On the Move Quarterly
NewsletterOn the Move Quarterly
NewsletterSummer (June) Quarter 2000, Volume 13, Number 2
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Fourteen (14) of Utah's twenty-nine (29) counties have railroad grade crossings. Each crossing has the potential for disaster for unaware and uninformed citizens. In honor of the Operation Lifesaver International Symposium being held in Salt Lake City July 17-20, 2000, we wanted to spread the word about Operation Lifesaver and what it can do to help you in preventing unnecessary loss of life and limb at the railroad grade crossings in your community.
Operation Lifesaver is a nonprofit, nationwide public education program designed to eliminate collisions, deaths, and injuries at highway-rail intersections and on railroad rights-of-way. It is sponsored cooperatively by a wide variety of partners, including federal, state, and local government agencies, highway safety and transportation organizations, and the nation's railroads.
To meet its lifesaving goals, Operation Lifesaver strives to increase public awareness about the danger at places where the roadway crosses the train tracks and on railroad rights-of-way. The program seeks to improve driver and pedestrian behavior at highway-rail intersections by encouraging compliance with traffic laws relating to crossing signs and signals. Operation Lifesaver endeavors to reduce deaths and injuries on railroad right-of-way by educating people about the dangers on the tracks. In conjunction with its education program, Operation Lifesaver emphasizes the enforcement of existing traffic and trespassing laws, consolidation and closure of redundant highway-rail crossings, and engineering improvements, including installation and upgrading of crossing warning devices and signs.
It is at the grass-roots level--in the cities, in rural communities, and in the schools where Operation Lifesaver has been most effective. States have reported fatality reductions at highway-rail grade crossings ranging from 28 percent to 100 percent one year after establishing the program.
...all join together to be part of state programs. But it does not end there. Any person or organization is welcome to join a state program to work at the local level doing whatever you can to educate motorists that they need to exercise greater care when driving across highway-rail grade crossings.
The key to the success of Operation Lifesaver is through participation at the grass-roots level. You can help by contacting Operation Lifesaver, Inc. or the Utah Operation Lifesaver Coordinator, Chief Bret Barney. You can contact him at (801) 489-9668 for information on how to get involved and become an OL partner.
Your PTA, church, club, civic, or fraternal organizations may want to be part of Operation Lifesaver. Get on board today!
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On March 6th in Washington, DC the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced important changes to the agency's current nationwide permit program. "The changes will benefit the nation's aquatic environment by increasing protection to critical resource waters within the 100-year floodplain while continuing to authorize projects with minimal adverse effects," said John Studt, Chief of the Corps' Regulatory Branch. "This program can be administered at substantially less cost than our July 1999 proposal while providing increased environmental protection."
Nationwide permits are general permits used nationally to authorize discharge of dredged or fill material that will have minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment. The Corps is replacing Nationwide Permit (NWP) 26, which was used to permit certain discharges in the nation's headwaters and isolated waters. This was the general permit most frequently used to address potential impacts on wetlands.
To replace NWP 26, which expires in June 2000, the Corps is issuing five new nationwide permits and modifying six others. The Corps is also modifying nine NWP general conditions and adding two new general conditions. The new nationwide permits continue to authorize many of the same activities previously permitted under NWP 26, but they are activity-specific, with terms and conditions to ensure minimal adverse effects on the aquatic environment.
The maximum acreage limit under the new and modified NWP's is one-half acre, reduced from the previous maximum of three acres. In addition, most require that the Corps be notified of activities impacting more than one-tenth of an acre, reduced from the previous requirement to notify the Corps of impacts to more than one-third of an acre.
"These changes to the nationwide permit program reflect the Administration's commitment to protecting the nation's wetlands and reducing damages to communities from flooding," said Michael Davis, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.
Corps regulators issue two types of permits: individual permits, and general permits. Standard individual permits, requiring public notice, pertain to individual situations and apply on a case-by-case basis. In the past, the Corps has averaged about 5,000 standard individual permits a year. General permits pertain to a group of similar activities, such as boat docks or shore protection. Two types of general permits are:
The Corps is required to reissue general permits every five years.
On July 21, 1999, the Corps published a notice of intent in the Federal Register to replace NWP 26 when it expired with a series of new and modified permits. Subsequently, the Fiscal Year 2000 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act required the Corps to complete a study of the probable change in permitting workload and compliance costs under the July 21st replacement package. The study, undertaken by the Corps' Institute for Water Resources, is under review by the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works and is being sent for review to the Office of Management and Budget. The agency also received more than 1,700 written comments and carefully considered each one.
