Every Day Counts Initiative; Request for Information |
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Victor M. Mendez
Federal Highway Administration
January 8, 2014
[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 1422-1425]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00079]
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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
Federal Highway Administration
Every Day Counts Initiative; Request for Information
AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.
ACTION: Notice.
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SUMMARY: This notice is a Request for Information (RFI) and comments
will be used to help FHWA identify innovative, market-ready
technologies that may be considered under the Every Day Counts (EDC)
initiative.
DATES: Responses to this RFI should be submitted by February 15, 2014.
The FHWA will consider late-filed responses to the extent practicable.
ADDRESSES: Submit responses by electronic mail to
everydaycounts@dot.gov or through https://www.fbo.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For questions about the program
discussed herein, contact Julie Zirlin, FHWA Office of Accelerating
Innovation (202) 366-9105, Julie.Zirlin@dot.gov. Additional information
about the EDC initiative is at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose of the Notice
The FHWA requests information from all sources regarding
innovations that have the potential to transform the way we do business
by shortening project delivery time, enhancing the safety of our
roadways, and protecting the environment. The purpose of this RFI is to
obtain information from State, local, and industry partners and the
public regarding proven processes or technologies that have the
potential to provide efficiencies in the transportation system. This
RFI is issued under the FHWA Every Day Counts Initiative.
RFI Guidelines
This is not a solicitation for proposals, applications, proposal
abstracts, or quotations. The purpose of this RFI notice is to conduct
market research to identify proven innovations. This RFI must not be
construed as a commitment by the Government to make an award, nor does
the Government intend to directly or indirectly pay for any information
or responses submitted as a result of this RFI. Responses to this
notice are not offers and cannot be accepted by the Government to form
a binding contract or issue a grant. Information obtained as a result
of this RFI may be used by the Government for program planning on a
non-attribution basis. Respondents should not include any information
that might be considered proprietary or confidential.
Background
The FHWA has long been a leader in innovation deployment. The FHWA
Administrator Victor Mendez advocates deploying innovation to: (1)
Shorten project delivery time, (2) accelerate the use of new
technologies to make Government more efficient, and (3) construct
highways faster, safer, and to a higher quality. To that end, in 2010,
FHWA launched EDC--a broad initiative aimed at shortening project
delivery and speeding the deployment of proven, underutilized
technologies. The EDC initiative has had a significant impact on the
transportation system.
The FHWA believes that the EDC initiative is a foundational part of
making innovation a cornerstone of our business and that we can
identify rapidly deployable innovations to achieve the goal of better,
faster, and smarter project delivery. Society and the highway industry
face an unprecedented list of challenges. The public wants greater
accountability in how its money is spent. Users and industry want to
find ways to make roads safer. We want to preserve the environment for
future generations.
EDC 1 and EDC 2 Technologies
The EDC initiative focuses on two pillars for innovation:
Accelerating Technology: Technologies and solutions to
improve safety, reduce congestion, produce longer-lasting
infrastructure, and keep America moving and competitive in the world
market.
Shortening Project Delivery: Innovative practices and
methods that increase our ability to deliver timely transportation
projects to the public.
The EDC initiative is designed to focus on a finite set of
innovations. Teams consisting of FHWA, State, local, and industry
partners and State Transportation Innovation Councils work to deploy
the innovations and develop performance measures to gauge their
success. The following innovations were promoted in the first two
rounds of EDC:
[[Page 1423]]
3D Engineered Models for Construction
Accelerated Bridge Construction
Adaptive Signal Control Technology
Alternative Technical Concepts
Clarifying the Scope of Preliminary Design
Construction Manager/General Contractor
Design Build
Enhanced Technical Assistance with ongoing Environmental
Impact Statements (EISs)
Flexibilities in Rights-of-Way (ROW)
Flexibilities in Utility Accommodation and Relocation
Geospatial Data Collection
Geosynthetic Reinforced Soil-Integrated Bridge System
High Friction Surface Treatments
Implementing Quality Environmental Documentation
Intelligent Compaction
Intersection and Interchange Geometrics
Legal Sufficiency Enhancements
Locally Administered Federal-Aid Projects
Planning and Environmental Linkages
Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems
Programmatic Agreements
Safety EdgeSM
SHRP2 Traffic Incident Management Responder Training
Use of In-Lieu Fee and Mitigation Banking
Warm Mix Asphalt
Details of these innovations can be found at http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/everydaycounts/.
