work accomplished during the national seminar held in San Diego, California, on February 4-6, 2003. The proceedings identify best practices, gaps in knowledge, and research needs on moisture damage in asphalt pavements. (TRB National Seminar, 2003, 341 p.)

Colorado DoT Tire/Pavement Noise Study
With respect to traffic, noise would be the generation of sounds that affect the quality of life for persons near roadways. Therefore, traffic noise can be considered an environmental pollution because it lowers the standard of living. Research in Europe and in the United States has indicated that it is possible to build pavement surfaces that will reduce the level of noise generated on roadways. This report provides the results of testing to define the noise levels of selected highway sections in Colorado. It documents pavement noise testing that was conducted on 18 concrete and asphalt projects throughout Colorado. (Colorado DoT Report CDOT-DTD-R-2004-5, April 2004, 31 p.)

Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers
Coal fly ash is a coal combustion product that has numerous applications in highway construction. Since the first edition of "Fly Ash Facts for Highway Engineers" in 1986, the use of fly ash in highway construction has increased and new applications have been developed. This document provides basic technical information about the various uses of fly ash in highway construction. (FHWA Report, June 2003, 76 p.)

 

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Safety

Summary Report: Evaluation of Lane Reduction "Road Diet" Measures and Their Effects on Crashes and Injuries
Road diets are often conversions of four-lane undivided roads into three lanes (two through lanes and a center turn lane) with the extra lane converted to sidewalks, bicycle lanes, or on-street parking. This study examined 30 road diet sites and 50 comparison sites to find what benefits were obtained. (Highway Safety Information System Report, 2004, 6 p.)

Safety Evaluation of Permanent Raised Pavement Markers
This report presents the findings of a research project to evaluate the safety performance of snowplowable permanent raised pavement markers (PRPMs) on two-lane roadways and four-lane freeways. An analytical engineering procedure relying on safety performance functions or crash prediction models for roadways with and without PRPMs was developed to determine the potential cost-effectiveness of implementing PRPMs at a location. (NCHRP Report 518, 2004, 71 p.)

Effect of Geometric Design Consistency on Road Safety
Geometric design consistency is emerging as an important rule in highway design. Identifying and treating any inconsistency on a highway can significantly improve its safety performance. Considerable research has been undertaken to explore this concept including identifying potential consistency measures and developing models to estimate them. However, little work has been carried out to quantify the safety benefits of geometric design consistency. The objectives of this study are to investigate and quantify the relationship between design consistency and road safety. (Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, April 2004, pp. 218-227.)

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