"In contrast to the July, 1999 proposal, [this] package is...win-win," said Studt. "We have been able to find a better overall solution. The final new nationwide permits reduce the costs substantially compared to the July 1999 package. This means fewer costs to both the regulated public and the taxpayer. Further, because of the half-acre approach, the new nationwide permits provide a substantial increase in protection for the aquatic environment."
Corps of Engineers regulators work under three program goals:
For more information, please contact Becki Dobyns at (202) 761-1809/e-mail [Becki.J.Dobyns@hq02.usace.army.mil] or Homer Perkins at (202) 761-1807/e-mail [Homer.H.Perkins@hq02.usace.army.mil].
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They've done it AGAIN! Our hats are off to the Utah League of Cities & Towns for another excellent Road School. Special thanks to Sydney Fonnesbeck, Michelle Reilly, and the rest of the League staff for their hard work and effort in making this event such a great success. The presentations, displays, and interaction with other public works employees were first rate! THANKS!!!
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After long hours of balancing family, work, and education, our office manager, Jared Holland has completed the requirements for a Master's degree in Business Administration from Utah State University. He was able to graduate with the class of 2000 in ceremonies held in May of this year! Part of Jared's master's program included preparing a strategic plan for Utah Tē Center! We have benefitted from the expertise and insight he has gained in pursuing this degree in the operation of the Tē Center!
Again, congratulations Jared!!!
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Operation Lifesaver International has chosen Salt Lake City to host the 2000 International Operation Lifesaver Symposium, and YOU are invited to participate!
Operation Lifesaver (OL) welcomes all to the Symposium. You'll fit right in, whether you barely know the OL mission or are a veteran of 10 or more of these international safety seminars. If you are concerned about the safety of highway-rail crossings, your ideas and opinions are important! Catch the excitement as OL's 49 state programs and Canadian Partners "go for the gold" in education, engineering and enforcement!
The Symposium begins with special workshops for Level two and three Operation Lifesaver trainers on July 15 and 16. This is followed by workshops and events you won't want to miss!
No matter what you do for a living--or even if you are retired--leadership skills always come in handy. Operation Lifesaver takes pride in expanding the talents and skills of its volunteers.
Workshops will focus on education, enforcement and engineering. There really is something for everyone! Everything from trespass issues, and mastering the media to partnering for success will be covered.
Law enforcement participants will learn more about "saluting community capers, role call clues and judiciary joiners." Meanwhile, engineers will learn about MUTCD changes and whistle ban rules.
Advanced workshops will cover new engineering technology, law enforcement, and new education tools from Operation Lifesaver. Come learn more about these and other important topics, and share your perspective!
In addition, general session speakers will provide motivation and information about topics of interest to any and all involved in Operation Lifesaver safety programs!
Meals, field trips, a silent auction, the social, and other activities will give you the chance to interact with others who are interested and involved in making interaction with the rails safer for everyone!
For more detailed information you can log on to the Operation Lifesaver website at [http://www.oli.org] or check out our website at [http://www.utaht2.usu.edu].
Don't let this train pass you by! GET INVOLVED TODAY!
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Training Kits include Teacher's Guide, Student Activity Booklet, Quiz, and Video.
For more information on these materials and their cost, please check out the Operation Lifesaver website [http://www.oli.org].
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Our thanks to these important partners for sharing this information and working with us in our efforts to serve the local agencies of Utah.
If you desire more information on League activities, or to register for a League sponsored event, please call the Utah League of Cities & Towns directly at (801) 328-1601 or 1-800-852-8528 or go to their website [http://www.ulct.org].
Highlights important municipal topics through keynote addresses, concurrent workshops, and a trade show. The League annual business meeting will also be held during the convention and board members will be elected.
For more information on UAC activities, or to register for a UAC sponsored event, please call them directly at (801) 265-1331 or go to their website [http://www.uacnet.org].
Cost is $175 (includes meals and spouse/partner program). Registration (with payment) must be received no later than August 31.
For more information on these or other APWA activities, call Bob Davis with DMJM at (801) 484-9884 x 5075.
A chapter dinner will be held for those who attend!
For information on these and other ITE activities, please call Don Adams at (801) 323-0887.
For information on Trust activities, please call Joe Anderson at 1-800-748-4440 extension 315. Please leave a message if Joe is not available. You can e-mail Joe at [janderson@ulgt.org]. Also, check out their website at [http://www.ulgt.org].
