On the Move Quarterly NewsletterOn the Move Quarterly NewsletterOn March 11, 2002, Governor Michael O. Leavitt acknowledged the success of transportation during the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games in a meeting at the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) headquarters in Salt Lake City.
"Thanks to the dedicated service of thousands of UDOT employees, transportation was a non-issue," said Leavitt. "As a consequence, spectators enjoyed Olympic competitions and Utah was branded as a state that can competently host a world class event."
In addition, the work of the Utah Transit Authority in providing mass transportation to Olympic venues and around the Salt Lake Valley, as well as the wisdom of the traveling public to listen and abide by the transportation guidelines provided prior to and during the games, worked together to make transportation such a "non-issue."
IOC members have indicated that in Atlanta's Summer games of 1996, transportation problems were highly visible and felt by all. IOC members and Olympic visitors alike, left the Salt Lake Winter Games with a much different and far more positive impression!
For more than a year prior to the games, more than 2,000 UDOT employees and contractors worked to plan and prepare. That planning and preparation made the system a success--from parking services to snow removal and traffic control to traffic management.
"We are pleased that the governor has taken the time to show his appreciation for the successful planning and execution of Olympic transportation plans," said UDOT Executive Director John Njord.
UDOT partnered with the Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC) on transportation plans for the Games, including a comprehensive "Travel Demand Management" program, aimed at informing Utah residents about traffic during the Games and encouraging travel alternatives including public transit, telecommuting and alternate work schedules.
The goal of the campaign was to reduce normal, everyday traffic by 20 percent to facilitate the thousands of extra people traveling in Utah during the Games.
"Thanks to the outstanding cooperation of Utah residents, traffic in downtown Salt Lake City surpassed expectations and dropped 30 to 40 percent," Njord said. "Other traffic hot spots in places like West Valley and Davis County experienced 20 to 30 percent reductions in normal traffic during peak travel times. In fact, we identified a one- to two-hour shift in the peak rush hour as a result of alternate work schedules."
Statistics gathered by UDOT also show that Utahns took the time to learn about the Olympic transportation system. The utahcommuterlink.com website, the primary communication tool for Olympic travel information, logged a substantial increase in visitors during the Games.
In February 2001 the site averaged 1.5 million hits per month and visitors averaged five minutes on the site. In the first two weeks of February 2002, the site experienced 57 million hits and the average visitor stayed on the site for 35 minutes. For the entire month of February, the site logged 74 million hits.
During the Games, in partnership with SLOC and the Utah Transit Authority, UDOT provided the leadership and funding for the delivery of 355,000 people to downtown Salt Lake City via the Olympic shuttle system and 340,000 by TRAX light rail.
UDOT also ensured that more than 850,000 Olympic ticket holders and 100,000 people
participating in non-Olympic festivities arrived to mountain venues or towns via roadways and
shuttles.
UDOT also provided the leadership, facilities and funding for a total of 1,100 buses for the Olympic shuttle system. This fleet was comparable in size to a transit system for a city the size of Chicago.
UDOT also increased the number of Incident Management Team (IMT) crews from 13 to 23 during the Games and added 40 service patrol personnel, consisting of UDOT staff reassigned from their normal duties and volunteers from Illinois, Washington, Tennessee and Wyoming.
Between the IMT and courtesy patrol teams, more than 1,450 motorists received assistance during the Games ranging from jumpstarts to tire changes. The average time to clear an accident decreased 40 percent during the Games from 115 minutes to 70 minutes, resulting in less congestion for motorists.
UDOT's cooperation with the trucking industry also led to a significant drop in interstate truck traffic during the Games, minimizing congestion on major Olympic travel routes.
Statistics gathered during the Games by ports of entry within and surrounding Utah revealed the following:
From a letter to UTA employees from John Inglish, General Manager of UTA, we learn more of the dedication, devotion and valuable contributions of the mass transit part of the transportation team!