Invitation for Comment
The FHWA invites all sources to respond to this RFI. The FHWA seeks
suggestions on innovative, market-ready technologies that meet the
criteria described below and may be considered for EDC3. In addition,
FHWA seeks comments on user experiences with ten specific high-value
innovations that may be considered for accelerated deployment under
EDC3. These innovations are described below under ``Innovations of
Interest.''
Respondents should not submit unique, proprietary, or patented
products. The FHWA will only review suggestions of broad categories of
innovations.
Responses should provide the following information for each
innovation and should not exceed 10 pages for each innovation. There is
no limit to the number of innovations that may be recommended.
1. Organization name.
2. Point(s) of contact, email address, and telephone number.
3. Brief description of a proven process or innovation and how it
meets the following four criteria:
National Impact: Potential to benefit the transportation
system nationally.
Readiness: Whether the innovation is ready to be deployed
nationally.
``Game Changing'': How the innovation is transformative in
saving time, money or quality.
Urgency and Scale: Potential to shorten project delivery
and positively impact the environment, safety, congestion, freight
movement, construction techniques, contracting methods, project costs,
maintenance, preservation, or emergency response.
4. Location and date when the innovation was successfully applied
in a transportation application and a description of the quantifiable
performance benefits of the innovation in those applications.
5. List of supporting specifications, guidelines, and/or procedures
are available to support successful national deployment.
6. List of agencies that are the champions of this innovation.
Innovations of Interest
1. Accelerated Deployment of Traffic Incident Management Performance
Measurement Data Collection Using Available Low-Cost, Web-Based
Technology
While the Fiscal Year 2013 Traffic Incident Management (TIM) Self-
Assessment (SA) effort reflected a positive overall jump in the
national SA score, the TIM SA report pointed to a problem that has the
potential to impact further advances in this national indicator and
threaten individual TIM program institutionalization efforts. The
scores on Performance Management--especially collection time of lane
closure, time responders remain at the incident scene, and the number
of secondary crashes--have declined. The TIM program professionals and
associations identify the inability to establish a systematic
collection of performance metrics to be a significant inhibitor to the
ability to institutionalize TIM. There is a need to help jurisdictions
establish an integrated, multidisciplinary and ongoing TIM Performance
Management program in order to institutionalize programs and measure
results.
Many TIM partners may not realize that the tools to help collect
and transmit performance data exist and make the task immediate and
uncomplicated. For example, smartphone technology and systems such as
the Traffic and Criminal Software (TraCS), funded by DOT and maintained
by the Iowa DOT, make data collection easy to capture. Mobile computing
devices, like tablets and smartphones, loaded with Web-based, secure
software like TraCS can also be used in the field and make data
collection easy for the responder with instantaneous transmission and
automated analysis.
2. Road Project Coordination To Reduce Impacts and Costs
Some States, cities, and regions recognized benefits from
coordinating projects between transportation agencies, utilities, and
other agencies that need to do construction in the public ROW. These
benefits include cost savings, earlier identification of project
impacts, greater ability to reduce and manage traffic disruptions from
road work, better quality road surfaces, and reduced exposure for
workers. Better coordination of projects can be a ``win-win'' for
public agencies, road users, and citizens by reducing the need for
additional work zones. For example:
San Francisco, California, reduced street cuts by 27
percent by coordinating ROW projects.