For information on these and other URMMA activities, please call Joanne Glantz at (801) 225-6692.
For information on these or other activities of Utah Operation Lifesaver, or to get involved with this worthwhile effort, please contact the State Coordinator, Brett Barney by calling (801) 489-9668 or e-mail at [chiefb@utah.uswest.net].
See the other articles related to this meeting!
For our continuously updated workshop and training calendar, please check out our website [http://www.utaht2.usu.edu/].
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Join us for the latest information on education, engineering and enforcement to end tragedy on the rails. For more information contact Operation Lifesaver: Operation Lifesaver, Inc., 1420 King Street, Suite 401, Alexandria VA 22314, 1-800-537-6224, FAX (703) 519-8267, [http://www.oli.org/]. You can also check out the article highlighting the Symposium in this newsletter!
During the month of August, UDOT Region 4 will again be hosting their annual Transportation Partnership Workshops throughout the southern part of Utah. These workshops focus on transportation issues, needs, and proposed transportation program improvements that involve local, state, Federal agencies and Tribal governments.
Previous workshops have proven to be an excellent forum in which to communicate and work toward enhancing transportation in southern Utah. Participants typically include:
Please review the quarterly calendar for the workshop date, time, and location nearest you. Further information can be obtained by contacting the UDOT District Office in your area.
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4 Independence Day--closed
16-19 Operation Lifesaver International Symposium (Salt Lake City, Utah)
18 ITE Chapter Lunch
24 Pioneer Day--closed
27 Utah APWA Monthly Meeting
28 USACCC Workshop (Park City)
3 ITE Summer Party & Golf Tournament
8-9 UDOT Region 4 Transportation Workshops (Moab at 9 am, Price at 2 pm)
15-16 UDOT Region 4 Transportation Workshops (Hurricane at 9 am, Cedar City at 1 pm, Beaver at 3 pm
23 UDOT Region 4 Transportation Workshops (Panguitch at 9 am, Richfield at 2 pm)
24 Utah APWA Annual Conference
24 UAC Legislative Golf Tournament
4 Labor Day--closed
10-14 APWA National Conference (Louisville, Kentucky)
13-15 Utah League of Cities & Towns Annual Convention (Salt Lake City, Utah)
13-15 USACCC Fall Workshop (Ogden, Utah)
19 ITE Chapter Lunch
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The Utah Tē Center is pleased to announce the "You Show Us 2000" contest for all Utah counties. This is your opportunity to enter a project, or recent innovation, you are proud of. It is also your chance to compete with other counties from the other states in the region. We know the projects are out there. We've seen in past "Show Us" contests what innovative crews can do with little money, some spare parts, and a lot of thought and ingenuity. You just have to let us know what you've been doing. It's not hard to enter; here's how!
This is a contest about sharing ideas, learning from others, and having an opportunity to brag a little. This is an opportunity to showcase your latest project or innovation.
If you are having trouble thinking of what to submit, think of the one the crew built to make the job easier. It was the project (or idea) that saved your county money and made the operation a little quicker, easier and safer. It can be a piece of machinery or a new process or procedure. It can be a construction project, a system or a different way of doing things. It can be almost any project your county and your crews created or thought up as long as it meets the criteria of making your public service safer, easier, more efficient, and less costly.
This contest is open to any county in the State of Utah. The winner of the state contest will compete with other county winners in the seven-state area to determine a regional winner.
Awards will be presented at the 2000 County Road Advisor's Conference to be held in Rapid City, South Dakota on October 25 and 26. State winning entries will be collected and placed in a separate journal. Please limit your entries to two per county. Contest winners are eligible for free registration and hotel accommodations at the County Road Advisors Conference and a feature article in the Utah Tē Center On the Move newsletter.
Entries should be no longer than two typewritten pages and must include the following:
Photographs are Encouraged
All entries must be received by August 15, 2000 to be considered. The State winner will be notified by September 1, 2000.
You are welcome to submit your entries by mail, fax, or e-mail: "You Show Us 2000" Contest, Utah T2 Center, 8205 Old Main Hill, Logan UT 84322-8205, Email: utahltap@cc.usu.edu(use WordPerfect or Microsoft Word format), Fax: (435) 797-1582.
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In 1992, the FHWA initiated a pilot study with the National Park Service which examined the effects of the new fluorescent yellow-green (FYG) signs on motorist behavior at five pedestrian and bicycle crossings in the Washington, DC area. Results indicated an increase in motorists slowing and stopping for pedestrians and bicyclists and conflicts decreased.