"Few people realize the extraordinary efforts that were required to move so many people on public transportation in 21 days. I personally witnessed the dedication and commitment of hundreds of UTA employees who volunteered their time at park-and-ride lots, TRAX stations and bus stops. What I saw went far beyond the call of duty: A woman from our disabled services department directing traffic when buses couldn't get through. A UTA transit safety officer literally pulling two teenagers out of the path of a TRAX train. A crew working feverishly to repair a TRAX power line that had been down for several hours, finishing only seconds before three major events let out. The Herculean effort of cleaning and maintaining 700 extra buses and 29 additional light rail cars every night. Our call centers handling as many as 9,000 calls a day when they were set up to take only two or three thousand. I saw UTA employees and SLOC volunteers working in seven-degree weather, not just doing their jobs, but doing whatever was needed to make the system work.
Many others labored behind the scenes, doubling up and accepting additional responsibilities to keep UTA operating throughout the Olympic period. Equally impressive were our drivers and more than 1,000 operators, who came from 47 different states across our nation. They worked long shifts on unfamiliar streets, safely and cheerfully, with only two minor fender-benders during the entire 21-day period."
Here are some figures that are not final but give an approximation of ridership for different days during the Olympics. Just to give you a little background. TRAX N/S line typically carries about 19,000 riders each day. The University Line carries about 3,000-4,000. The following numbers include both lines.
All in all a great experience!
Excerpt from NACE UPDATE (March 14, 2002 - Volume 02 Number 6)
Legislation was introduced on February 7, 2002 aimed at replacing some of the $8.7 billion state transportation departments stand to lose as a result of a negative revenue aligned budget authority (RABA). House H. R. 3694, the Highway Funding Restoration Act with (identical bill S. 1917 in the Senate) works to restore funding to the TEA-21 authorized levels. If enacted the legislation would reinstate a minimum of $4.4 billion to the HTF in 2003. Both bills have broad bipartisan support.
In addition, House Appropriations leaders have introduced an alternative proposal (H. R. 3900) to address the RABA cuts. Attracting 50 sponsors to date, the bill directs the RABA reduction in FY 2003, as proposed in the administration's budget, "shall have no force or effect." AASHTO President, Brad Mallory, Secretary of the Pennsylvania DOT stated "With a groundswell of support like this, backers of highway funding restoration should not accept half a loaf" by settling for only $4.4 billion in funding restoration. "With the nation's economy just turning the corner, and states looking at continuing economic challenges, splitting the difference means walking away from a powerful economic boost."
In addition, NACo, NLC, NACE, APWA, AMPO, NARC, and NADO have joined the call for support of the Highway Funding Restoration Acts introduced in each chamber of Congress.
We
are pleased to welcome Mr. Charles Luedders as the Pavement/Materials Engineer
for the FHWA Western Resource Center. Mr. Luedders comes to the job with a Bachelor's
degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Nebraska. His area of expertise
is bituminous and concrete mixture design, troubleshooting of pavement problems,
SuperPave design methods and highway construction materials.
His professional experience includes: over 24 years of experience in highway engineering with the Kansas Department of Transportation; 17 years with field construction duties troubleshooting pavement materials problems. His focus has been on promoting quality mixture designs and placement of pavements.
He is an active member of the FHWA Recycling Materials Team. This team attempts to pass on technological advances in the use of various waste products in the Highway Industry. The emphasis this year is to increase the use of waste concrete pavement (an issue of particular interest to cost-conscious local governments).
He enjoyed the chance to organize and host the first open house for the construction of the SHRP SPS-2 concrete test sections on I-70 in Kansas. He most recently served as the district engineer for the South Central Kansas KDOT.
In his current position he serves as a Materials Expert in the Highway Pavement and Materials area. The duties of this position include assisting the FHWA Divisions and the State DOT's with troubleshooting problems in design and construction of Highway Projects. Here his expertise with concrete rehabilitation, Superpave mixture design, QC/QA, etc. come into play.
