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Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule (Presentation)

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Slide 1. Work Zone Safety and Mobility Rule

Implementation of Updates to 23 CFR Section 630, Subpart J

Presented by Tracy Scriba
Federal Highway Administration

Speaker Notes:

We are going to talk about the recently published work zone safety and mobility rule today, but before I get into the rule I want to put it in context. The overall goal of our FHWA work zone program is to "make work zones work better," to reduce congestion and crashes due to work zones. The rule is only one tool, if you will, for helping to "make work zones work better." Our hope is that the rule will help foster the use of good work zone management strategies that do this.

Slide 2. Topics

  • Overview of the Updated Rule
  • Developing and Implementing a Work Zone Policy
  • Implementing Agency-Level Processes and Procedures
  • Implementing Project-Level Procedures
    • Significant Projects
    • TMPs
  • Implementation and Compliance
  • Implementation Guidance

Slide 3. Overview of the Updated Rule

  • Establishes requirements and provides guidance for:
    • Systematically addressing WZ safety and mobility impacts
    • Developing strategies to help manage these impacts on all Federal-aid highway projects
  • Timeframes
    • Published Final Rule September 2004
    • Must implement rule provisions by October 2007
  • "Must implement" means:
    • Recipients of Federal-aid funds will adapt practices & policies
    • These emerge as internal business changes and contract changes

Speaker Notes:

All state and local governments that receive federal-aid highway funding are required to comply with the provisions of the rule no later than October 12, 2007.

Internal business changes will be transparent; most contract changes will be apparent. Apparent contract changes may be modified contract provisions for construction sequencing, different uses of innovative contracting measures like lane rental, and different measures or standards for performance. Contract changes will have an affect on others outside transportation agencies, such as construction contractors and traffic control providers.

Slide 4. Provisions – In a Nutshell

Provisions - In a Nutshell

Image Details

Speaker Notes:

The new rule was written to be flexible, taking into account different project types. The rule has three primary components:

  • Development and implementation of an overall, state-based work zone safety and mobility policy;
  • Development and implementation of state-level processes and procedures to carry out the policy.
  • Development and implementation of project-level procedures to address work zone impacts.

For each of the components, the rule includes provisions and guidance intended to help transportation agencies address work zone considerations starting early in planning, and progressing through project design, implementation, and performance assessment. These provisions are discussed in the next few slides.

The Policy the State develops and implements will guide and influence its standard processes and procedures, which in turn also guide what the state does at the project level. In turn, as the agency sees how certain project-level efforts work in the field, it can use that information over time to refine its work zone policy and higher level processes and procedures.

Slide 5. Developing and Implementing a Work Zone Policy

cover of Implementing the Rule on Work Zone Safety and Mobility report

Slide 6. Developing and Implementing a WZ Policy – Related Provisions

Section 630.1006 Work Zone Safety and Mobility Policy:

  • Requires agencies to implement a policy for the systematic consideration and management of WZ impacts on all Federal-aid highway projects.
  • Requires the policy to address WZ impacts throughout the various stages of the project development and construction.
  • Allows flexibility in the form the policy may take: Processes, procedures, guidance.
  • Recognizes that the policy may vary based on the characteristics and expected WZ impacts of individual projects or classes of projects.
  • Recommends that agencies institute this policy using a multi-disciplinary team and in coordination with FHWA.
  • Encourages agencies to implement the policy for non-Federal-aid projects and programs as well.

Speaker Notes:

The Rule promotes the consideration and management of work zone safety and mobility through three main elements – the policy, process, and project elements. The policy element requires State Departments of Transportation (DOTs) and local transportation agencies to implement a policy for the systematic consideration and management of work zone impacts. Many agencies have pre-existing work zone policies. The policy provision in the Rule is intended to help agencies update and/or enhance their existing policies to incorporate the concepts and principles advocated by the Rule.

Notes for Selected Bullets:

  1. This facilitates consideration of work zone impacts during project development, management of work zone impacts during construction, and assessment of WZ performance after implementation.
  2. Some agencies may use policy requirements whereas others may prefer policy guidance.
  3. Different projects have different WZ management needs. For example, routine roadside maintenance work may not require the same level of WZ impacts considerations as that for a major bridge project.
  4. An example of this would be work done as part of road maintenance programs. This reflects the Rule's overall goal to improve safety and mobility for all WZs.