In 1993, FHWA conducted a 2-year study nationwide to evaluate FYG on pedestrian, school, and bicycle crossing signs. A total of 57 jurisdictions were given permission to experiment in this study; 24 jurisdictions completed the experimentation and provided final reports. Our review of the studies and data indicate that FYG warning signs improved the conspicuity of the sign message and motorists were able to recognize the sign from greater distances than the standard yellow warning sign. Many studies did not find significant changes in speed data, but motorists frequently commented that the signs caught the attention of the driver from a greater distance and were more aware of what was going on around them.
On June 7, 1996, a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking was published proposing the adoption of FYG as an optional color for pedestrian, school, and bicycle crossing signs. A total of 141 comments were received with 100 favorable comments received from local governments, including police departments and public school systems, in addition to special interest groups and the general public.
On June 19, 1998, a Notice of Amendment to the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) was published in the Federal Register which adopted FYG for optional use for warning signs related to pedestrian, bicycle, and school applications.
FYG was one of four unassigned colors that the FHWA had reserved for future applications. Studies indicate that fluorescent retroreflective materials are detected with higher frequency, and recognized with greater accuracy at further distances, than the corresponding standard highway colors due to the greater luminance in contrast with the surroundings. Pedestrian/bicycle-motor vehicle crashes continue to be a safety problem on our roads. FHWA believed a unique, unassigned color would be most effective in altering motorist behavior and reducing conflicts with pedestrians and bicyclists.
The use of FYG for pedestrian, bicycle, and school applications supports the Department of Transportation's Strategic Safety Goal to promote public health and safety by working toward the elimination of transportation-related deaths, injuries, and property damage.
FYG also supports the FHWA strategic goal that targets pedestrian/bicycle safety as a national priority because this type of crash accounts for 15 percent of all fatalities. The plan calls for an improvement (reduction in number, rate, and severity) in this area.
Recent physical fitness trends promote walking and bicycling. Emphasis must be placed on utilizing state-of-the-art retroreflective fluorescent signage materials to better communicate with motorists that pedestrians and bicyclists are using the roadway with them.
Pedestrians and bicyclists represent significant areas of concern in transportation that would be well served by a unique color for traffic control devices.
This is not a stand alone effort, but part of the FHWA overall goal of optimizing performance through innovation, technology, communications, and partnering with the local community.
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The risk of dying in a crash at night is nearly three times the risk of dying in daylight hours. In 1998, about 27,000 people died in nighttime traffic crashes in the United States, even though only about 25 percent of travel is at night.
One of the reasons that the nighttime driving risk is so much higher is because of the decreased visibility. It is important to remember that if traffic control device cues are inadequate, nighttime driving will be less safe. This is particularly important on rural roads since "60 percent of all road fatalities in the United States occur on rural roads."
One way to improve visibility is through retroreflectivity. It is also a relatively low cost and versatile safety solution.
At night, with many of the visual cues missing, drivers rely on the added retroreflective elements of signs and markings for guidance. The retroreflectivity of signs and markings is a critical ingredient in creating a much safer road environment.
It is important to remember that retroreflective materials are subject to deterioration over time. If some minimum retroreflectivity is not maintained, the sign, delineator or marking will not perform it's safety role. While the MUTCD requires that signs and pavement markings shall be reflectorized or illuminated, it contains no minimum in-service retroreflective requirements.
To address the importance of retroreflectivity to highway safety, Congress passed a law in 1993 that requires the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to establish minimum maintained levels of retroreflectivity for signs and pavement markings.
The minimum maintained levels of retroreflectivity that are accepted will have many potential impacts. The mere existence of minimum guidelines could create a situation in which local agencies are compelled for one reason or another--i.e. liability, etc.--to begin applying the minimum guidelines in their regular practice. As well, from a strictly safety point of view, minimum guidelines will provide a valuable tool for road engineers to use on roads that have high traffic volumes or for high hazard locations.
For all of these reasons, it is essential that road managers and engineers stay abreast of the development of the guidelines and consider how they will have an impact on their future road programs.
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On June 8, 2000, Woods Cross City hosted a "showcase workshop" covering the various flexible pavement preservation treatments available to highway and street departments to protect and maintain their valuable street and road assets. Eighty-six (86) people from local and state highway agencies, materials suppliers, equipment dealers, contractors, and consultants participated in the workshop.
The morning session of the workshop featured informative presentations that focused on the design, construction, cost, and performance of the various treatments that are available and are being used to preserve streets and roads.