Oregon corridor-level transportation management plans
ensure that at least one major north-south corridor and one major east-
west corridor are left unrestricted for freight and passenger travel at
all times.
Covington, Kentucky, reduced traffic disruptions and saved
nearly $18,000 over several months by coordinating planned paving with
water main replacement.
Project coordination can be accomplished using different methods
and scopes. Coordination may be done within a single urban area, across
a corridor, for a whole State, or across a region that includes
neighboring States. Using a combination of methods is the most
effective way to get the best results. Coordination methods include:
Collaboration--Establishing a formal organization that
spearheads coordination across a geographic area and having
coordination meetings to discuss the next season's projects or upcoming
lane closures.
Policy--Creating incentives or disincentives, such as
penalties for working without a permit, higher permitting fees, and
strict restoration requirements for disturbing recently repaved or
reconstructed streets.
Technology--Using software, such as online project mapping
tools, to organize and share data entered by multiple agencies so that
schedules can be coordinated.
[[Page 1424]]
Performance management--Jointly establishing performance
goals for a corridor and working together to monitor and meet them.
One key new tool that will enhance the ability to coordinate
projects is the Workzone Impact and Strategy Estimator software, a
product of Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP2) project R11.
The tool will help reduce disruption to the transportation network by
assisting agencies sequencing and phasing of road projects both during
the programming of projects and later during more detailed project
planning and design.
3. Traffic Signal Automated Performance Measures
Poor traffic signal performance contributes to 5-10 percent of all
traffic delay on the National Highway System (NHS), which contains a
fraction of the estimated 311,000 traffic signals in the U.S., valued
at $82.7 billion. Best practices for traffic signal operation suggest
retiming signals every 3-5 years with ongoing performance monitoring.
Several surveys identify phone calls or ``complaints'' as the primary
performance measure for traffic signal operations and maintenance. The
2012 Traffic Signal Report Card assigned a grade of ``F'' nationally to
agency monitoring and performance measurement practices. The lack of
performance measurement adversely effects safety and wastes the time
and money of both operating agencies and the traveling public by
reducing quality and efficiency.
Traffic Signal Automated Performance Measures allow agencies to
maximize the effectiveness of signal systems and improve the management
of traffic signal assets by proactively monitoring performance and
making low cost modifications to the detection, communications, and
control systems of intersections.
Monitoring and evaluation of traffic signal systems is critical to
improving safety and efficiency. The measures that are currently
available enable the effectiveness of signal progression along a given
corridor to be monitored using six metrics: Delay, Speed, Approach
Volumes, the Purdue Phase Termination Chart, Split Monitor, and Turning
Movement Volume Counts. Other measures will be incorporated in the near
future.
Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT), included in EDC1,
provided the ability to monitor and improve traffic signal performance.
Implementing performance measurement before installing ASCT reduces the
risks and improves the likelihood of successful implementation. But
Traffic Signal Automated Performance Measures would be applicable to
all signalized intersections, not just the most challenging locations
that are difficult to operate with traditional approaches, where ASCT
is typically implemented.
4. Intelligent Transportation Systems for Work Zones
Travel through and around work zones can be frustrating and
hazardous to the traveling public and highway workers. Unexpected
congestion can have serious consequences for road users. Delays can
significantly affect freight shipments and other types of travel.
Serious crashes happen at congested approaches to work zones, often
resulting in catastrophic loss of life. There have been several recent
catastrophic crashes involving commercial vehicles where the commercial
vehicle operator did not react soon enough and rear ended stopped
vehicles at the end of a queue caused by a work zone, or conversely,
where passenger vehicles rear ended a stopped commercial vehicle.
Several Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) have been
developed in the last few years to address safety and mobility issues
that often occur in work zones. Systems are available to do the
following: determine travel time through the work zone and advise the
public of travel conditions in real time; alert vehicles to a slow
moving or stopped queue of vehicles so they can be prepared to stop
safely (especially beneficial for commercial motor vehicles); adjust
speed limits or merging in response to current traffic conditions; and
provide early detection of incidents, reducing the likelihood of
secondary crashes.
