|
Better Roads Magazine |
|
||
|
Get Information and ideas about the aggregates market…and it’s Free!
See Also:
|
Warm-mix asphalt open house to feature new technology The Ohio Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, Flexible Pavements of Ohio, and the Asphalt Pavement Alliance have announced a one-day Open House in conjunction with a field trial of three warm-mix asphalt (WMA) technologies, Sept. 12. Warm-mix asphalt offers environmental benefits including reduced fuel usage and lowered emissions of greenhouse gases. Because warm asphalt mixes are workable at lower temperatures, they also have the potential to extend the paving season in cooler climates. The open house events will be held near the site where three different WMA technologies are being constructed. A morning educational program at the Salt Fork Resort and Conference Center will be followed by afternoon field trips to the asphalt plant and paving site. The paving project represents the most comprehensive field trial of WMA in the U.S. to date. ODOT will construct a 12-mile project in four sections. There will be one section for each of three warm-mix technologies – Aspha-min, Evotherm, and Sasobit – and one for a control section. The educational program will take place from 8 a.m. to 12 noon. After lunch, attendees will board buses to visit the asphalt plant and paving site, returning to Salt Fork Lodge at 3:30 p.m. Presenters will include agency officials, contractors, and representatives of the three warm-mix technologies being tested. Attendees will earn a certificate which can be used as documentation of 3.5 Professional Development Hours (PDHs). For more information and online registration, visit www.flexiblepavements.org or call 614-221-5402. The Asphalt Pavement Alliance (APA) is a coalition of the Asphalt Institute, the National Asphalt Pavement Association, and the State Asphalt Pavement Associations. The APA’s mission is to further the use and quality of hot-mix asphalt pavements through research, technology transfer, engineering, education, and innovation. Shelby Nebraska Highway/Rail Grade Crossing - Installed in May 2006 After repeated attempts to repair the Highway 81 grade crossing surface in Shelby, NE, the Nebraska Department of Roads tried a new solution. After an extensive evaluation of foundation underlayments and premium crossings surfaces, they selected a polymer concrete grade crossing system manufactured by Transpo Industries of New Rochelle, NY. The Department had used their system, called BODAN®, to solve a similar surface degradation problem last year. With the favorable experience and a similar high traffic rate, they felt the system would give them a long life expectancy knowing that trucks rates and weights would increasing steadily. Transpo says the polymer concrete used to manufacture the BODAN crossing surface panels has a compressive strength twice that of Portland cement concrete which is used in traditional crossing surfaces, more than 14,000 psi. The company says its system utilizes a bridge design concept that transfers the axle loads of vehicles directly to the rails of the track. Unlike other crossing systems, there are no permanent attachments of the modular panels to the cross ties. This eliminates stress on the crossing surface and allows for easy access to perform routine maintenance. The polymer concrete panels are said to be resistant to road salts and diesel fuel, and to have a lifetime skid-resistant surface that enhances safety in wet weather conditions. For more information on this product, please phone 800-321-7870 and ask for Rich Brown at extension 635, or visit the company website at www.transpo.com. Missouri Nixes Crossover Crashes In one decade, 400 fatalities occurred in Missouri
because of crossover accidents and more than 2,400 were injured from the
same type of crash on I-44, I-55, and I-70. Pet Projects Continue Drivers and agency managers alike look at the
growing list of pork-barrel projects in the highway bill and wish that
the money could be turned toward maintenance and major needed works.
According to a recent report, last year’s highway bill included 6,371 of
the special projects, including one in Alaska that has been cynically
called “the bridge to nowhere,” which was eventually dropped after
adverse publicity. Actually, the proposed project included two bridges.
One was the Knik Arm Bridge to connect Anchorage with a little-used
port. The other was a bridge to link Ketchikan to little-populated
Gravina Island. Total earmarked funds were originally $454 million. Fatality Figures: Drive the Interstates The Federal Highway Administration recently
released numbers of traffic fatalities in 2004. The total was 42,630,
but only 5,762 of these were on Interstates, where the largest volume of
driving occurs. Rubber Sidewalks Tired of getting complaints about tree-trunk
uprooted sidewalks in the public area of a residential street? Rubber
pathways may provide one answer. Driver Tax by the Mile Oregon recently began experimenting with charging
drivers a user per-mile fee rather than a state gasoline tax. The
program, using 280 volunteers’ vehicles, charges drivers $0.012 for
every mile driven, but does not charge the state’s $0.24-per-gallon gas
tax. State-installed GPS systems and a special transmitter in the
vehicle keep track of the miles traveled. Massachusetts highways chief resigns while under fire for Big Dig
The Massachusetts Turnpike
Authority chairman, under fire since 12 tons of falling ceiling panels
killed a motorist in a Big Dig highway tunnel, agreed Thursday to resign
after weeks of pressure from the governor.
PICA “Measures of Success” Awards Program Recognizing excellence in off-road equipment manufacturing marketing communications Deadline to Submit Entries is November 3, 2006. The PICA “Measures of Success” Awards Program recognizes outstanding marketing communications efforts in the off-road equipment manufacturing industry (construction, agriculture, forestry, mining, utility). The awards also serve as an educational guide for the industry by spotlighting examples of quality communications, and aim to elevate the role of marketing communications within companies by showcasing mar-com “best practices” to a larger audience. WHO SHOULD ENTER The awards program is open to all off-road equipment manufacturers or industry service providers who are AEM members (or eligible for membership) plus agencies with these companies as clients. Companies or their agencies may submit entries for consideration. WHAT TO ENTER The PICA awards program recognizes outstanding marketing communications programs in the following areas: Product Literature (any length), Direct Mail campaigns (single and 2-or-more-pieces), Magazine Ads (fractional, single-page and series) and Press Kits (print, electronic, CD-ROM, etc.). Categories are divided by company sales volume to encourage participation by all sizes of companies. Check the website for full details (www.aem.org/Links).
