MIDWEST SMART WORK ZONE DEPLOYMENT INITIATIVE: KANSAS' RESULTS

During 1999, the Departments of Transportation from the states of Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, and Missouri conducted a pooled-fund study of innovative devices designed to improve the safety and efficiency with which highway maintenance is conducted. In the state of Kansas, a total of nine devices were evaluated, including lighted raised pavement markers, CB-radio warning systems, and radar-triggered speed displays, among others. This paper gives an overview of the devices evaluated and summarizes the results of each of the evaluations. All of the products showed potential for improving work zone safety and operations. Some of the products require further development before they can be recommended for widespread deployment. The four products which seemed to show the most promise were orange removable rumble strips; the Vertical SafetyCade - designed to replace the reflectorized drum; a radar-triggered speed display; and an experimental configuration of Lightguard lighted raised pavement markers used to delineate a crossover in an interstate work zone. Speeds, lane distributions, and lane positions were used when appropriate to evaluate the effectiveness of each of the devices. In all cases, pneumatic hoses were used to collect the data. In most cases, one to two days of data were collected before and after device installation (or activation).

• Record URL:
  http://www.ctre.iastate.edu/pubs/midcon/Meyer1.pdf
• 
• Supplemental Notes:
  • The proceedings can be located on-line at www.ctre.iastate.edu/.
• Corporate Authors:

  Iowa State University, Ames

  Center for Transportation Research and Education
  2711 South Loop Drive, Suite 4700
  Ames, IA  United States  50010-8664
• Authors:
  • Meyer, E
• Conference:
  • Mid-Continent Transportation Symposium 2000
  • Location: Ames, Iowa
  • Date: 2000-5-15 to 2000-5-16
• Publication Date: 2000

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Photos; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 57-61

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Barricades; Before and after studies; Citizen band radio; Data collection; Evaluation; Improvements; Lane distribution; Raised road markings; Rumble strips; Speed control; Work zone safety; Work zone traffic control
• Uncontrolled Terms: Lane position; Speed displays (Radar-triggered)
• Geographic Terms: Kansas
• Subject Areas: Highways; Maintenance and Preservation; Operations and Traffic Management; Safety and Human Factors; I60: Maintenance; I73: Traffic Control;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00793268
• Record Type: Publication
• ISBN: 0965231046
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 23 2000 12:00AM