Several deployments of the various systems demonstrate that they
provide both safety and operational benefits. The technologies have
advanced to a point where they are accurate and the results are
dependable. Options are available that allow systems to be scaled to
the project and to make use of permanent ITS when available.
5. E-NEPA
From EDC to the recent Presidential Memorandum Speeding
Infrastructure Development through more Efficient and Effective
Permitting and Environmental Review to the Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21st Century Act, shortening the time for the National
Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) project approval has been a
consistent focus of FHWA. Interagency collaboration is a critical part
of this process and a necessity for timely environmental reviews and
approval of surface transportation projects. By improving the ability
for concurrent agency reviews during the environmental review process,
issues can be more quickly and clearly raised and dealt with in real
time and in a transparent manner, building trust and consensus amongst
the different parties. By enabling multiple agencies to interact and
collaborate on an ongoing basis, especially with agreed-upon review
timeframes, the product and outcome of NEPA review processes can be
improved and delivered in a shorter time period, significantly
accelerating project delivery.
The e-NEPA, a real-time electronic collaboration tool, provides an
online workspace and collaboration forum for EIS and environmental
assessment projects. It will reduce administrative workloads required
to collaborate, maintain records, and create an administrative record.
In addition, e-NEPA will allow State DOTs to share documents, track
comments, schedule tasks with participating agencies and perform
concurrent reviews for their EIS and EA projects.
6. Strategies for Improving DOT and Railroad Coordination (SHRP2 R16)
Each year construction of hundreds of public agency highway
projects cross over, under, or parallel to railroad ROWs, requiring
extended coordination between these public agencies and railroads.
Although most go smoothly, delays in development or construction do
occur. Railroads must carefully evaluate public transportation agency
projects in terms of safety, engineering, and operational impacts both
during construction and for decades later. For public agencies, delays
while waiting on railroad reviews and agreements can increase project
costs and extend renewal needs for users.
The collection of model agreements, sample contracts, training
materials, and standardized best practices developed through SHRP2 will
allow public agencies and railroads to identify and circumvent sources
of conflict. The tools reflect research that takes into account the
perspectives, processes, budgets and funding, and acknowledged best
practices of both railroads and public agencies. The report, Strategies
for Improving the Project Agreement Process Between Highway Agencies
and Railroads, outlines recommended practices and offers eight
different model documents to expedite negotiations.
With railroad volumes projected to continue to grow, pressures for
more project coordination activity will
[[Page 1425]]
continue to increase. Cementing mutual understanding and streamlining
the process involved will save money and time for both railroads and
public agencies. In turn, road users will see the positive results of
more rapid highway renewal on facilities and budget. The model
agreements also lay out standardized construction and operational
needs, thereby enhancing safety for workers and reducing delays for
users.
7. Electronic Project Document Management Tools (e-construction)
The administration of a project through the design and construction
process requires significant communications and documentation of
events. This has traditionally required writing and mailing letters
through a Post Office or an internal mail system, keeping project
journals, maintaining large file cabinets and file rooms, using
physical signatures on paper, and taking notes at in-person meetings.
With the advent of enhanced electronic project management tools,
different modes of meeting, communicating, and assuring a secure
version approval process, we are now accelerating the decisionmaking
process. Some additional benefits noted by State DOTs using this
technology are improved communications and partnering, decreased cost
of printing and mailing services, opportunity to perform parallel work
activities.
8. Geotechnical Solutions for Soil Improvement, Rapid Embankment
Construction and Stabilization of the Pavement Working Platform (SHRP2
R02)
The Geotechnical Solutions are a Technology Catalog with detailed
information on 46 geoconstruction and ground improvement techniques. In
addition, the product contains a Technology Selection system to aid in
identifying potential technologies for ground modification based on
user-defined project conditions. The geotechnical solutions are on a
Web site developed as part of the research under the SHRP2 R02 project.