ARTBA Foundation Provides College Financial (Washington, D.C.)—The children of highway workers killed or permanently disabled on the job will receive financial assistance in their pursuit of higher education thanks to scholarships announced by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF). Students from Iowa, Mississippi, Massachusetts, Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana and Montana have been named 2006 recipients of the ARTBA-TDF’s Highway Worker Memorial Scholarship. The program was established in 1999 with a gift to the Foundation from two Roanoke, Va., highway contractors and their companies—Stan Lanford, president of Lanford Brothers, and Jack Lanford, president of the Adams Construction Company. Both men are past chairmen of the national association. More than 1,000 people—including more than 100 highway workers—died in 2004 in roadway construction work zone accidents. An additional 40,000 people—enough to fill most major league baseball stadiums in the U.S.—were injured in these sites. This year’s scholarship winners are: Kristin Cooper, Hanlontown, Iowa Kristin’s father, Ron Cooper, Sr., an employee of the Iowa Department of Transportation, was killed in April 1998 while working on a highway project. Kristin is a student at Waldorf College in Forest City, Iowa, and is pursuing a degree in criminal justice. Robin Evans, Holly Springs, Miss. Robin’s father, Robert Lee Evans, was killed in an accident in 1987 while working for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Robin will be a first-year graphic design student this fall at Savannah College of Art & Design in Georgia. David Macloon, Reading, Mass. David’s father, Robert Macloon, was injured in an accident while working for DeMatteo/Flatiron in 1999. David will attend St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H., in the fall and plans to major in criminal justice. Lily Beth Parsons, Sandyville, W. Va. Lily Beth’s father, Douglas Parsons, was killed in a 1988 accident while working for the West Virginia Department of Highways. Lily Beth attends the University of West Virginia in Morgantown and is studying to become a nurse. Bradley Patterson, East Helena, Mont. Brad’s father, Eldon Patterson, was killed in an accident while working as an employee of the Montana Department of Transportation in April 1996. Brad attends the University of Montana-Helena College of Technology and is working on an associate’s degree in carpentry. William “Brandon” Rice, Centerville, Ind. Brandon’s father, Willie Rice, Jr., was disabled in a 2002 accident while working for Atlas Excavating, located in West Lafayette, Ind. Brandon is attending Purdue University in West Lafayette and is studying to become a veterinarian. Loria Wright, St. Louisville, Ohio Loria’s father, Steven W. Wright, was killed last Christmas Eve while driving a truck for the Ohio Department of Transportation. Loria attends Central Ohio Technical College in Newark, Ohio and is studying electronic engineering technology. The ARTBA-TDF is interested in receiving contact leads on students who could benefit from the scholarship program. Please share them with ARTBA Scholarship and Awards Manager Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434. Individuals and firms interested in supporting the scholarship program can do so by sending a check payable to the ARTBA-TDF, at 1219 28th Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20007. The ARTBA-TDF) was established in 1985 as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt entity to promote research, education and public awareness. It supports an array of initiatives, including educational scholarships, awards, roadway work zone safety and training programs, special economic reports and a national exhibition on transportation. ARTBA, founded in 1902, is the only national association that exclusively represents the collective interests of all sectors of the U.S. transportation construction industry. Funding Ideas Sprout States, counties, and other agencies keep expanding their funding options, hoping to fill the money gap in maintaining and building roads. An extra $118.9 billion above current projected revenues are needed through 2022, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Toll roads have become an obvious solution for many. In South Carolina, the state petitioned the federal government to turn its part of I-95 into a toll road. Oregon reports considering elimination of the state gasoline tax, exchanging it for toll roads with a use charge per mile. Other agencies, including Atlanta, may copy its European peers by leasing roads to companies that will maintain them and charge tolls. Illinois plans to get $15 billion by leasing some or all of its 274-mile state tollway. Pennsylvania is also considering highway leasing, according to a report in USA Today. Denver is raking in extra cash by charging tolls for high-speed, limited access lanes on its I-25. While some motorists grumble at the thought of paying to drive on a road, others realize that this may be the only option for having roads that are fit to use. In California, for example, 60% of those surveyed in a commuting research by Lake Research Partners, said they would be willing to pay tolls to ease their commuting time and turmoil. One concern about leasing and road asset sales is whether the state will really use the monies collected to build and maintain roads, or whether the funds will go for other purposes. High-Risk Rural Road Guidelines Issued The Federal Highway Administration recently issued guidelines for implementing a high-risk rural roads program. The program uses $90 million of Highway Safety Improvement Funds set aside under SAFETEA-LU. Projects that qualify under the program include:
Bridge, Tunnel Security Workshops The Federal Highway Administration now offers workshops providing best practices for state and local agencies to strengthen the security of bridges and tunnels. The workshops were developed from a broader, three-day course. The new workshops are one-and-a-half days long and are aimed at bridge and highway engineers and managers. Topics include identifying threats to bridges and tunnels and their potential impacts on the structures, as well as developing a cost-effective risk mitigation plan. States can schedule the workshops at no cost, but need to provide a facility. For more information, contact Shay Burrows at 410-962-6791, or e-mail him at shay-burrows@fhwa.dot.gov . Bridges and Pittsburgh Anyone who attends the annual International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh knows the city is ideal for the meeting because of its wealth of major bridges. Now, a book, The Bridges of Pittsburgh, gives you details about the engineering, architecture, and construction of these bridges. The 182-page book, by Bob Regan with photos by Tim Fabian, includes more than 150 photos, maps, and drawings, as well as 10 walking tours. It lists all of the 446 bridges in the City of Bridges, Pittsburgh. Reagon is a geophysicist affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh. Fabian is a Pittsburgh-based photographer. For more information, contact CherylTowers@TheLocalHistoryCompany.com .
Fraud on Federal-aid Highway Projects On June 20, Minnesota Valley Landscape, Inc. (MVL) and its President, David Allyn Lindstrom, were sentenced in U.S. District Court in St Paul, Minn., for conspiracy to defraud the Federal Highway Administration on federally funded highway construction projects. Lindstrom was ordered to serve 18 months in prison, followed by three years supervised release and was fined $4,000.
MVL was sentenced to 5 years
probation; and both MVL and Lindstrom were ordered to pay $396,257 in
restitution. Lindstrom and MVL pled guilty in June 2005 to the felony
charge.
Our investigation found that
during that time, MVL invoiced for and was paid $396,257 through the
federally-funded contracts for work either billed at other than the
prevailing wage rates or for overtime charged, but for which the MVL
employees were not paid. In June 2005, MVL and Lindstrom were debarred
by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MN-DOT) for three years.
The investigation was conducted jointly with the FBI, with assistance
from the MN-DOT. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta resigns Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta, the only Democrat in President Bush’s Cabinet and one of its three remaining original members, will step down July 7. Mineta, who oversaw the huge transportation security buildup after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, had been plagued at times by back problems and spent months working from home and the hospital. But he has since recovered. He is “moving on to pursue other challenges,” his spokesman, Robert Johnson, said. White House press secretary Tony Snow announced the resignation. Asked why Mineta, 74, decided to leave, Snow said: “Because he wanted to.” “He was not being pushed out,” Snow said. “As a matter of fact, the president and the vice president and others were happy with him. He put in five and half years – that’s enough time.” Snow credited Mineta with establishing the Transportation Security Administration, cutting regulations and red tape to liberalize the commercial aviation market, helping shape the legislation that finances the nation’s highways, and injecting “sound economic principles” into the nation’s passenger rail system. Snow also paid tribute to Mineta’s long history in public life: his service in the Army, his elections to local positions in California, his 20 years representing California in the U.S. House, and his tours in two Cabinet positions, the first as commerce secretary under former President Clinton. Mineta joined Bush’s Cabinet on Jan. 25, 2001, and became Transportation’s longest-serving secretary. Bush’s only other two original Cabinet members still serving are Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. There had been speculation for years that Mineta was on the verge of resigning, sometimes because of his health and sometimes because of Cabinet shake-ups. The Transportation Department changed dramatically during his tenure, swelling to 160,000 people when the Transportation Security Administration was created in 2002, then shrinking to fewer than 60,000 when the