Work Zone Mobility and Safety Program
Photo collage: temporary lane closure, road marking installation, cone with mounted warning light, and drum separated work zones.
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Impacts Assessment

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One of the major emphasis areas in the revisions to 23 CFR 630 Subpart J that was introduced with the Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule is assessing the safety and mobility impacts to road users that a project will create. Agencies were encouraged to develop and implement procedures to do an impact assessment early in the project development stage. Design, construction, and traffic management strategies can then be identified to minimize these impacts or reduce them to acceptable levels. The assessment method utilized should also be used to evaluate the various strategies.

The Process Review should determine if this assessment is providing useful results. Some sample questions follow. The responses to these questions should give you an indication if the process is working or what needs to be improved, and can help the agency determine whether a more in-depth review of its impacts assessment processes is warranted.

  • Are the impacts assessment methods used by the agency providing realistic and predictable results?
  • Is the agency using any analytical tools for impacts assessment?
    • Are they being applied for all projects? Some projects?
    • Have staff been trained in how to use the tools?
  • Have the estimated impacts been determined early enough in the project development phase to determine if the project will be significant?
  • Has the agency received any complaints concerning delays in work zones?
    • If so, were the processes established by the agency followed?
    • Did the complaints result from exceptions to the policy or shortcomings of the policy?
  • Should the agency's policies or procedures be adjusted based upon what has been observed or measured?

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