Communication Plan for Windblown Dust

Windblown dust events occur in Arizona, and blowing dust has been considered a contributing factor to serious crashes on the segment of Interstate 10 (I‐10) between Phoenix and Tucson, as well as on other Arizona roadways. Arizona’s dust events can be regional or localized in scope. Regional events often originate with the influx of monsoonal moisture during the mid‐ to late‐ summer period. Localized events can occur when the passage of cold fronts produces strong pressure gradients that drive high winds across the fronts. Such winds can drive dust “channels” that are difficult to predict or remotely detect. Currently, the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) acquires information about predicted or in‐progress dust events through National Weather Service forecasts and advisories and through field reports from motorists and ADOT personnel. ADOT then communicates this information to the public using a variety of methods, including roadway message signs, e‐mail blasts, and social media outlets (e.g., Twitter). In addition, ADOT has developed the “Pull Aside, Stay Alive” public outreach campaign, which is focused on increasing safe driver behavior during dust events. ADOT has also recently implemented a pilot dust monitoring system on a 26‐mile stretch of I‐10 in the Safford District. During this project, researchers developed a set of recommendations that ADOT can implement to identify the most effective means for acquiring data about windblown dust events, communicating information about these events to the public, and influencing driver behavior during dust storms in the future.

• Record URL:
  http://apps.azdot.gov/ADOTLibrary/publications/project_reports/PDF/AZ723.pdf
• Corporate Authors:

  Sonoma Technology, Incorporated

  1455 N McDowell Boulevard, Suite D
  Petaluma, CA  United States  94954-6503

  Arizona Department of Transportation

  206 South 17th Avenue
  Phoenix, AZ  United States  85007

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Authors:
  • Reid, Stephen B
  • MacDonald, Clinton P
  • Alrick, Daniel M
  • Veneziano, David
  • Koon, Leann
  • Pryor, Debra
  • Ginn, Diane
• Publication Date: 2015-5

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Edition: Final Report
• Features: Appendices; Figures; Maps; Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 156p

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Communication; Data collection; Dust; Highway safety; Outreach; Recommendations; Weather; Wind
• Geographic Terms: Arizona
• Subject Areas: Highways; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I70: Traffic and Transport; I85: Safety Devices used in Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01567453
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: FHWA‐AZ‐15‐723
• Contract Numbers: SPR‐723
• Files: TRIS, ATRI, USDOT, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Jun 26 2015 1:41PM