The afternoon session provided the opportunity for participants to observe each of the treatments being applied and to gain knowledge on proper construction techniques.
The preservation treatments covered in the workshop included surface preparation--crack sealing and patching; fog seals and asphalt rejuvenators; scrub and sand seals; chip seals using slag aggregates and polymer modified asphalt emulsions; slurry seals and micro-surfacing; and thin hot mix asphalt concrete overlays.
All of the preservation treatments covered in the workshop are viable and effective if the right treatment is applied at the right place, at the right time, and in the right way. Proper timing in the application of a preservation treatment to a pavement structure is the most critical factor in achieving the greatest benefit from the treatment.
To achieve the greatest benefit consistently, a seven step engineering process is recommended. These seven steps are outlined as follows:
The workshop was structured to illustrate the appropriate conditions and timing for each of the treatments addressed in the workshop. Please see the Utah Tē website [http://www.utaht2.usu.edu] and click on "Pavement Preservation Workshop Follow-up" to obtain a digital picture overview of the workshop activities and the before and after conditions of the various sites that were treated.
This workshop required a major coordination effort by Woods Cross City Public Works Director Scott Anderson and the contractors, materials suppliers, and equipment companies who contributed time, labor, materials, and equipment to the workshop.
We also extend a special thanks to the following companies and organizations who provided equipment, materials, instructors, or other support for this training:
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The Federal Highway Administration, Office of Transportation Operations is in the process of a major rewrite of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). The last time that the MUTCD was rewritten in its entirety has been over 20 years ago.
Innovative technology, roadway developments, new traffic control device applications, and complicated technical text have made it necessary to reexamine the information in the most recent 1988 edition of the MUTCD. A major rewrite and reformat effort of this manual has been underway since 1995 to incorporate technology advances in traffic control device application and to improve the overall organization and discussion of the contents in the MUTCD to make it clearer and more user friendly.
The MUTCD is incorporated by reference in 23 CFR part 655 and is applicable to all public roads and streets. All changes to the MUTCD must be made through the Federal Register rulemaking process. This process allows all interested persons to provide comments on the proposed changes. The FHWA has published Federal Register notices of proposed amendments for all of the following Parts of the MUTCD:
FHWA has also published a notice of proposed update information for Parts 1, 3, 4, and 8. Public comments for all parts of the MUTCD were to be received by June 2000 at which time FHWA began review and summary of the comments and preparation of a Final Rule position which will be published in the Federal Register in December 2000.
The FHWA realizes the critical role public awareness and education play when introducing new or revised regulations. We also realized that these new policies and technologies will have a strong impact on our citizens and industries well into the 21st century. The FHWA goal is to expand the traditional network and audience to include others such as motor vehicle departments, driver's education classes, law enforcement personnel, travel and tourist agencies, community and other civic leaders, and emergency response providers.
In an effort to create more public awareness of the MUTCD, the FHWA is publishing the Millennium MUTCD in several media format: traditional hard copy, CD-ROM, and Internet. The Federal Register notices and the proposed text are available at the following Internet locations:
The FHWA is expanding their web site to include electronic briefing presentations which provide an overview of the proposed MUTCD changes and a database management program which can be used to research historical and background information on various MUTCD requests for changes, experimentation, and interpretations. Other features will be added in the future as FHWA endeavors to make the MUTCD web site a "One Stop Shop" for information concerning traffic control devices.
A link to the FHWA website is provided at the Utah Tē Center homepage.
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A big thanks to Debbie Hall, UDOT Bicycle/Pedestrian Planner, for news that the 1999 AASHTO Guide for the Development of Bicycle Facilities is now available. This replaces the 1991 version with updates in the design section and is available in both CD and hard copy form. Here are the prices:
You can order by mail, phone or fax: AASHTO Publications Sales, P O Box 96716, Washington DC 20090-6716, Phone 1-800-231-3475, Fax 1-800-525-5562.
If you have any additional questions about pedestrian planning matters, please contact Debbie Hall by phone (801) 965-3897 or e-mail at [dhall@dot.state.ut.us].
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This excellent 10 minute video was paid for by a grant from the FHWA and ATSSA and highlights the dangers and consequences of sign defacing, vandalism or removal. It tells of the three teenagers from Florida who were convicted of manslaughter for removing a stop sign which resulted in the death of three teenagers who failed to stop and were hit by an 8 ton truck. It is a "must see" for all school age children!
You can borrow it video from the Center library or order your own copy for $6 each. Please call the Utah Tē Center at 1-800-822-8878 for more information!
Comments should be directed to the editor.
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