The scope was aimed at identifying design and construction solutions
for risk elements that may be encountered in project delivery related
to: (a) Construction of new embankments and roadways over unstable
soils, (b) widening and expansion of existing roadways and embankments
and (c) stabilization of geotechnical pavement components and of
working platforms. The R02 research team is deploying the product
world-wide by promoting it to subject matter experts. Deployment
efforts have been targeted at experienced users of the geotechnologies.
While the technologies are mature, the Web sites' technology selection
system and technology catalog provide a significant resource for
critically important information that assists in the design and
construction of ground improvement techniques.
9. Ultra High Performance Concrete for Advanced Connection Technology
for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems
Ultra-High Performance Concrete (UHPC) has proven to be a
technology that can facilitate simplified, effective-use prefabricated
bridge elements and systems (PBES). The proliferation of PBES concepts
over the past 4 years has led to recognition among owners and
specifiers that robust connection systems are a key part of any
successful bridge construction project. The UHPC is a steel fiber
reinforced cementitious composite possessing exceptionally high
mechanical strengths and durability properties. Field casting of UHPC
into the interstitial spaces between prefabricate components engages a
strong connection concept, freeing the owner from concerns regarding
the short- and long-term performance of the connection. Research and
development on this topic over the past 5 years addressed specific
connection concepts that are most relevant to the highway bridge
community.
10. Road Diet (Roadway Configuration)
The classic roadway reconfiguration, commonly referred to as a
``road diet,'' involves converting an undivided four-lane roadway into
three lanes, made up of two through lanes and a center two-way left-
turn lane. The reduction of lanes allows the roadway to be reallocated
for other uses such as bike lanes, pedestrian crossing islands and
parking. Road diets have multiple safety and operational benefits for
drivers as well as nonmotorists. Midblock locations can benefit from
road diets because they tend to experience higher travel speeds,
contributing to increased injury and fatality rates. More than 80
percent of pedestrians hit by vehicles traveling at 40 mph or faster
die, while less than 10 percent die when hit by a vehicle traveling 20
mph or less. When appropriately applied, road diets generated benefits
to users of all modes of transportation, including bicyclists,
pedestrians and motorists. The resulting benefits include reduced
vehicle speeds, improved mobility and access, reduced collisions and
injuries and improved livability and quality of life. When modified
from four travel lanes to two travel lanes with a two-way left-turn
lane, roadways experienced a 29 percent reduction in all roadway
crashes. The benefits to pedestrians include reduced crossing distance
and fewer midblock crossing locations, which account for more than 70
percent of pedestrian fatalities.
Road diets can be low cost if planned in conjunction with
reconstruction or simple overlay projects, since a road diet mostly
consists of restriping. The reduction of lanes allows the roadway to be
reallocated for other uses such as bike lanes, pedestrian crossing
islands, and parking. Road diets have multiple safety and operational
benefits for vehicles as well as pedestrians, such as:
Decreasing vehicle travel lanes for pedestrians to cross,
therefore, reducing the multiple-threat crash for pedestrians (when one
vehicle stops for a pedestrian in a travel lane on a multilane road,
but the motorist in the next lane does not, resulting in a crash),
Providing room for a pedestrian crossing island,
Improving safety for bicyclists when bike lanes are added
(such lanes also create a buffer space between pedestrians and
vehicles),
Providing the opportunity for on-street parking (also a
buffer between pedestrians and vehicles),
Reducing rear-end and side-swipe crashes, and
Improving speed limit compliance and decreasing crash
severity when crashes do occur.
Issued on: December 27, 2013.
Victor M. Mendez,
FHWA Administrator.
[FR Doc. 2014-00079 Filed 1-7-14; 8:45 am]
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