In addition, he will be receiving training as an NHI Instructor and will be available to teach various NHI courses in the concrete and asphalt paving areas. This includes providing training with the HIPERPAV concrete system. He also serves on teams with the Smoothness Expert Task Group to enhance pavement smoothness throughout the country.
You can reach Mr. Luedders at: Charles G. Luedders, Pavement/Materials Engineer, 555 Zang Street, Room 401, Lakewood, Colorado 80228, Phone: 303-716-2274, Fax: 303-969-6727, or E-mail: [CHARLES.LUEDDERS@fhwa.dot.gov].
With the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games recently completed, we wanted to give special recognize to the more than 30,000 volunteers and security personnel who were such a big part of making the entire Olympic experience a success for the athletes, spectators and visitors.
Some of our readers, no doubt, were part of this huge volunteer effort. Your service did not go unnoticed! Without the dedication and willingness to serve by these volunteers and security personnel, the outcome may have been very different for all involved. We are grateful for the careful planning and preparation made to ensure the success, and to all those who fulfilled their duties in such a kind and courteous manner.
The State of Utah will be forever remembered as the home of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and that memory will be a positive one for all who came and participated in the amazing 17 days of the Games! THANK YOU!!!
Our thanks to these important partners for sharing this information and working with us in our efforts to serve the local agencies of Utah.
The long awaited 2002 APWA Manual of Standard Plans & Specifications is now available to purchase. The cost is $55 for a set, plus $10 shipping.
To order, please contact the Utah T² Center:
We'll need your name, agency, mailing address, and phone to process your order. Check, money order, or agency POs are welcome.
The April Heavy Equipment Operation Training classes are already full, but we have started a waiting list for the next available class. We currently plan to offer additional courses in the fall, however a late spring course offering is also possible.
To review, Section I (classroom and in-the-field work) is held the first three days of the scheduled course. This section is open to all interested persons. It will cover OSHA, trenching, equipment, job site safety, basic equipment maintenance, and equipment pre-shift and post-shift (walk around) inspections.
Section 2, "techniques of equipment operation" (further intensive and one-on-one, in-the-field work), is offered for the final two days of the course. Registration for this section is limited and by invitation/eligibility only. This helps us to assure that all participants get the one-on-one instruction needed to become fully proficient on the equipment. Those taking Section 2 must have successfully completed Section 1 training or have permission from the instructor to register.
The cost is $60 for Section 1 and $200 for Section 2. For more information, please call Dee or Keri at 1-800-822-8878 or (435) 797-2931 or go to the Utah T² Web Site at [www.utaht2.usu.edu].
10-12 UAC Management Conference (Park City)
11-12 ULC&T Mid Year Convention (St. George)
24-26 ULC&T Road School (St. George)
30 Work Zone Traffic Control (Ogden)
8 Hot Mix Asphalt Construction (Salt Lake City)
9-10 UAC Personnel Conference (St. George)
17-18 ITE Intermountain Section Annual Meeting (Jackson, Wyoming)
19-25 National Public Works Week
Think Spring! Feeling a little down now that the big party is over? Cheer up! Spring is on its way and we will celebrate with our own "spring thing" at the Dixie Center in St. George. Plan now to attend the annual Mid-Year Convention (April 11-12, 2002) and/or Road School (April 24-26, 2002). It may not be the Olympics but we promise shorter lines, less traffic, and for better or worse, we will all be speaking "Utahn." Registration packets will be in the mail soon. In the meantime, the following hotels are holding rooms for both of these events. When making your reservations, please indicate that you are part of the Utah League of Cities & Towns.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to call the League staff at (801) 328-1601 or 1-800-852-8528.
In conjunction with several partners, the Utah T² Center is working to bring this important railroad grade crossing conference to Utah.
Below is an outline of the topics to be covered on the agenda for the conference, as well as further details on how you can participate!