Slide 7. Who Is Responsible for Development and Implementation of the WZ Policy?

  • Development and implementation of agency policy is generally a function of internal agency management.
  • Rule recommends that the WZ policy be instituted using a multi-disciplinary team and in partnership with FHWA.
  • Several agencies may decide to work together.

Speaker Notes:

Several agencies may work together – For example, the DOTs for several neighboring states might choose to hold a joint workshop to develop a basic policy that they can each then tailor as needed for their respective State.

Slide 8. Policy Development and Implementation Process

Policy Development and Implementation Process

Image Details

Slide 9. Components of a WZ Policy

  • Key components for consideration in a WZ safety and mobility policy are:
    • Vision statement
    • Goals and objectives
    • Specific policy provisions for application during project delivery
  • The following components may also be helpful to include in the WZ policy:
    • Definitions and explanation of terms
    • Stakeholder and team information
    • Roles and responsibilities
    • Contact person(s)
    • Policy exemption criteria and process

Speaker Notes:

Vision: An overall policy statement that supports the systematic consideration and management of work zone safety and mobility impacts on road projects, and lays out the agency's vision for providing safe and efficient travel for road users, worker safety, and quality of construction.

Goals and objectives: Help agencies attain their work zone safety and mobility vision.

Specific policy provisions for application during project delivery: Address specific aspects of decision-making during project delivery and help implement and sustain the overall work zone policy. May consist of processes, procedures, criteria, or guidance for work zone related decision-making

Slide 10. Ideas for Specific Policy Provisions

  • Classification of projects based on expected WZ impacts, e.g.,
    • Criteria for significant projects (beyond those in the Rule)
    • Project types that might trigger certain agency procedures (e.g., type of TMP, use of lane rental)
  • WZ performance standards/requirements, e.g.,
    • Queue length limits or WZ delay limits
    • Requirements for the use of law enforcement
  • Policy guidance and agency processes and procedures, e.g.,
    • Training requirements

Speaker Notes:

Classification of projects based on expected work zone impacts: Separates road projects into different types based on the severity of expected work zone impacts and enables agencies to apply policies and practices that are best suited to each type of project.

Work zone performance standards/requirements: Establish safety and mobility performance requirements for work zones. They may be used in project planning and design to identify work zone transportation management strategies that help achieve the desired performance. Performance standards facilitate consistent thinking across project development stages and help minimize design alterations and change orders during construction.

Policy guidance and agency processes and procedures. Help institutionalize, streamline, and standardize work zone safety and mobility practices. May either be incorporated in the agency's policy, or be considered as an extension of the policy.

Slide 11. Implementing Agency-Level Processes and Procedures

work crews with backhoes paving a road

Slide 12. Implementing Agency-Level Processes and Procedures

  • Agency processes and procedures help:
    • Institutionalize, streamline, and standardize WZ safety and mobility practices
    • Support decision-making during the different stages of program and project delivery
  • Rule specifically addresses agency processes and procedures for:
    • WZ assessment and management (encouraged)
    • Use of WZ data (required)
    • WZ related training (required)
    • Conducting process reviews (required)

Speaker Notes:

The updated Rule (the Rule) advocates a systematic approach for managing work zone safety and mobility, and has three main elements – the policy, process, and project elements. While the policy element of the Rule helps State and local transportation agencies implement an overall work zone safety and mobility policy, the process element consists of agency-level processes and procedures that help agencies apply and sustain their respective work zone policies. Agency processes and procedures help institutionalize, streamline, and standardize work zone safety and mobility practices that support decision-making during the different stages of program and project delivery.

Slide 13. WZ Assessment and Management Procedures – Related Provisions

Section 630.1008(b):

  • Encourages agencies to develop and implement procedures to assess WZ impacts in project development, and to manage safety and mobility during project implementation.
  • Requires that the scope of WZ assessment and management procedures be based on the characteristics of projects or project-classes.
    • Intended to account for the variation that exists in project types, characteristics, and complexity.

Slide 14. Why WZ Assessment & Management Procedures?