TSA and the Coast Guard left to become part of the newly created Homeland Security Department. One of Mineta’s main achievements was the passage of a six-year, $286.4 billion highway-spending plan in July, after nearly two years of wrangling. The plan has since been criticized for containing too many “earmarks,” special projects sought by lawmakers. The son of Japanese immigrants, Mineta’s career has been a series of firsts for Asian-Americans: first to serve as a Cabinet secretary when Clinton appointed him in 2000; first to serve as mayor of a major city— his native San Jose, Calif., where the airport bears his name; and first to chair a congressional committee, the House Transportation Committee. After terrorists hijacked airplanes for the Sept. 11 attacks, Mineta oversaw the creation of the TSA, which put thousands of air marshals on commercial flights, installed high-tech equipment to check baggage at airports and hired tens of thousands of workers to screen air travelers and their baggage. One of Mineta’s signature accomplishments in the House was passage of the Civil Liberties Act of 1988, through which the United States apologized for sending Mineta and 120,000 other Japanese-Americans to internment camps and paid reparations of $20,000 to each survivor. Mineta was 10 when he was herded to a camp in Wyoming with his family after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in December 1941. (Source: Associated Press, with AP writer Leslie Miller contributing to this report.) More Cameras in Illinois The Illinois legislature recently approved a bill allowing use of photo enforcement cameras in cities within an eight-county area, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, Will, Madison, and St. Clair Counties. Seventy percent of the people in Illinois live in those counties. Cities covered include Aurora, Belleville, East St. Louis, Elgin, Evanston, Joliet, Naperville, Wheaton, and Woodstock. Registered vehicle owners will be responsible for photo enforcement citations for red-light running, but speed citations cannot be issued with the technology. Seat Belt Compliance Not Complete About 18% still fail to buckle seatbelts, contributing to higher on-road death and injury rates, according to a report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The report gives a state-by-state summary of use, but young males, living in rural areas, who drive pickup trucks are the least likely to buckle their seat belts (58% of those killed on rural roads were not wearing a seat belt). Of crashes involving pickups, about seven in 10 people who died were not wearing belts. Men account for 65% of the more than 31,000 people killed each year in passenger vehicles, and more than 60% of people ages 8 to 44 who were killed in passenger vehicles were not wearing belts. The agency says that belts reduce the risk of death for those in the front seat of a passenger vehicle by 45% and reduce the risk of moderate-to-critical injuries by 50%. Higher reductions result for those in sport utilities, vans, and pickups when wearing belts. Eight states and Puerto Rico have safety belt rates above 90% compliance; 25 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico have primary enforcement belt laws allowing law enforcement personnel to stop a vehicle solely for noncompliance.Texas State Highway 130 becomes roadbuilding experiment Researchers at the International Center for Aggregates Research (ICAR) hope to find the key to longer lasting, more durable roads that can be constructed in less time. The time has come for Texas to look into more efficient options in creating roads, ICAR Managing Associate Director Joe Allen said. “Ever since we’ve been building roads we’ve been looking for new ways to take standard earth materials and put them down faster, make them stronger and make them last longer. Even though we’ve had newer equipment our methods haven’t changed,” Allen said. ICAR, a joint operation of The University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University, hope to discover better methods for road construction during a study this summer. The study is taking place on four stretches of road on the new State Highway 130. “We had the opportunity to get in as the road was being constructed,” said Allen. Lone Star Infrastructure is building SH 130. They donated 2,000 tons of rock through KBDJ quarry in Buda. KBDJ spokeswoman Kirsten Voinis said they had to provide a very specific type of rock. “KBDJ was asked to crush a specific type of road base material for the testing project. We had to meet certain specifications as far as the type of rock and size of rock,” Voinis said. The quarry is pleased to be a part of the project, Voinis said. “Researchers and construction companies must work together to build the best roads as possible, as Texas undertakes the largest road building push in the state’s history,” Voinis said. The size and type of rocks KBDJ quarry provided will go head to head with three other combinations. Researchers will do both laboratory and on-site testing, Allen said. Once complete researchers plan to show their findings to contractors and the state in hopes of changing the way they construct roads for the better. “It should save some time and therefore save some money. In the case of road reconstruction, it could turn the roads over to traffic sooner,” Allen said. Similar projects resulted in changes in road construction in Georgia and Tennessee, Allen said. (Source: www.news8austin.com, by Veronica Castelo, June 22, 2006.) ARTBA attorney highlights need for national environmental policy act reforms at California meeting of American Bar Association A U.S. House of Representatives task force established to consider reforms to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) has put forward several important proposals that could help ensure decisions made by federal, state, and local government agencies to add new highway capacity are not subject to endless legal challenge, an American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) staff attorney said June 2. ARTBA’s Nick Goldstein delivered his remarks before an American Law Institute/American Bar Association environmental litigation conference in San Francisco, Calif. He was part of a panel analyzing the recent draft report by the House task force, which contained more than 20 recommendations for updating NEPA. NEPA is a 1969 law that regulates the environmental review process all transportation projects must undergo before construction can begin. NEPA’s original intent was to protect the environment by ensuring the public has a role in the federal decision-making process and in minimizing the environmental impacts that result from federal activities. Provisions in the law, however, have been increasingly used by anti-growth groups to shut down or delay transportation improvement projects. Goldstein said the NEPA task force report contained a number of valuable ideas for improvement, such as eliminating duplicative reviews and curbing excessive and frivolous environmental litigation. The report calls for establishing lead agencies for conducting environmental reviews and a 180-day time limit for filing project-related NEPA lawsuits. Such a statute of limitations, Goldstein said, would lead to more certainty in the transportation planning and help speed the delivery of highway improvement projects. Goldstein also highlighted a number of the positive environmental reforms ARTBA worked to achieve in the 2005 federal highway and transit program reauthorization bill, SAFETEA-LU. High oil prices sparks Charleston, W.Va. to cut paving to about 60 asphalt streets The city of Charleston (in West Virginia) is cutting back this year on its asphalt street paving because of high oil costs and to give some of the older concrete streets some overdue attention. The city has a tentative list of sections of about 60 asphalt streets that will be given priority for paving that will begin this summer. City Council is expected to consider a $1.7 million bid for the asphalt paving at its June 5 meeting. Bids were accepted until May 30. Last year, sections of 100 streets were paved for about $1.6 million, but crude oil prices have driven barge fuel costs up and made asphalt more expensive. "One thing drives the other," said City Engineer Chris Knox. The city has compiled a list of about 20 concrete streets, mostly in residential areas, on which damaged "panels" will be repaired, Knox said. Two contracts will be awarded to handle the different projects. The money to pay for the paving will come from the city's user fee revenue. Knox said the work constituting that $1.7 million figure likely would be shaved back to free up some money to pay for the concrete repairs, though he was reluctant to say how much would be cut out of the asphalt bid. The city's downtown will get the most attention this round of paving. Eight streets in the area are on the tentative list, including sections of Clendenin, Hale and Quarrier streets and Kanawha Boulevard between McFarland Street and the Elk River Bridge. Two sections of Virginia Street East are on the list between Capitol and Bradford and Court and Laidley streets. The West Side is next with seven streets, including sections of Falcon, Neighbors, Upper Edgewood and Summit drives. Knox said the city spends the year compiling a long list of potential streets that are brought up by various council members and city department heads who drive them every day and hear the gripes from residents. The list is then prioritized, taking into consideration the average daily traffic, immediate condition of the street and when the street was last paved, Knox said. The streets are then prioritized again into a three-tiered list. If the budget allows, some “No. 2” streets are included, Knox said. The No. 3 priority streets are left for another paving season. Asphalt paving should begin shortly after the bid is awarded and last until Thanksgiving, when the paving plants shut down, Knox said. The city collects about $2.8 million a year from the $1-a-week user fee. The money pays for the street repairs and hiring police officers. The fee is levied on everyone working within city limits. The state Supreme Court in December ordered the city to hold a special election on the fee, after it found problems with the procedure by which the city passed the fee ordinance in 2004. Only registered voters who live in the city can vote on it. The special election will take place on July 24. Absentee voting by mail begins June 12. Knox said in an earlier interview that if voters shoot down the user fee, some of the lower priority streets on the list would be lopped off, since paving already will have begun. (Source: Daily Mail. Article by Justin D. Anderson, who may be contacted at 348-4843. Article originally published May 31, 2006.) Interstate 50th anniversary convoy across America to feature Web casts at each city Stop The Interstate 50th Anniversary Convoy, June 16-29,
