Policies for Use of Changeable Message Signs in Highway Work Zones

Objectives: (1) develop warrants for the use of CMS on IDOT projects; (2) evaluate CMS as a safety improvement; (3) develop criteria for the number, placement, and spacing of CMS in advance of highway work zones; (4)determine optimal message length (single or multiple screens), optimal duration of a given message (in days), and optimal message type (specific or generic); (5) evaluate the effectiveness of “real-time” information displayed on CMS and the process required to transmit real-time messages from the source to the CMS, and (6) identify and discuss the human factors which impact the foregoing. Accomplishment of these objectives will make use of CMS more effective and will provide better information to the driver. This should improve traffic flow and safety within work zones.