  • WZ assessment and management procedures can provide a framework within existing project development processes to help agencies:
    • Identify and understand the WZ safety and mobility impacts of road projects.
    • Understand the WZ safety and mobility implications of alternative project options and design strategies.
    • Identify significant projects and better allocate WZ management resources to projects likely to have greater WZ impacts.
    • Identify transportation management strategies to manage the expected WZ impacts of a project.
    • Estimate costs and allocate appropriate resources for the implementation of the WZ management strategies.
    • Implement the strategies and monitor and manage WZ impacts during construction, maintenance, or utility work, and adjust the TMP if needed.
    • Conduct post-construction WZ performance assessment for assessing the performance of WZs and to improve WZ policies, practices, and procedures.

Speaker Notes:

This can be summed up in one phrase: REDUCE SURPRISES

Slide 15. Examples of WZ Assessment and Management Procedures

  • Procedures for WZ impacts assessment with varying rigor and intensity of assessment based upon the expected impacts of projects.
  • Procedures and criteria for identifying and categorizing significant projects.
  • Procedures and project criteria that trigger the consideration of certain types of project options and management strategies.
  • Procedures for developing TMPs based upon certain categories or intensity of WZ zone impacts.
  • Procedures for monitoring TMP and WZ zone performance during construction.
  • Procedures for overall performance assessment for process and procedural improvement.

Slide 16. Tools to Assess WZ Impacts

  • Agencies are encouraged to look at developing or modifying existing tools to meet their unique needs. Some tools that can be used alone or in combination are:
    • Sketch-planning and systems planning analysis tools like travel demand modeling tools, the ITS Deployment Analysis System (IDAS), etc.
    • Higher-level project impacts analysis tools like Highway Capacity Manual (HCM)-based tools, QuickZone, QUEWZ, Micro-BenCost, etc.
    • Operational-level traffic analysis and simulation tools like VISSIM, PARAMIX, CORSIM, NETSIM, etc.
    • CA4PRS – Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies
  • More information about these tools is available at http://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/traffic_analysis.htm

Slide 17. Use of WZ Data – Related Provisions

Section 630.1008(c):

  • Requires agencies to use WZ data at both the project and process-levels to manage and improve work zone safety and mobility.
    • Project level: Improvements while projects are underway
    • Process level: Broad improvements over time
  • Recommends that agencies maintain data and information resources that are necessary to support the use of WZ data for the above activities.
  • Rule does not require the reporting or submission of WZ data.

Slide 18. Using WZ Data at the Project-Level

  • Rule requires agencies to use field observations, available WZ crash data, and operational information to manage WZ impacts for specific projects during implementation.
  • Use of WZ data should support efforts to:
    • Manage the safety and mobility impacts of projects more effectively during implementation.
    • Develop a basis for procedures to assess work zone impacts in project development.
  • Does not require additional data collection during project implementation, but rather the use of available information.
    • However if little or no data are available, some new collection or tracking may be needed.

Slide 19. Using WZ Data at the Process-Level

  • Rule requires agencies to continually pursue improvement of WZ safety and mobility by analyzing WZ crash and operational data from multiple projects to improve agency processes and procedures.
  • Project-level data/information from multiple projects may be compiled and analyzed to identify trends and determine if there are common problems that could be remedied by a change in policy or practices.
  • WZ data may be used to conduct post-construction evaluations, support process reviews, develop lessons learned, and ultimately improve agency policies and procedures.
    • This data and information typically becomes available during project implementation and it needs to be retained and maintained for post-construction analyses.

Slide 20. Maintaining Data and Information Resources

  • Rule recommends that agencies maintain data and information resources necessary to support the use and analysis of WZ data.
  • Some of the data needed to conduct WZ performance monitoring during implementation as well as post-implementation assessments should be available from pre-existing sources.
    • Data collection or data storage and retrieval systems may need to be altered to take full advantage of available information resources.
  • Developing new data and information resources or modifying existing resources to support the effective use and analysis of WZ data will likely be an evolutionary process that occurs over time.