organized by the American Association of State Highway and
Transportation Officials (AASHTO) will be featured during Internet TV
Web cast reports on National League of Cities’ National City Network TV
(NCNTV, www.NCNTV.org ). The announcement was made by TV Worldwide, (www.TVWorldwide.com
), NCNTV’s Internet TV partner. TV Worldwide and NCNTV production crews
will report on the Interstate 50th convoy activities through 18 city
stops, while featuring city transportation issues and covering convoy
member Operation Interdependence, (www.OIdelivers.org ), a civilian to
military distribution system with volunteers who will be collecting care
packages at each stop and communicating with troops overseas from each
city during the Web casts. Visitors to the Web casts will be able to post questions to interviewees and participate in Q&A via e-mail, providing a fully interactive forum for sharing information. The event will be archived for viewing for full year at NCNTV (www.NCNTV.org). Questions can be directed to 703-961-9250, ext. 223 before and during the convoy Web casts. (Source: American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials via Aggregate Research Industries) AARP joins lawsuit against Cat The AARP has joined a lawsuit against Peoria-based Caterpillar Inc. filed by retirees who believe the company owes them health benefits for life. The A-A-R-P is a national advocacy organization for people more than 50 years old. Attorneys for the AARP Foundation Litigation have become co-counsel in the lawsuit, which could attain class-action status. The suit filed in late March in Nashville, Tenn., claims that all Caterpillar retirees who left between Jan. 1, 1992, and March 1998, are owed free lifetime health insurance. There was no valid contract between Peoria-based Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers at that time. The suit claims that, because no formal contract was in place, workers who retired then are entitled to the terms of the previous contract, which provided the free health care. (Source: Associated Press) Meth-lab litter poses hazard for road crews Volunteers and maintenance crews who clean up roadside litter are being urged to watch for potentially toxic debris discarded from methamphetamine labs. Transportation agencies in several states and organizations that promote highway cleanups are creating brochures and DVDs to educate workers about dangers from materials used to make the drug, also known as meth or speed. “We felt it was important to notify the public that the trash you might as a Good Samaritan be out picking up on the side of the road could possibly be dangerous to you,” says Lt. John Eichkorn of the Kansas Highway Patrol. The agency issued a news release in March that warned volunteers and highway cleanup crews. Bystanders who come across materials used to make the drug can be burned or their lungs damaged from inhaling fumes. Clues indicating a dumpsite include empty bottles attached to a rubber hose, the smell of ammonia and coffee filters stained red or containing a white powder residue. Meth is a highly addictive stimulant that can be made using household chemicals and equipment and common cold remedies containing ephedrine or pseudoephedrine. To combat the drug’s spread, most states have passed laws restricting access to those medicines, including limiting how much a customer can buy and having buyers sign a log, says Blake Harrison of the National Conference of State Legislatures. President Bush in March signed a federal law that imposes similar restrictions. Such legislation has dramatically reduced the number of illegal meth labs found inside homes, says Ashley Cradduck, spokeswoman for Gov. Dave Heineman of Nebraska, where a law was passed last year. Among actions: •Keep Nebraska Beautiful, a civic group, launched an education campaign last year and created a DVD on meth litter for the thousands of 4-H clubs, Scout troops and Rotary clubs involved in cleanup efforts. “We recommend to every single group to view that video before they go out so they know how to respond,” says Jane Polson, the group’s executive director. •Colorado’s Department of Transportation offers an instructional video warning that meth litter is “a deadly threat to all Adopt-A-Highway volunteers.” The video urges group leaders to scout areas before volunteers begin work. “There was a need for a higher level of attention to it because I don’t think the crews really realized the risk they were in,” says Stacey Stegman, a department spokeswoman. A maintenance worker was overwhelmed two years ago by fumes from meth materials tossed in a rest stop trash bin, she says. “It burned his lungs,” she says. “He was off work for close to a month.” •Wyoming is distributing brochures on meth litter to more than 900 organizations that volunteer to clean up a stretch of road as part of its Adopt-A-Highway program. There have been few reports of people being injured after stumbling across meth materials, and no one reports a dip in volunteers, cleanup leaders say. “They haven’t been scared away,” Polson says. “I think the key is education.” (Source: USA Today online edition, usatoday.com. Posted May 30, 2006. Article by Charisse Jones) Prefab Bridge Decisions Deciding whether to use prefabbed bridges or not can be easier when you use the new Federal Highway Administration’s Framework for Prefabricated Bridge Elements and Systems Decision-Making. The tool gives agencies and contractors a quick, simple tool to use in deciding whether to prefab for a specific project. The framework presents issues such as traffic volume, purpose of replacement, worker safety concerns, environmental matters, and so on. Three formats can be used: a one-page flow chart, a one-page matrix, and a detailed question-and-discussion format. The framework and other data can be obtained online at www.fhwa.dot.gov/bridge/prefab/index.htm . Highway Deaths Increase Early information estimates from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration indicate that the highway death rate last year increased for the first time in about two decades, going to 43,200 from 42,636. Death rates per million vehicle miles went from 1.44 to 1.46. While this increase is small, it shows the need for greater safety in driving. According to the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, about 80% of crashes and near-crashes include driver inattention such as cell phone use, sleepiness, reaching for a moving object within the vehicle, and so on. Leonard Evans, president of Science Service Society, told a University of Minnesota Center for Transportation Studies group that automatic detection and enforcement could help reduce traffic fatalities. The safety expert pointed out that the United States has dropped from having the safest roads (lowest death rates) in the world in the 1960s to 16th place. Fatalities in comparable countries — Canada, Great Britain, and Australia — fell by about half from 1979 to 2002. In the U.S., rates fell only 16%. If we could match their performance, Evans says, we would have about 15,000 fewer deaths on our roads each year. Evans says U.S. safety has historically relied on better vehicle design, including safety devices, such as seat belts, in the vehicle. An approach of avoiding risky driving helps avoid the problem better, he says. Evans recommends photo radar, red-light cameras, and other technologies. “Studies of various automatic speed-detection systems found a 19% crash reduction,” he says, “and a review of red-light cameras shows a 25 to 30% drop.” A recent report from HNTB gives a list of elements included in Intelligent Transportation Systems. Many of these could be used to help reduce highway deaths and make roads safer, too. They include: * Advanced traveler information systems to help drivers choose better routes or modes of transportation. * Advanced traffic management systems with detectors, cameras, and communication systems to monitor traffic, optimize signal timings on major arterials, and improve the flow of traffic. * Incident management systems to respond quickly and efficiently to accidents and other emergencies. * Intersection collision avoidance systems to monitor a vehicle’s speed and position relative to an intersection and other vehicles and advise the driver of appropriate actions. * Road departure collision avoidance systems with lane or road edge detectors that interface with in-vehicle communication devices. Arizona Collects Crash Info In an effort to improve road safety, the Arizona Department of Transportation recently sponsored a crash data collection and analysis study to examine possibilities offered by technological innovations such as Electronic Data Entry, Relational Database Management Systems, and Geographic Information Systems. The resulting report provides best practices in these areas currently in use in the United States. The report also provides step-by-step details of how the study was conducted and the results. The report, FHWA-AZ-06-537, can be obtained on the FHWA Web site. Or, you can contact ADOT’s Arizona Transportation Center for a copy by faxing 602-712-3400. ARTBA Transportation Development Foundation announces winners of 2006 ‘PRIDE Awards’ Transportation construction organizations from Maine to Mississippi were recognized at the American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation’s (ARTBA-TDF) seventh annual “PRIDE Awards” luncheon, held May 17 during the association’s “Federal Issues Program” in Washington, D.C. Established by the ARTBA Board of Directors in October 1999, the PRIDE Awards honor “excellence in community relations and public education that enhance the image of the