Conference participants will have the chance to learn more about what the Federal government is doing in the areas of funding, economics, and regulations. The UDOT/UTA perspective will also be covered, with discussion about traffic and safety (accidents), utilities and railroads (communication), and risk management (litigation).
The Union Pacific/Operation Lifesaver perspective will include local viewpoints and an overview of the Operation Lifesaver program.
After lunch, participants will enjoy three rounds of 50 minute breakout sessions. Some of the topic areas to be covered include engineering, enforcement, and education issues, etc.
The cost for the conference is $75 and includes all meals and materials. Agencies will be invoiced upon registration received. POs and credit cards are welcome. You can register using any of the following methods:
In a time when funding has to be stretched to the limit, two counties in the State of Utah have found a way to get the most out of their maintenance budgets. County Road Supervisor Gordon "Joe" Kirby of Cache County and Kenneth Canfield of Washington County have effectively used multiple chip seals to improve and upgrade numerous county roads.
The following is a brief outline of the "Multiple Chip Seal" road procedures used by each of these Supervisors.
They will grade the roadway to the proper cross section. This is done in the Fall of the year before it is to be chip and sealed. This allows the road to settle out over the winter and the crew to take any corrective actions in the Spring.
The road is compacted and wet down before it is chip and sealed. This damp surface condition keeps the asphalt from fish eyeing and allows the asphalt to penetrate into the gravel base.
The first application of asphalt is 0.55 gal. per square yard of MC-3000 cut back asphalt. A ¾" to 1" chip is than placed at a rate of 20 lb. per square yard.
It is then rolled and left to cure for 10-30 days. At the end of the curing period the second application is added.
The second application of asphalt is 0.45 gallons per square yard using CRS-2A asphalt. A ½" chip is than placed at a rate of 20 lb. per square yard.
Rolling is performed throughout the operation to make sure the chips are well seated into the first asphalt application.
The next year a third application of asphalt is added at a rate of 0.42 gallons per square yard using CRS-2A asphalt. A 3/8" chip is placed at a rate of 20 lb. per square yard. This application will improve the ride ability of the surface.
Rolling is again performed throughout the operation. Heavy traffic and warm weather will always improve the project. Chip application rates may vary with different roadway conditions and asphalt amounts. In Joe's experience this type of roadway can be constructed for about $15,000-$20,000 per lane mile.
You can contact Joe for more information at the following address: Gordon "Joe" Kirby, Road Superintendent, Cache County Road Department, 120 North 100 West, Logan, Utah 84321 or at the Cache County Shop at 525 North 1000 West , Logan, Utah 84321, (435) 716-8340.
They begin by blading the roadway to the proper cross section. Then they wet down and compact it to a uniform smooth surface. The first application of asphalt is 0.45 gallons per square yard of MC-3000 cut back asphalt. A ¾" washed aggregate chip is placed at a rate of 280-300 tons per mile, 28' wide.
The second application of asphalt is 0.40 gallons per square yard of MC-3000 cut back asphalt. A ¾" washed aggregate chip is placed at a rate of 280-300 ton per mile, 28' wide (the chip amount may need to be cut back if the road conditions warrant).
The third and fourth applications of asphalt are 0.40 gallons per square yard of MC-3000 cut back asphalt. A ½" washed aggregate chip is placed at a rate of 100-150 tons per mile, 28' wide.
All four applications are made within the same time frame. Compaction runs are continually through out the operation as well as for two hours after the chip and seal procedures have been completed. Compaction can continue into the next day if conditions warrant.
You can contact Ken for more information by mail at: Kenneth Canfield, Washington County Road Department, 197 E. Tabernacle, St. George, Utah 84770, (435) 680-5736 or at the Washington County Shop at 500 Skyline Drive, St. George, Utah 84770. Please note that in June of 2002 Ken and the Washington County Road Department will be moving to 350 South 5350 West, Hurricane, Utah 84737.