Slide 21. Implementation of Training – Related Provisions

Section 630.1008(d):

  • Agencies must require appropriate training for personnel involved in the development, design, implementation, operation, inspection, and enforcement of work zone related transportation management and traffic control.
  • Agencies must require periodic training updates for these personnel. These periodic training updates are to reflect changing industry practices and agency processes and procedures.
  • Clarifies appropriate training as training that is relevant to the job decisions that each individual is required to make.
  • No specific topics that must be covered in the training
  • No specific format for delivery of training required
  • No set/standard frequency for training updates

Speaker Notes:

The former Rule already had fairly similar training requirements.

Slide 22. Who Needs to be Trained and Who Provides the Training?

  • Personnel involved in development, design, implementation, operation, inspection, and enforcement of WZ related transportation management and traffic control need to be trained.
  • Agencies may have internal and external (design or engineering service consultants) training needs.
  • Agencies will need to cooperatively ensure that skills and abilities commensurate with WZ responsibilities are developed for external personnel, such as law enforcement enforcement and incident responders.
  • Agencies are not solely responsible for providing training or for updating all training courses to reflect changing industry practices

Speaker Notes:

Personnel:

  • This includes transportation planners, design engineers, traffic and safety engineers, temporary traffic control designers and program managers, regional construction managers, construction project staff, maintenance staff, and contractor and utility staff.
  • This may also include executive-level decision-makers, policy makers, senior managers, information officers, and law enforcement and incident responders.

Who provides the training:

  • For engineering consultant contracts, agencies may identify needs and requirements through the proposal or consultant procurement process.
  • For construction contracts, states may impose requirements through contract provisions.

Slide 23. WZ Process Reviews – Related Provisions

Section 630.1008(e):

  • Requires agencies to perform a process review at least every 2 years to assess the effectiveness of their WZ safety and mobility procedures.
  • Provides options for agencies to conduct the process review
    • Evaluation of work zone data at the agency-level.
    • Review of randomly selected projects across a variety of jurisdictions
  • Recommends that appropriate personnel, who represent the project development stages and the different offices within the agency, as well as the FHWA, participate in the process reviews.
  • Allows participation of other non-agency stakeholders in the reviews as appropriate.
  • Explains that process review results are intended to lead to improvements in agency WZ processes and procedures, data and information resources, and training programs, that ultimately enhance efforts to address safety and mobility on current and future projects.

Speaker Notes:

Options for process reviews: The first option is to evaluate work zone data at the agency level, and the second option is to review randomly selected projects across their jurisdictions. A combination of these approaches can also be used.

Slide 24. Possible Aspects of Process Reviews

  • While the basics of process reviews will remain the same as they previously were, these reviews will also need to include some additional aspects.
  • Examples of questions that the process reviews may help answer:
    • Is a WZ Policy in place and being implemented?
    • How is the agency using WZ safety data? Operational data?
    • Are significant projects being identified in accordance with the Rule and agency policy?
    • Which strategies have proven to be either more or less effective in improving the safety and mobility of WZs?
    • What other strategies can be considered for implementation? Are there certain combinations of strategies that seem to work well?
    • How do WZ performance, the effectiveness of strategies, or areas of improvement vary between day work and night work?
    • Should policies or agency procedures be adjusted based on what has been observed or measured?

Slide 25. Implementing Project-Level Procedures: Significant Projects

Slide 26. What is a Significant Project?

  • A project that a State or local transportation agency expects will cause a relatively high level of disruption.
  • The Rule provides a specific, more detailed definition of significant project in Section 630.1010:
    • A significant project is defined as one that, alone or in combination with other concurrent projects nearby, is anticipated to cause sustained work zone impacts that are greater than what is considered tolerable based on State policy and/or engineering judgment.
    • All Interstate system projects within the boundaries of a designated Transportation Management Area (TMA) that occupy a location for more than three days with either intermittent or continuous lane closures shall be considered as significant projects.

Speaker Notes:

Some projects are likely to have much greater effects on traffic conditions in and around their work zones than other projects will. So it is reasonable to pay more attention to the effects of certain projects, such as those that we think will cause greater congestion, compromise road safety, or greatly reduce access to businesses or event venues (e.g., stadiums, arenas). Recognizing that not all road projects cause the same level of work zone impacts, the Rule establishes a category of projects called "significant projects."