U.S. transportation construction industry.” This year’s awards competition was sponsored by Better Roads and Roads & Bridges magazines. An independent panel of public relations professionals and construction industry journalists selected the winners. State transportation departments and private sector firms were recognized in the following categories: Public-Media Relations/Education: This category recognizes programs and activities that educate the public and opinion leaders about the significant contributions the transportation construction industry (or a specific sector of it) makes to the economy and/or quality of life. Community Relations: This category recognizes programs and activities that demonstrate positive civic involvement with the community in which a public agency, firm or association is located. Public-Media Relations/Education: Private SectorFirst Place: The Louis Berger Group and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority (NJTA) The NJTA’s plan to construct a new interchange on the Turnpike in Secaucus included the proposed disinterment of an unmarked burial ground dating back to 1880 known as Potter’s Field. The agency joined forces with The Louis Berger Group to disinter all human remains in the field, reclaim their identities and relocate them to an existing and functioning cemetery. Berger Group worked with the news media and relatives of the deceased to keep them informed and reassure the project was being handled sensitively and with all due care. After nearly nine months, more than 4,000 remains were relocated and financial resources were dedicated to creating a permanent memorial monument and providing perpetual care of the reinterment site. Second place: CTE Engineers, Inc. The most expensive project ever undertaken by the New York State Thruway Authority, the Interchange 8 Reconstruction Project involved a new configuration of connecting roadways linking interchange 87 with interchange 287, and two new higher-speed E-ZPass lanes. The project’s education outreach program (EOP), developed from an idea by a local resident, was designed to teach local students about the transportation construction industry and road building process and how the project affected their daily lives. Reaching more than 1,000 students in four school districts, the EOP was successful in supplementing and combining the students’ regular curriculum with information about the project. Third place: Ayres Associates In many places across the country, transportation investment levels are not keeping pace with current demand on highways, bridges and transit systems. Ayres Associates developed the “Transportation Funding & Maintenance Education Initiative” in Wisconsin to provide public officials, private sector transportation design and construction firms and the business community with strategies to meet these funding challenges. Presentations made by Ayres Associates executives reached over 2,000 transportation stakeholders throughout the state with key messages about the importance of transportation infrastructure to the economy and quality of life and of participating in the political process to build support for increased investments by elected officials. Honorable Mention: Honorable mention was also awarded in this category to KCI Technologies, Inc., and the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission for their comprehensive public relations initiative relating to construction of the Susquehanna River Bridge. State Transportation DepartmentsFirst Place: Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department (AHTD) To help the general public better understand its commitment to environmental stewardship, the AHTD produced “Beyond the Pavement,” an educational video designed to provide greater insight into the agency’s day-to-day activities. It highlighted the processes used to assess environmental impacts of highway projects before plans are made or land is altered. Nearly 1,500 videos were sent to public schools and libraries in the state and it is being shown in each Arkansas Welcome Center. Second Place: North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) In an effort to better prepare teen drivers for the safety hazards associated with road construction zones, the NCDOT, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol and ARTBA state affiliate — the Illinois Road & Transportation Builders Association — joined forces to produce “In the Zone.” The fast-paced video, featuring NASCAR driver Todd Bodine, contains powerful images and messages that are helping impress upon students the need to navigate safely when driving through these sites. More than 1,500 copies have been distributed to driver’s education classrooms across the state. Third Place: Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) “I’m Not Your Mama — Pick It Up, Mississippi” was the feature slogan of a multi-faceted campaign launched in 2003 by the MDOT that has successfully helped reduce the amount of litter along the state’s highways. Television and radio advertisements and other public education materials delivered a clear message that was humorously geared toward distinct targeted audiences, such as young men ages 18 to 34, who were identified as being responsible for the greatest percentage of highway litter. The campaign also educated the public about the connection between clean highways and a strong state economy. Community Relations State Departments of TransportationFirst Place: Maine Department of Transportation (Maine DOT) When Maine DOT engineers begin designing a replacement for the historic and iconic, steel-suspension Waldo-Hancock Bridge over the Penobscot River, time was one of the biggest hurdles. Unexpected levels of cable corrosion on the historic bridge meant that construction had to begin right away, and that meant gaining community support in short order for a newly designed cable stayed bridge. The department initiated an extensive public involvement process that moved at an unprecedented pace. Community workshops soliciting advice about the bridge design, a project website with questions and answers page, live web cams showing the construction and a final town hall style meeting, were all part of the department’s program. Construction of the bridge continues on pace and with the strong support and pride of area residents. Second Place (tie): Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) Dubbed “Upgrade 74,” the $460 million, multi-year reconstruction of I-74 through Peoria and East Peoria was initiated to better handle the traffic flow that has more than doubled in the past 40 years. IDOT created a speaker’s bureau for the agency’s engineers to deliver more then 200 presentations to local groups and businesses detailing construction activities. IDOT’s outreach campaign also included development of a project Web site, toll-free hotline, print and radio advertising and a special newspaper supplement to educate motorists about the timing of construction activities and help them avoid delays. Second Place (tie): Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) Last fall when Hurricane Katrina came ashore on the Gulf Coast, the MDOT demonstrated extraordinary commitment and courage in preparing for and responding to the deadly storm. MDOT law enforcement, maintenance, and construction personnel quickly and safely opened roadways and bridges to facilitate evacuation, emergency response and ongoing relief efforts, including setting up contraflow on Interstates 55 and 59 in just six hours. MDOT implemented an agency-wide emergency plan before Katrina hit, set up make-shift camps for displaced residents, provided 24-hour live information, loaned and donated patrol cars to neighboring municipalities and repaired storm sewers and traffic signals in an effort to rebuild the infrastructure. Third Place: Sam Schwartz PLLC The design team of Sam Schwartz PLLC successfully took on the challenge of creating a design alternative that allowed for traffic flow and minimal congestion on New York’s West Side Highway/Route 9A and also preserved one of Manhattan’s oldest city squares. After working with the state DOT and residents of the Tribecca neighborhood, the engineers’ final design reconfigured the intersection to decrease the number of lanes and improve crossing conditions. Traffic continues to flow unimpeded from Canal Street to much of the city accessible via West Side Highway/Route 9A. And after an eight-five year absence, Canal Street Park re-opened to tourists, visitors and residents in October 2005. The new park, which is twice the size of the 1807 original, features ornamental fences, granite pavement and evergreen plants and faces the sunset on the Hudson River. Private SectorFirst Place: Cashman/Balfour Beatty Construction & Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) Cashman/Balfour Beatty, JV, in partnership with the MBTA developed and executed an extensive community outreach program to educate and inform residents and businesses about the design and construction of the $250 million Greenbush commuter rail line in south shore suburbs of Boston. It included development of a project-related telephone hot line and Web site, e-mail alerts, and a radio call-in show. Regular meetings with civic associations, rotary clubs and local chambers of commerce to provide progress reports were also key to building community support for the project. Second Place: CTE Engineers, Inc. and City of Chicago The 6.4 mile complete reconstruction of South Lake Shore Drive (SLSD) improved a major commuter route, restored two cherished lakeside parks and demonstrated that a major urban engineering project can be enhanced by community involvement. The SLSD is one of Chicago’s major commuter routes, carrying more than 100,000 vehicles daily, but is also a scenic drive located entirely within historic Jackson and Burnham Parks along Lake Michigan. The project team, with the continual involvement and feedback of a local advisory group, was successful at reconciling the demands of building an efficient modern highway in a major urban park while still preserving a strong connection to the lake and allowing for outdoor activities. Third Place: KCI Technologies, Inc. KCI Technologies, Inc., implemented a comprehensive community relations program for the archaeology recovery efforts related to widening U.S. Routes 0011/0015, located in the valley between the Appalachian Mountains and Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania. Excavations conducted at five prehistoric sites recovered artifacts dating back 12,000 years. The program included scheduled and spontaneous tours during excavations, lectures at nearby schools and before community groups, a pamphlet, poster, and project Web site. Nine articles describing the project were published in local and national periodicals. Several thousand visitors passed through the site during excavations. The outreach program captured audiences, reinvigorated in residents a sense of local history and common heritage and enlightened children and adults, alike. The ARTBA-TDF also presented a special PRIDE Award to New Orleans-based Boh Brothers Construction in recognition of the firm’s outstanding leadership in recovery and rebuilding efforts following Hurricane Katrina. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation) American Road & Transportation Builders Association offers 10 reasons why suspending the federal gas tax is a bad idea to address gas prices With the retail price of gasoline and diesel fuel around $3 per gallon, some are calling for a suspension or repeal of the 18.4 cents-per-gallon federal tax on motor fuel sales. Since 1956, this excise has served as a user fee to generate dedicated revenue for the Highway Trust Fund, the source of federal investments in state and local highway and public transit improvement programs. The American Road & Transportation Builders Association offers the following 10 reasons why such a move would be “extremely bad public policy”: 1. Starving the federal Highway Trust Fund of revenue is not a solution to higher gas prices. Providing and maintaining transportation infrastructure is a core function of government. It is an essential platform for economic activity and facilitates the provision of virtually all essential public services — fire and emergency response, law enforcement, homeland security and national defense. 2. Suspending the whole federal motor fuels tax would reduce revenues to the Highway Trust Fund by $2.5 billion per month. The resulting cut in state and local highway and transit improvement programs would jeopardize 120,000 American jobs. 3. Even if the federal excise were reduced, the federal government could not guarantee that gas prices would drop commensurately at the pump. In fact, research shows that when the states of Illinois and Indiana temporarily suspended their sales tax on motor fuel purchases in 2001 in response to escalating retail prices — the impact on consumer pocketbooks was minimal and state transportation improvement programs were shortchanged by tens of millions of dollars. 4. Reducing or eliminating the federal motor fuels tax would do nothing to increase the supply of motor fuels—a major reason why motor fuel retail prices are up. 5. Repealing the federal gas tax, even for only a few months, would threaten the solvency of the Highway Trust Fund. The recently enacted highway and transit bill, SAFETEA-LU, utilizes all available revenues projected to be collected for the Highway Trust Fund through September 2009. Right now, the trust fund balance stands at less than $10 billion. The U.S. Treasury Department predicts the trust fund could run out of money before the end of FY 2009 even with current revenues. Without the collection of highway user fees, spending for highway and transit programs would have to be cut or supported from the general fund, thus increasing the federal deficit. 6. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would exacerbate traffic congestion across the nation—causing motorists and truckers to spend even more on motor fuel. Research by the Texas Transportation Institute shows traffic congestion is now responsible for 5.7 billion gallons of wasted motor fuel in the U.S. each year. 7. Cutting federal investments in highway and transit improvements would affect traffic safety. Nearly 43,000 Americans died last year in motor vehicle crashes. Poor road conditions and outdated alignments were a factor in an estimated one-third of them. Highway crashes cost American society $230 billion — $820 per person — each year. Traffic accidents are the leading cause of death of Americans 6 to 28 years of age and result in more permanently disabling injuries than any other type of accident. 8. The federal gas and diesel excises have had nothing to do with the recent dramatic increase in gasoline and diesel fuel prices. The federal gas tax rate has not changed since Oct. 1, 1993. 9. What would happen when the federal gas tax suspension is lifted? Would Americans experience—in one day—an 18.4 cent-per-gallon spike in the retail price of motor fuel? 10. Using the gas tax as a political expediency would be bad public policy and set a dangerous precedent (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) ARTBA Foundation accepting applications for 2006 ‘Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards’ The American Road & Transportation Builders Association Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) is now accepting nominations for the 2006 “Roadway Work Zone Safety Awareness Awards.” Sponsored by ARTBA-TDF and the National Safety Council, this annual awards competition recognizes specific programs, education campaigns or innovations in technology that demonstrate excellence in promoting safety in roadway construction zones. The awards program is divided into the following four categories: Government Outreach — Recognizes the specific public outreach campaigns or safety programs by federal, state, or local government agencies aimed at improving work zone safety. Private Outreach Campaigns — Honors the efforts of national, state and local private sector organizations, such as construction companies, utility companies or trade associations, that promote roadway work zone safety through implementation of employee and/or public education campaigns and training programs. Worker Training –– Recognizes special national, state and local training programs by public or private sector organizations targeted towards improving the safety of workers impacted by roadway construction. Innovations in Technology — Honors manufacturers of equipment and products that use innovative technology to improve safety for motorists and workers in and around roadway work zones. The competition is open to all interested individuals and organizations. An independent panel of judges will evaluate the entries. Applications must be received at The ARTBA Headquarters Building in Washington, D.C., by Monday, Aug. 1. Winning entries will be notified on or before Aug. 18, 2006. To inquire about the award program or obtain a copy of the application form, contact ARTBA’s Rhonda Britton at 202-289-4434. The application is also available online at www.artbatdf.org. The awards will be presented at a special awards banquet, during the ARTBA Annual Meeting, Sept. 26-29, 2006 in San Diego. The safety awards program is a TDF project that complements ARTBA’s “PRIDE in Transportation Construction” campaign to focus public attention on the many positive contributions the transportation construction industry makes to the U.S. economy and quality of life. Celebration of 50th anniversary of national interstate highway system underway Activities celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the National Interstate Highway System are being planned. The Federal Highway Administration has a 50th Anniversary Web site that can be accessed at www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/homepage.cfm. The American Association of State Highway Officials’ 50th Anniversary Web site, which can be viewed at www.interstate50th.org/index.shtml, lists the activities underway on a state-by-state basis. It also contains details on the convoy, which is a recreation of the first Transcontinental Motor Tour that led President Eisenhower to sign the law creating the National Interstate Highway System almost four decades later. The convoy will end at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on June 29, the actual anniversary of the signing of the act. National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study commission named A key provision in the SAFETEA-LU highway authorization legislation was the establishment of a National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission to make recommendations for a long term plan to ensure that the surface transportation system will continue to serve the needs of the United States and recommendations on how to fund future needs. The law directed that commissioners be appointed by the majority and minority leaders in the House and the Senate and by the president. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta was designated to serve as the chair of the commission. Many believe that the Commission’s recommendations will be the framework for the next highway reauthorization bill. The president has now announced his “intention to appoint” the final three Commissioners as follows:
Congressional appointments are as follows:
Once the appointments are officially made, the commission is required to meet within 30 days. The White House announcement represents just an “intent to appoint” pending completion of a background check which is expected to be completed by Mid May. Once this is completed and the actual appointments are made, the commission will meet within 30 days (Source: Highway Facts Bulletin, April 10, 2006 edition. Associated General Contractors of America.) Larry Russell named American Road and Transportation Builders Association national field director The American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) named Larry C. Russell national field director. Working out of a regional office, Russell manages a team that focuses on providing ARTBA membership services, new member development, fundraising and expanding the association’s grassroots activities throughout the U.S. Russell and the field team are focused on building a national coalition of transportation design and construction firms around the country to actively engage in critical issues in the Nation’s Capital — particularly leading up to reauthorization of VISION-100 in 2007 and SAFETEA-LU in 2009. Russell first joined ARTBA as director of western operations in early 2005. Previously, Russell led grassroots and field operations in Ohio for the Bush-Cheney 04 re-election campaign. Russell also served as executive director of South Dakota “Victory 2002 and 2004” — the grassroots arm of the state’s Republican Party — at the request of now Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.). During these campaigns, he worked daily with the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the White House. He managed 15 field offices, administered a multi-million-piece direct mail and coordinated phone program and implemented a statewide voter ID initiative. He also built coalition relationships with statewide and national organizations such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. After earning a B.S. in social science from Black Hills State University in 1995, he spent five years on the staff of then Rep. Thune. He managed Thune’s congressional office and staff in the western part of the state and later was field director and statewide economic development director. Russell has extensive experience as a grassroots consultant and lobbyist. He has conducted numerous grassroots training seminars for the Republican National Committee and state Republican organizations. He also directed grassroots campaigns for the Anheuser-Busch Companies in seven states. Russell spent time as manager of business development for Cedar American Rail Holdings, Inc., in Sioux Falls, S.D. He served as the firm’s primary liaison with state transportation departments and was responsible for business development, government and public affairs and special projects in eight states. He was involved in the development of North America’s largest rail project in a century — a $2.5 billion expansion into Wyoming’s Powder River Basin. He and his wife, Joey, have two daughters. ARTBA Foundation completes U.S. Department of Labor roadway work zone safety training program During the past two years, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association’s Transportation Development Foundation (ARTBA-TDF) has provided custom safety training to over 1,000 road construction workers under a just-completed contract from the federal government. The Susan Harwood Grant, “Targeted Safety Training for the Roadway Construction Industry,” from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety & Health Administration, was administered in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 by the ARTBA-TDF in partnership with the National Safety Council and CNA Insurance. It provided four hours of transportation industry-specific training in work zone safety for road construction workers. While initially basing the training on the existing curricula of the industry-focused OSHA 10-Hour course, the ARTBA-TDF soon expanded the training to cover two additional hazards identified by reviews of roadway industry insurance data. The training modules addressed manual materials handling (ergonomics) and fleet safety management — two of the top five hazards evidenced by industry insurance claims. Under the contract, ARTBA-TDF and its partners developed nearly a dozen laminated “Safety and Health Checklist” pocket cards, which were widely distributed to training participants and handed out at conferences, seminars and expositions. Copies of the cards can be downloaded in PDF format at www.artba.org and from the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse, http://wzsafety.tamu.edu. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association)
World of Asphalt 2006 breaks attendance, The World of Asphalt 2006 Show and Conference set attendance and exhibit space records during its run March 13 – 16, 2006 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. More than 4,145 asphalt, highway and maintenance industry professionals attended World of Asphalt 2006, a 26-percent increase compared to the last show, held in 2004, and more than two-and-one-half times the attendance at the inaugural 2001 event. Attendees came from companies large to small and from businesses in the United States and worldwide. A record 68,800-plus net square feet of space was used by 221 exhibitors to showcase the latest equipment, product innovations and services to enhance job performance and productivity. This was a 26-percent increase in the amount of space taken at the 2004 show and almost two-and-one-half times the exhibit space at the first World of Asphalt, held in 2001. The show attracted a highly qualified audience, with a majority of attendees in management roles – with titles including president, owner, vice president, general manager, chief financial officer and purchasing, sales, or marketing manager. “More than numbers, this year’s World of Asphalt had such a positive energy and was truly an industry gathering place where we could exchange experiences and learn from each other,” noted R. Wayne Evans, World of Asphalt 2006 Chairman and Senior Vice President Business Development for Hubbard Construction Company in Orlando, Fla. “Attendees found all they needed to keep up to speed on what’s happening in the asphalt industry today – from the latest equipment on the show floor to the latest trends discussed in the education sessions and live equipment demonstration event,” he added. Education and Equipment Demonstration Event Complement Exhibits World of Asphalt 2006 education also set records, with 4,185 tickets sold for the People, Plants and Paving Training Program and the Asphalt Pavement Alliance’s (APA) Asphalt Pavement Conference. This represented a 62-percent increase compared to the last show and a 74-percent gain compared to the first World of Asphalt educational programming, in 2003. The event featured a live equipment demonstration event that illustrated technological advancements in roadbuilding techniques to help industry professionals meet today’s ever increasing demands on project specifications. More than 25 equipment manufacturers, contractors and suppliers joined together in the cooperative effort as an educational service to the industry. Global scope of show grows The international scope of World of Asphalt continued to grow, with visitors coming from more than 50 countries outside the United States, accounting for almost 19 percent of total show attendance compared to about 10 percent for the last show. Among the global attendees was a Chinese delegation of approximately 15 roadbuilding professionals ranging from company presidents to engineers. The Russian attendance of 55-plus industry professionals included delegations organized by the Moscow-based Center for International Studies and the Russian Services Bureau of Miami, and was a result in part because of promotional support from the Russian magazine “Stroitelstvo” (Construction). And, a continuing cooperative liaison with the Mexican Asphalt Association, based in Mexico City, helped bring a large Mexican contingent to World of Asphalt 2006. World of Asphalt 2006 also had the support of more than 25 domestic and international industry organizations as well as government groups at the county, state and national level. Supporters included the U.S. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and, for the first time, a Chinese roadbuilding organization. The next World of Asphalt will be held March 19-22, 2007 in Atlanta. The event is held annually except in years when the CONEXPO-CON/AGG exhibition is staged. World of Asphalt co-owners are the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), National Asphalt Pavement Association (NAPA) and National Stone, Sand & Gravel Association (NSSGA). For more information contact World of Asphalt, call 800-867-6060 (toll free) or 414-298-4150, fax 414-272-2672, e-mail info@worldofasphalt.com or visit the show Web site www.worldofasphalt.com. Federal Issues Program & Fly-In slated for May 16-18 in Washington, D.C. With a huge budget deficit again facing Congress, the competition for federal funds is expected to be even more fierce than usual this year. That’s why it’s critical for transportation construction industry executives to participate in the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) “Federal Issues Program” and 2006 Transportation Construction Coalition (TCC) Fly-in, held May 16-18 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Washington, D.C. The day-and-a-half ARTBA program will feature direct interaction with federal agency policymakers, providing the opportunity to see where federal policies and regulations impacting the transportation construction industry are headed — and ensuring that those creating policy and regulations are hearing “real world” feedback. Policy decisions will also be at the forefront during the ARTBA Board of Directors and Committee meetings. The annual TCC Washington Fly-in, which immediately follows the ARTBA program, brings together hundreds of executive members from 28 national associations and labor unions to directly lobby Congress on transportation funding issues. The TCC program features issue briefings, a reception with members of Congress and their staffs, and a half-day of face-to-face meetings in congressional offices about the fiscal year 2007 transportation appropriations bill, implementation of SAFETEA-LU and other issues. ARTBA will also be hosting on May 16, a reception and open house tour of its new headquarters building, located at 1219 28th Street, N.W. To review the ARTBA and TCC programs and register online, check out the “Meetings and Events” section of the ARTBA Web site at www.artba.org. Room reservations may be made by calling 1-800-228-9290. Mention the “ARTBA Federal Issues Program” to receive the discounted $279 per night rate. For additional details, call ARTBA’s Ed Tarrant at 202-289-4434. Research Marches On The Arizona Transportation Research Center recently reported on a number of pertinent research projects. One report analyzed crash risks. Project goals were to identify and recommend improvements to the Arizona Local Government Safety Project Analysis Model, enhancing its ability to accurately identify high-risk sites. After completion, the project showed that Empirical Bayes method yields a higher percentage of truly high-risk sites, shows more truly safe sites and identifies them as such, and provides the best site consistency and