Both supervisors were pleased with the MC-3000 ability to heal cracks in warm weather and to move and adjust to different weather conditions. They also indicated that the chip amount may have to vary according to the asphalt and road conditions. The chip needs to be applied at a rate where the black asphalt is visible through the chip, if the amount is too light the chip will start to pick up on the tires of traveling vehicles; if it's too heavy there will be a large amount of loose aggregate on the roadway which increases cleanup and the chance of windshield damage to vehicles.
The FHWA is seeking comments regarding improvements that can be made to its regulation on Traffic Safety in Highway and Street Work Zones to better address work zone mobility and safety concerns.
The FHWA has identified goals for maximizing the availability of roadways during construction and maintenance, while minimizing impacts on road users and highway workers, and would like to ascertain whether the current provisions in the regulation are adequate to address the unique mobility and safety challenges posed by work zones.
Therefore, the FHWA is soliciting input to identify the key issues that should be considered if the regulation were to be updated.
Based on a federally funded survey, 32% of travelers are dissatisfied with work zones. In this survey travelers rated highway improvements that would most help overcome delays. Work zone related issues obtaining a "Great Help" rating included the following:
Nationally the number of work zones and the disruption they create is increasing. This is due in part to a decrease in the number of new roads being built and an increase in reconstruction of existing roadways.
The result is a growth in congestion and the number of crashes. A graph of work zone related fatalities shows a steady increase in the years 1998-2000.
Currently, the federal regulation has a broad purpose and narrowly focused language. Should it be broader to better address today's concerns? The FHWA wants to:
The following topic areas are covered in the ANPRM with a series of 20 questions asked to gather your input:
The Work Zone Mobility and Safety, Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking docket can be downloaded from [www.nara.gov/fedreg]. Twenty questions that FHWA is posing are listed on pages four and five of the document.
Comments must be received on or before June 6, 2002. Mail or hand deliver comments to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Dockets Management Facility, Room PL-401, 400 Seventh Street, SW., Washington, DC 20590, or submit electronically at [http://dmses.dot.gov/submit]. All comments should include the docket number FHWA-2001-111303.
In October of 2001, FHWA published updated versions of the Older Driver Highway Design Handbook. These documents include specific engineering recommendations to improve the safety and ease of use of roadways by older drivers and pedestrians and by all road users.
The handbooks are divided into five sections: intersections, interchanges, roadway curvature and passing zones, construction/work zones, and highway-rail grade crossings. The shorter version, Guidelines and Recommendations To Accommodate Older Drivers and Pedestrians (FHWA-RD-01-051) contains some background information, followed by over 100 recommendations for highway changes to accommodate older road users. The longer version, Highway Design Handbook for Older Drivers and Pedestrians (FHWA-RD-01-103) includes all the recommendations as well as a detailed "Rationale and Supporting Evidence" section that summarizes the research that led to the recommendations. Both versions include cross-referencing to standards and guidelines commonly used by traffic engineers. The documents do NOT represent new standards, but provide recommendations for design, control and operational changes that can improve highway safety for older road users and all road users.
The handbooks are available on the web at [http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/fourthlevel/pro_res_olderdriver_wdg.htm]. Hard copies of the handbooks can be obtained from the FHWA RD&T Reports Center in Lanham, Maryland by calling (301) 577-0818.
There will not be another Revision to the MUTCD until next fall/winter 2002/2003. This will be the result of a notice of proposed amendment (NPA) that the FHWA is completing right now.
The FHWA anticipates that this will be published in the Federal Register (and installed on the MUTCD web site [http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov]) in March. The comment period for this proposed amendment would be open until July 5, 2002, or a minimum of 90 days.
Since FHWA wants to keep the Manual current with the state-of-the-practice, evolving technology, and new traffic management strategies, we anticipate a 1-2 two year cycle of revisions. It would be beneficial for the States to develop a method to amend their method of adopting the Manual with the latest Revision without a major effort.