Slide 27. Significant Projects and Transportation Management Areas

  • What is a Transportation Management Area (TMA)?
    • 23 U.S.C. 134 (i)(1)(A) & (B) requires the Secretary of Transportation to designate as a TMA each urbanized area with a population of over 200,000 individuals.
    • In addition, at the request of the Governor and metropolitan planning organization (MPO) (or affected local officials), other areas may be officially designated as TMAs by the Administrators of the FHWA and the FTA.
    • The TMA designation applies to the entire metropolitan planning area(s).
  • Is there a list of designated TMAs?

Speaker Notes:

Typically TMAs are designated as the result of new census counts, which are taken once every 10 years. On occasion, a TMA may be designated between census counts, but that is a lengthy process and not typical.

Slide 28. Significant Projects – Related Provisions

Section 630.1010:

  • Agency must identify upcoming projects that are expected to be significant.
  • Identification of significant projects should be done as early as possible in the project delivery and development process
  • In cooperation with the FHWA.
  • The agency's WZ policy provisions, the project's characteristics, and the magnitude and extent of the anticipated work zone impacts should be considered when determining if a project is significant or not.
  • Whether or not a project is considered to be significant determines which transportation management plan (TMP) requirements apply to the project.

Slide 29. Why Identify Significant Projects?

  • To help agencies allocate resources more effectively to projects that are likely to have greater impacts.
  • To help agencies think through project coordination and scheduling issues.
  • Classifying projects as early as possible in program delivery will help answer key questions.

Speaker Notes:

The following questions can be asked to help identify significant projects:

  • What are the potential work zone impacts of identified projects? Do the work zone aspects of the project warrant particular attention during the project delivery process? Are the expected work zone impacts for a project great enough that the project should be considered a significant project?
  • What are the cumulative work zone impacts of multiple road projects taking place at the same time on transportation system safety and mobility?
  • What are the coordination issues, if any, that need to be accounted for in planning and scheduling multiple projects in the vicinity of each other?
  • What are the potential work zone management strategies that may be used for a project?
  • What is the likely range of costs of the potential strategies to manage the work zone impacts of the project?
  • What are the design implications and effects on project scheduling/phasing/staging of the potential management strategies?

Slide 30. Identifying Significant Projects

  • Done by a multi-disciplinary team of the agency and its project partners, including the FHWA and other appropriate regional stakeholders
  • Ideally identified during the systems planning phase of project delivery, when Statewide Transportation Improvement Programs (STIPs) and regional Transportation Improvement Programs (TIPs) are developed.
    • An agency may need to reconfirm whether a project is significant or not during subsequent project development stages.
  • May either be qualitative or quantitative process (or both)
  • Analytical tools can be helpful for assessing whether a project meets an agency's quantitative criteria for significant projects.

Speaker Notes:

  • During systems planning, most of the assessment is primarily qualitative based on available information and engineering judgment.
  • During the subsequent stages of project development, including preliminary engineering and design, the agency may choose to reconfirm a project's significance by conducting more detailed quantitative analyses.

Slide 31. Significant Projects – Exception Requests

If a project is considered significant as a result of the TMA provision but the agency does not believe that the project causes sustained WZ impacts:

  • Agency can request an exception, from the FHWA Division Office, to the requirements triggered by the classification.
  • Can be individual project or a class/category of similar projects

Speaker Notes:

  • Exceptions to these provisions may be granted by the FHWA Division Office based on the agency's ability to show that the specific Interstate system project or categories of Interstate system projects do not have sustained work zone impacts. The agency may use either qualitative or quantitative criteria and methods (or a combination of both) to illustrate that the specific project or categories of projects will not have sustained work zone impacts.
  • The agency can submit an appropriate exception request to the FHWA Division Office, which will then work with the agency to review the request and take appropriate action.
  • Blanket exceptions for certain categories of projects may be sought by the agency if the agency determines that such projects will not have sustained impacts, and can demonstrate the same to the FHWA.

Slide 32. Implementing Project-Level Procedures: Transportation Management Plans (TMPs)

Slide 33. What is a TMP?

  • A TMP lays out a set of coordinated strategies and describes how these strategies will be used to manage the WZ impacts of a project.
  • The scope, content, and level of detail of a TMP may vary based on the agency's WZ policy and the anticipated WZ impacts of the project.
  • The components of TMP needed for a project are based on whether the project is determined to be a "significant project."
  • A TMP must be developed for every Federal-aid project.

