http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/news/news.asp A listing of the FHWA Office of Operations current news items. http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/kno_2009r1r2.htm Revisions 1 and 2 to the 2009 Edition of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) were published in the May 14, 2012 Federal Register notice. Revision 1 restores certain language from Section 1A.09 of the 2003 MUTCD that will continue the FHWA's current practice under Official Interpretation 1(09)-1 (I), which states that in limited, specific cases, deviation from a STANDARD is allowed at a location or other locations with the same conditions, provided that an agency or other official having jurisdiction fully documents the engineering reason for the deviation. Revision 2 eliminates 46 of the 58 compliance dates that were listed in Table I-2 of the 2009 MUTCD. Four of the 12 compliance dates that were retained have had their compliance dates extended. A new Option paragraph was added to Section 2D.43 exempting existing historic street name signs within a locally identified historic district from the provisions regarding street sign color, letter size, and other design features, including retroreflectivity. Tue, 15 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/peer2peer/brochure/index.htm The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Program Brochure provides information about the MUTCD P2P program. The program features transportation professionals who are willing to volunteer their time to provide guidance regarding technical issues pertaining to the MUTCD to their public sector peers who request help. Wed, 2 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/fpd/talking_freight/index.htm In recent years, there has been an increasing push for heavy load trucks, some of which haul oversize or overweight loads and require special permits. Some of these larger trucks are needed due to increasing U.S. and North American energy extraction activities, such as near the Bakken formation in North Dakota and Montana or for the tar oil sands in Alberta. Large trucks are also sometimes needed to support relief efforts in response to natural disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina in 2005 or the severe tornado outbreaks in Missouri and Alabama in 2011. These large trucks, while serving a significant regional or national good, also create significant impacts, both on the roads and in the communities in which they operate. Hear more about how different states and impacted jurisdictions are dealing or have dealt with the growing heavy truck volumes on the U.S. transportation system. Tue, 1 May 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm USDOT, State DOTs around the country, and partner organizations held events, made public announcements, and worked with the media throughout the week to recognize the 2012 National Work Zone Awareness Week and remind all to drive and work safely in work zones. Thu, 26 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/perf_measurement/ucr/reports/fy2012_q2.htm The Urban Congestion Report (UCR) is produced on a quarterly basis and characterizes emerging traffic congestion and reliability trends at the national and city level. Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12001/index.htm This primer offers transportation planners and operations managers a menu of opportunities for applying the regional ITS architecture to enhance planning for operations. It provides specific entry points for leveraging the regional ITS architecture in integrating operations into the planning process. This primer centers on the use of an objectives-driven, performance-based approach to planning for operations; an approach that can leverage regional ITS architectures given the approach's emphasis on operational objectives and performance measures and the architecture's use of data and services to address operational needs. Additionally, the primer leads planners and operators through techniques to make a regional ITS architecture relevant and more accessible to practitioner needs in planning for operations. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-001) Tue, 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop12004/index.htm This primer describes the role of transportation systems management and operations (M&O) in advancing livability and sustainability. The document highlights the connections between M&O and livability and sustainability objectives and the importance of a balanced, comprehensive approach to M&O in order to support those objectives. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-12-004) Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=24505 Rob Fellows of Washington State DOT (WSDOT) will discuss the WSDOT/Puget Sound Regional Council awareness and acceptance of pricing project. John Swanson of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG) will discuss the MWCOG/Brookings Institution Study on the Public Acceptability of Road-Use Pricing, funded by the Value Pricing Pilot Program. Wed, 18 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/training/course_detail.aspx?num=FHWA-NHI-133107&cat=&key=133107&num=&loc=&sta=%25&typ=&ava=&str=&end=&tit=&lev=&drl The FHWA Office of Operations with the National Highway Institute (NHI) developed Federal Highway Administration's Principles of Evacuation Planning Tutorial (133107), a Web-based training that provides an introductory overview of evacuation planning topics and common considerations. It covers the roles and responsibilities of local, regional, and state agencies involved in the evacuation process, while highlighting the importance of collaboration. Tue, 17 Apr 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm An article in the March 2012 issue of FHWA Focus describes what