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Changes In FHWA Work Zone Safety Regulations Take Effect Next Month

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Yesterday, FHWA announced that updates to federal regulations on work zone safety are final and will take effect on December 2. The agency plans to supplement the revisions “in the coming months” with support materials, outreach activities, and other implementation aids.

The Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule and Temporary Traffic Control Devices Rule revisions proposed in September “are designed to improve work zone safety for roadway workers as well as the movement of motorists traveling through work zones using comprehensive management strategies to ensure safety while also minimizing impacts and traffic disruptions to the traveling public.” FHWA highlighted two aspects of the rules changes in its announcement. They require “the use of positive protection devices, such as temporary concrete barriers, to protect workers from motorized traffic operating at high speeds during construction, utility, and maintenance operations.” They also encourage “use of work zone programmatic reviews, which are more comprehensive, holistic, and data-driven.”

Kapsch Obtains Lengthy. Extension Of Riverside County (CA) Toll Systems Contract

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Kapsch TrafficCom announced it has received a ten-year extension of its toll services contract with the Riverside County (California) Transportation Commission (RCTC). “The extension applies to the current Kapsch TrafficCom contract to design, develop, test, install, and operate an end-to-end toll and traffic management solution for the I-15 Express Lanes Project [including the 15/91 Connector] and full replacement of the SR-91 Express Lanes roadside tolling system.”

Kapsch deliverables include ten I-15 toll points and six on SR-91. The ETC systems incorporate variable roadside message signs, CCTV cameras for enforcement, and microwave vehicle detectors. The company also provides the I-15 Express Lanes back-office system, dynamic pricing, image review, and collections enforcement. Kapsch staffs and operates the facility’s traffic operations and customer service centers. Over their contract’s initial term, Kapsch and RCTC have collaborated on system enhancements.

The express lanes run for 25 miles through of one of the 10 most populous counties in the US. More than 45 million trip transactions are processed each year.

JB Kendrick, president of Kapsch TrafficCom North America, commented, “We’re thrilled to have been awarded this contract extension and continue our strong partnership with RCTC and the traveling public in Southern California. We value our highly collaborative partnership with RCTC, and extending our services through 2041 shows our dedication to bringing top-notch technology, expertise, and people to enhance travel throughout the region.”

Oklahoma Has Given More Than 63,500 Teens Work Zone And First Responder Safety Training

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Oklahoma DOT is marking the one-year anniversary of Work Zone Safe, its required online training program for teen drivers. The aim is to personalize the experience of navigating emergency sites and work zones for intermediate driver’s license applicants. Oklahoma was the first state to require such training, however, “Wisconsin also now requires a similar course and several other states have started the process to implement Work Zone Safe.” In addition to the online training, Oklahoma’s program involves a traveling, in-person presentation by highway workers that “lets students get an inside look at work zones and lets them hear directly from highway workers on what they should be doing when driving through work zones to make it home safely every time.”

ODOT notes, a total of 72 employees of ODOT and the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority have died in the line of duty, which is a higher casualty rate than that experienced by any other civilian agency of state government.

US Time Change Occasions Reminder About “Drowsy Driving” Risks

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The New York Thruway Authority issued a news release to remind drivers that “drowsy driving” is a particularly acute problem at this time of year because of the shift from daylight savings time to standard time. According to public health and safety experts, “Despite the additional hour gained in the time change, it can disrupt sleep patterns, causing people to feel drowsy.” Statistics cited by the Thruway show that driver fatigue, though an underreported crash factor, is still known to have significant safety implications, accounting for hundreds of deaths and tens of thousands of injuries every year.

The Thruway authority is a member of the New York State Partnership Against Drowsy Driving (NYPDD), an organization started in 2004 to educate the public and high-risk groups about the dangers of drowsy driving and to promote preventive strategies. Among other things, it distributes safety messages this time of year as its contribution to national campaigns aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of driving while fatigued. NYPDD “also cautions against relying upon common strategies to overcome fatigue and avoid drowsiness, such as opening a window, turning on air conditioning or playing loud music. In addition, the effects of caffeine can take a half hour to set in and only provide a short-term increase in driver alertness. The safest thing to do when drivers experience drowsiness is to pull over and find a safe place to sleep.”

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) maintains an online information resource about drowsy driving.

New York Thruway Worker Struck And Killed On Roadway

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WGRZ reports, yesterday morning, at approximately 8:00 AM, a 58-year-old New York Thruway Authority maintenance supervisor was struck and killed by a passenger vehicle. The incident occurred on I-90 near exit 58 in Chautauqua County.

According to police, the supervisor was standing in front of his work vehicle, which was stopped on the highway’s shoulder, when a sedan passed over hazard markings and headed toward him. Attempting to avoid an imminent collision, the supervisor ran into the adjoining lane, where he was struck by the car after the driver corrected his steering and moved back into the lane. The driver stopped and is cooperating in the police investigation.

An official of a Teamsters Union local that represents public workers told WGRZ, “Some accidents cannot be prevented, but we have to do everything in our power to try to minimize anything like this. . . .”  He added the union wants to see “more, maybe police presence on the job sites when the workers are out there, because that does have people slow down when you see law enforcement,” and “more bumper trucks to protect the workers. . . .”

Governor Kathy Hochul released  a statement urging motorists to drive cautiously and reminding them that Monday’s incident was the second fatal crash involving a Thruway maintenance worker this year.

Thruway Executive Director Frank Hoare issued a condolence statement that echoed the governor’s call on drivers to be alert and cautious in places where highway crew members are at work.