Speaker Notes:

One of the goals of the updated Rule (the Rule) is to expand work zone impacts management beyond traffic safety and control by using transportation management strategies, as applicable to a project. Inclusion of these strategies helps to reduce traffic and mobility impacts, improve safety, and promote coordination within and around the work zone. One way to do this is through the development of transportation management plans (TMPs) for road projects. TMPs are required by the Rule for all Federal-aid highway projects. Work zone impacts and issues vary, so State and local transportation agencies need to develop and implement TMPs that best serve the mobility and safety needs of their road users, construction workers, businesses, and community.

Slide 34. TMPs – Related Provisions

Section 630.1012 :

  • For significant projects, the TMP shall consist of a Temporary Traffic Control (TTC) plan as well as transportation operations (TO) and public information (PI) components.
  • For projects that are not classified as significant projects, the TMP may consist only of a TTC plan. However, agencies are encouraged to consider TO and PI issues for these projects as well.
  • A TTC plan shall be consistent with the provisions under Part 6 of the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and with the WZ hardware recommendations in Chapter 9 of American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Roadside Design Guide. TTC plan may be incorporated in the TMP by reference, such as reference to elements in the MUTCD or approved standard agency plans or manuals. TTC plans may also be specifically designed for individual projects.
  • Pre-existing roadside safety hardware must be maintained at an equivalent or better level than existed prior to project implementation.

Speaker Notes:

A TTC plan addresses traffic safety and control through the work zone. The TO component addresses sustained operations and management of the work zone impact area, and the PI component addresses communication with the public and concerned stakeholders.

Slide 35. TMPs – Related Provisions (cont.)

  • Agencies should coordinate with appropriate stakeholders in developing a TMP.
  • The provisions for a TMP shall be included in the project's Plans, Specifications, and Estimates (PS&Es). The PS&Es shall either contain all the applicable elements of an agency-developed TMP, or include provisions for a contractor to develop a TMP at the most appropriate project phase, as applicable to the agency's chosen contracting methodology for the project.
  • Pay item provisions for implementing the TMP shall be included in PS&Es, either through method-based (pay items, lump sum, or combination) or performance-based specifications (performance criteria and standards).
  • Trained person: The agency and the contractor shall each designate a trained person at the project-level who has the primary responsibility and sufficient authority for implementing the TMP. The designated personnel have to be appropriately trained (per § 630.1008(d) of the Rule).

Speaker Notes:

In the case of contractor-developed TMPs, it is expected that the contractor would incorporate the minimum TMP requirements already developed by the agency during the planning process. For example, the PS&Es for a design-build project may include the skeleton for a TMP, as developed by the agency in its planning process, and the provisions for completing TMP development under the contract. The agency must approve contractor developed TMPs and they cannot be implemented until approved.

Examples of potential performance criteria include number of crashes in the work zone, incident response or clearance time, travel time through the work zone, delay, queue length, and/or traffic volume.

Slide 36. TMP Development and Implementation Process

TMP Development and Implementation Process

Image Details

  • The TMP development process is iterative and evolves during the development of the project design.
  • Developing the TMP will involve identifying applicable strategies to manage the impacts of the work zone.
  • The costs for the management strategies need to be incorporated in early project estimates and the budgeting process to ensure that funding is available for TMP implementation.
  • As the TMP evolves, it is important to reassess the management strategies to confirm that the work zone impacts are addressed and the necessary budget for the project is still available.
  • The TMP may be re-evaluated and revised prior to and during implementation and monitoring.
  • Both project-level and program-level assessments of TMPs are recommended to evaluate the effectiveness of the management strategies and improve TMP policies, processes, and procedures.