method consistency of alternative methods. The full report is High-Risk Crash Analysis by Simon Washington and Wen Chang, report number FHWA-AZ-05-558. Another project evaluated photo speed enforcement on freeways. The question was whether current photo speed enforcement systems provide a viable technical solution that will accurately measure regional freeway speeding problems. Systems were initially evaluated on several factors including mobile deployment options, relocation ease, color photography, ability to ID both driver and rear license plate, system costs, ease of data handling, no need for sensors in the pavement, and ability of the system to cover five lanes of freeway traffic in one direction. Six vendors were evaluated. Research conclusions show that current systems have gaps in needs and abilities and that continued progress should eventually lead to field trials. The full report is Technical Evaluation of Photo Speed Enforcement by Craig A. Roberts, Ph.D. and Jamie Brown-Esplain. It is the Arizona Department of Transportation’s report number AZ-05-596. The third report looked at the cost of overweight vehicle travel on Arizona Highways. Overweight vehicle enforcement remains a problem in most states and hard data on overweight vehicles is not readily available. There is no coherent vision of weight enforcement among practitioners, the ARTC notes say. Ports of entry aren’t consistently manned and operated. When POEs are closed, violators have an open road. Few ports have cutting-edge technology to identify violations. Overweight vehicles cause between $12 million and $53 million a year in uncompensated damage on Arizona roadways alone. Expansion of mobile enforcement could have a 4.5-to-1 benefit/cost ratio. Various agencies estimate the percentage of overweight vehicles on our roads from 10 to 38%, with most saying about 25% or more are overweight. The full report is Estimating the Cost of Overweight Vehicle Travel on Arizona Highways by Sandy H. Straus, ESRA Consulting Corporation. The report is the AZDOT’s report number FHWA-AZ-04-528. SHRP II Hits the Web A new Web site providing information about the Strategic Highway Research Program II is now up and running. To check it out, go to www.trb.org/shrpii/ . SHRP II is a targeted, short-term, results-oriented program of strategic highway research designed to advance highway performance and safety for U.S. highway users. It will focus on applied research in four areas: 1. Prevent or reduce the severity of highway crashes by understanding driver behavior (safety). 2. Address the aging infrastructure through rapid design and construction methods that cause minimal disruption and produce long-lived facilities (renewal). 3. Reduce congestion through incident reduction, management, response, and mitigation (reliability). 4. Integrate mobility, economic, environmental, and community needs in the planning and designing of new transportation capacity (capacity). You’ll find access to a PowerPoint presentation describing SHRP II on the site. The slides touch upon the focus areas, philosophy, funding, duration, governance, and oversight of the program. A brochure is also available online answering questions associated with the who, what, when, where, and why of the program. Technical advisory committees are being formed this spring and first requests for proposals for research activities will be issued this summer. Contracts will be let through 2009, with all work in the program to be completed by 2011. Materials: Good and Bad News A 22% increase in the cost of materials used for highway and street construction over the past two years is eroding the impact of the new federal highway bill and will likely limit the ability of states to meet their ever-growing transportation needs, according to an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. Increases include iron and steel, up 60% during the two-year period; asphalt paving mixtures up 10%; construction sand, gravel, and crushed stone up 11%; and ready-mix concrete up 18%. The cost of construction machinery rose 10%, while diesel fuel for construction vehicles jumped 88% in the two years. In New York, the State Department of Transportation now requires epoxy-coated rebar be provided by certified plants. The Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute administers the certification program, with a third party performing independent inspections. The U.S. Department of Commerce says that Mexican gray portland cement producers continue to dump products in the U.S., charging local Mexican customers 42% more than those in the U.S. This violates an anti-dumping order. On the brighter side, A.I.M. Resources introduced new salt water concrete that is said to be more effective and durable than fresh-water concrete. The cornerstone of the technology is the use of treated water used with existing mixes. Salt is not removed during the treatment. Faster drying time and greater resistance to harmful elements are cited as advantages for the C*-Crete material. Truck Bottlenecks Named A new study prepared for the Federal Highway Administration lists the worst highway bottlenecks for trucks. Of course, this means that those same areas cause congestion problems for all drivers. The study by Cambridge Systematics with the Battelle Memorial Institute says the worst bottlenecks are in Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Columbus, and Portland, Oregon. Truck-related delays along freight corridors cause direct users $32.15 an hour, the study estimates, including time spent at interchanges, signalized intersections, steep grades, and lane reductions. Bottlenecks account for 40% of vehicle delays, with the balance caused by construction work zones, crashes, breakdowns, bad weather, and poor signal timing. About 40% of the $40 billion in annual revenue collected into the federal Highway Trust Fund comes from fuel taxes paid by trucks, highway use taxes, sales taxes, and tire taxes. Billions more in state diesel and truck registration fees are collected. Even so, many agencies believe the damage done to highways from heavy trucks outweighs the amounts they pay. The five worst bottlenecks for trucks are: 1. I-90 at I-290 in Buffalo-Niagara Falls, with 1,661,900 hours of truck delay annually. 2. I-285 at the I-85 Interchange in Atlanta, with 1,641,200 hours of truck delay per year. 3. I-17 at the I-10 Interchange to Cactus in Phoenix, with 1,608,500 hours of truck delay annually. 4. I-90/94 at the I-290 Interchange in the Chicago-Northwestern, Indiana area, with 1,544,900 hours of truck delay per year. 5. San Bernardino Freeway in Los Angeles with 1,522,800 hours of delay for trucks each year. For the complete list, link to the FHWA study available at www.Truckline.com. Gradall has been sold to the Alamo Group Inc. The
sale was announced at an employee meeting at the plant on Feb. 3 and in
news announcements distributed by Gradall, Alamo Group and JLG
Industries, Inc., which had owned Gradall since 1999. Beyond the construction equipment industry and
government applications, Gradall produces models for mining, metal mill
maintenance, railway construction, and components for the firefighting
industry. More than one-half of Gradall’s sales are to
governmental buyers and related contractors for grading and maintenance
along right-of-ways, which makes it an ideal fit with our Industrial
Division. This division sells a variety of products including mowing
equipment, street sweepers, road patchers, snow removal and other
equipment for maintenance along roads and right-of-ways. Highway construction material costs have skyrocketed A 22-percent increase in the cost of materials used for highway and street construction during the past two years is eroding the impact of the new federal highway bill and will likely limit the ability of the states to meet their ever-growing transportation needs, according to an analysis by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association. In 2005 alone, highway contractors paid 13 percent more for materials over the previous year, ARTBA’s analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics’ data found. By contrast, the overall rate of inflation for 2005, as measured by the consumer price index, was just 3.4 percent. “Construction costs are going up much faster than highway construction budgets,” said Alison Premo Black, the ARTBA research economist who conducted the analysis. “Last year, Congress enacted a new highway bill that increases federal funding for highways about 4.5 percent per year. This is only a fraction of the recent rise in construction costs. State governments will need additional financial resources to move forward on transportation projects that could improve road safety and reduce traffic congestion.” Black’s analysis found that materials and services account for about one-half of total project costs. Increases have hit a number of important highway construction materials including iron and steel, which rose more than 60 percent in two years; asphalt paving mixtures up 10 percent; construction sand, gravel and crushed stone up 11 percent; and ready-mix concrete up 18 percent. The cost of construction machinery rose 10 percent, while diesel fuel for construction vehicles rose 88 percent in two years. Black said highway contractors are facing much higher material price increases than other sectors of the construction industry. Material prices for non-residential construction were up 7.6 percent in 2005, maintenance and repair construction material prices were up 8.7 percent, and residential construction material prices increased 7.9 percent. These differences are due to the different types of materials used in the construction process, she said. (Source: American Road & Transportation Builders Association) Highway bottlenecks costing truckers nearly $8 billion in lost time Bottlenecks on highways throughout the nation idled trucks for more than 243 million hours in 2004, costing U.S. trucking companies $7.8 billion, according to a study prepared for the Federal Highway Administration. The study by Cambridge Systematics, Inc. in association with the Battelle Memorial Institute is an initial effort to identify and quantify highway bottlenecks that delay trucks and increase costs to businesses and consumers. It found the worst bottleneck |
