Synthesis of Procedures to Forecast and Monitor Work Zone Safety and Mobility Impacts

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has published Administrative Final Rule CFR part 630 Subpart J, “Work Zone Safety and Mobility,” on September 9, 2004. In general, the rule requires that state transportation agencies (STAs) develop policies to investigate the safety and mobility impacts as early as possible in the project development process: quantify the impacts, look for alternative actions which will reduce the impacts, select a work zone approach and communicate the impacts of the approach to the public, measure the safety and mobility performance of the actual work zone once it is put in place, and use the performance data of past programs to manage the impacts of future work zone activity. The rule provides some flexibility by allowing each state to set its own procedures and policies to comply with the rule and by allowing states to seek solutions which are commensurate with the severity of the potential impacts and require the most aggressive planning for “Significant Projects.” The purpose of this document is to provide a synthesis of what is currently being done by STAs across the country to plan, manage, operate, and evaluate work zone safety and mobility. The purpose of the research described in this report is to provide a snapshot of what is taking place at STAs throughout the country so that professional staff at STAs attempting to meet the letter and spirit of the new Work Zone Safety and Mobility rule will have a conceptual view of what other STAs have and are using to plan, manage, operate, and evaluate work zone safety and mobility.