Slide 37. Potential TMP Components

  1. Introductory Material
  2. Executive Summary
  3. TMP Roles and Responsibilities
  4. Project Description
  5. Existing and Future Conditions
  6. Work Zone Impacts Assessment
  7. Work Zone Impacts Management Strategies
  8. TMP Monitoring Requirements
  9. Contingency Plans
  10. TMP Implementation Costs
  11. Special Considerations
  12. Attachments

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Slide 38. Implementation and Compliance

cover of Implementing the Rule on Work Zone Safety and Mobility report cover of Work Zone Public Information and Outreach Strategies report cover of Developing and Implementing Transportation Management Plans for Work Zones report

Slide 39. Implementation and Compliance Provisions

  • Implementation provisions are provided in Section 630.1014:
    • Agencies are required to work in partnership with the FHWA to implement their respective work zone policies and procedures.
    • At a minimum, FHWA shall review the conformance of the agency's policies and procedures with the Rule, and reassess the agency's implementation of its procedures at appropriate intervals.
    • Agencies are encouraged to address implementation of the Rule in their respective stewardship agreements with the FHWA.
  • Compliance provisions are provided in Section 630.1016:
    • Agencies are required to comply with all the provisions of the Rule by October 12, 2007.
    • Agencies may request variances from the compliance requirement on a project-by-project basis:
      • For projects that are in the later stages of development at or about the compliance date, and
      • If it is determined that the delivery of those projects would be significantly impacted as a result of the Rule's provisions.

Speaker Notes:

State and local transportation agencies and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) are partners in trying to bring about improved work zone safety and mobility. Consistent with that partnership, the updated Rule (the Rule) advocates a partnership between agencies and FHWA in Rule implementation and compliance. Staff from the respective FHWA Division Offices, Resource Center, and Headquarters will work with their agency counterparts to support implementation and compliance efforts, including:

  • Review the agency's existing work zone policies and procedures to assess conformance and compatibility with the provisions of the Rule.
  • Support the agency in writing or revising its policies, agency-level procedures, and project-level procedures that conform to the Rule.
  • Reassess the agency's implementation of its work zone procedures at appropriate intervals.
  • Help incorporate the provisions of the Rule in their respective stewardship agreements.

The Rule contains specific provisions regarding implementation and compliance.

Slide 40. Partnership

  • Staff from FHWA Division Offices, Resource Center, and Headquarters will work with their agency counterparts to support implementation and compliance efforts:
    • Review the agency's existing WZ policies and procedures to assess conformance and compatibility with the provisions of the Rule.
    • Support the agency in writing or revising its policies, agency-level procedures, and project-level procedures that conform to the Rule.
    • Reassess the agency's implementation of its WZ procedures at appropriate intervals.
    • Help incorporate the provisions of the Rule in their respective stewardship agreements.
  • FHWA HQ will continue to provide guidance and share practices via its web site and printed materials

Slide 41. Implementation Funding Sources

  • Some existing sources of funding may be applied toward implementing elements of the Rule.
  • Current funding sources for deploying certain transportation management strategies could include use of National Highway System (NHS), Interstate Maintenance (IM), Surface Transportation Program (STP), STP set-aside, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality (CMAQ) Improvement Program, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), and 402 funds.
  • Some WZ safety training may also be eligible for funding through a new Work Zone Safety Grants program established in the Safe, Accountable, Flexible Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU).
  • Smaller scale funding sources include the use of Technology Transfer, Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP), and FHWA Operations Support Program funds.

Slide 42. The Rule and SAFETEA-LU

  • Section 1110 of SAFETEA-LU requires FHWA to establish guidelines for the use of and expenditure of funds for traffic control, positive protection, and law enforcement. SAFETEA-LU also requires FHWA to require the use of separate pay items in contracts to assure compliance with these requirements.
  • FHWA is currently assessing options for addressing this SAFETEA-LU requirement.
  • While this section of SAFETEA-LU may ultimately affect some part of the updated work zone Rule, as of now, SAFETEA-LU has no effect on the Rule and agencies should continue to implement the Rule as promulgated.

Slide 43. Implementation Resources

Slide 44. Final Rule Web Site

http://www.ops.fhwa.dot.gov/wz/resources/final_rule.htm

  • Content available:
    • Implementation Guide
    • Public Information and Outreach Guide
    • TMP Guide
    • FAQs
    • Brochure and fact sheets
    • Rule language
    • Presentations on the Rule
    • Examples
  • Planned content:
    • Other Guidance Documents
    • Training Opportunities

FHWA Work Zone Web Site https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/workzones

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