several states are doing in honor of National Work Zone Awareness Week 2012, to be held the week of April 23, 2012. The article also provides information on FHWA's work zone safety resources. Thu, 22 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://mutcd.fhwa.dot.gov/ser-shs_millennium.htm The 2009 MUTCD sign layouts are now available. The Federal Highway Administration has developed the design details of the new signs added in the 2009 Edition of the MUTCD and signs whose designs have been modified in the 2009 MUTCD. The new designs are provided in the form of a Supplement to the 2004 Edition of Standard Highway Signs. Mon, 12 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/news/fhwantlscholarships.htm The FHWA Office of Operations is offering up to 20 full scholarships to the next Operations Academy Senior Management Program October 9-19, 2012. The Operations Academy(TM) Senior Management Program is intended for mid to high level managers whose current or future responsibilities include transportation management and operations. For more information about the FHWA National scholarship program, please select the link below. Mon, 5 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.nhi.fhwa.dot.gov/resources/webconference/web_conf_learner_reg.aspx?webconfid=24340 Some agencies are implementing Active Traffic Management technologies to manage recurring and non-recurring traffic demand. Strategies under this category are varied and include, among others, variable speed limits, active warning systems, lane control systems and hard shoulder. However, the application of such techniques during weather events is still quite limited. Weather poses both a challenge and opportunity for the use of ATM. This webinar will focus on the role of ATM during weather events, summarize a recently developed Concept of Operations for ATM and weather, and describe recent applications and deployments in this area. Thu, 1 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/outreach/wz_awareness.htm The theme for this year's National Work Zone Awareness Week (NWZAW) is "Don't Barrel Through Work Zones! Drive Smart to Arrive Alive". NWZAW will be held April 23-27, 2012, with the National Kickoff held at the Route 141 relocation project in Chesterfield, Missouri (St. Louis area). Thu, 1 Mar 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/decision_support/2011/index.htm The national results for the 2011 Work Zone Mobility and Safety Self Assessment (WZSA) are now available. The national average score was 10.3 (out of 15), which is an increase over the 2010 average of 10.0. The WZSA is a tool to help States evaluate their work zone practices, and to help FHWA assess work zone practices nationally. The report shares practices occurring around the country for each of the questions. Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/freight/freight_analysis/nat_freight_stats/docs/11factsfigures/index.htm The Federal Highway Administration's Office of Freight Management of Operations (HOFM) has released Freight Facts and Figures 2011. Among other topics, this publication reviews the volume and value of freight flows in the United States to assist decision makers, planners, and the public in recognizing the relationship between freight transportation and the economy. Tue, 24 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/operations/11064/index.cfm The Federal Highway Administration, in support of the Traffic Analysis and Simulation Pooled Fund Study, initiated this study to identify and address consistency in the selection and use of traffic analysis tools. This report offers recommendations on the management, planning, and conduct of traffic analysis that will promote greater traffic analysis tool consistency over the typical project development life cycle. It is directed toward professionals operating in State departments of transportation and other agencies responsible for transportation project development and delivery. Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/publications/fhwahop12005/index.htm Work zone road user costs (WZ RUC) provide the economic basis for quantifying adverse work zone impacts which can then be used for effective decision-making to improve work zone mobility and safety. This report provides practitioners with information on WZ RUC components, concepts, and their applications in selecting the preferred Maintenance of Traffic (MOT) alternatives, project delivery/contracting strategies, and benefit-cost analysis. Step by step instructions are provided for key computations. Three "real-world" case studies from the Highways for LIFE program are presented to demonstrate the applications of WZ RUCs. Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule/presentations.htm This webinar covered how work zone process reviews are used to help agencies assess their work zone policies and procedures and how they are working in practice. FHWA and State DOT representatives from Colorado, Iowa, and Louisiana shared how they worked together to conduct a review, what worked well and what did not, actions taken as a result of the review, and lessons learned that other States can apply to their process reviews. A recording of the webinar, transcript, and the presentations are now available. Thu, 1 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/fhwahop11034/index.htm This document was developed to provide guidance to state and local transportation personnel on how to overcome barriers and challenges to implementation of localized congestion relief projects. It presents and describes examples of institutional, design, funding and safety challenges that agencies face when trying to develop unique solutions to localized congestion problems. (Publication Number: FHWA-HOP-11-034) Thu, 1 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EDT