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Work Zone Speed Management

There are a variety of methods and technologies that can be used to help manage and enforce speed limits in work zones, including the use of law enforcement officers, automated enforcement, speed advisory systems, and variable speed limit (VSL) systems.

• Automated Enforcement
• Law Enforcement
• Speed Advisory Systems
• Variable Speed Limit Systems
• Other Work Zone Speed Management Resources

Automated Enforcement

• Maryland SafeZones Program - Describes program that places automated speed enforcement technology in Maryland work zones to encourage drivers to travel at safer speeds.
  • SafeZones Automated Speed Enforcement Results in Fewer Aggressive Drivers/Speeders in Work Zones - According to the Maryland State Highway Administration's (SHA) 2011 crash data, work zone-related crashes, injuries, and fatalities across Maryland hit a 10-year low. SHA believes there are a number of factors to the decreases, one being the use of the SafeZones program. Since SafeZones was launched in 2010, SHA estimates that work zone speeding has been reduced by 80 percent.
• Photo Radar Speed Enforcement in a Highway Work Zone: Demonstration Project (PDF 375KB) - Oregon DOT (ODOT) report on the impact of photo radar speed enforcement on traffic speed through an active highway work zone. ODOT found significant reductions in speeding during enforcement periods, and that these reductions did not continue after the enforcement van departed.
• Research Pays Off: Automated Speed Enforcement Slows Down Drivers in Work Zones (PDF 1.4MB) - Describes Illinois DOT's speed-radar photo enforcement (SPE) program in highway work zones and the benefits that have been recognized from the program.
• Washington State DOT Speed Enforcement Cameras Pilot (PDF 207KB) - Pilot project conducted by the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) in 2008-09 to determine how well speed enforcement cameras can slow work zone traffic. Subsequently, the legislature granted an extension to June 30, 2011.

Law Enforcement

• Traffic Enforcement Strategies for Work Zones - NCHRP report 746 and research document (PDF 1.8MB) presenting guidance and background research on the safe and effective deployment of traffic enforcement strategies in work zones on high-speed highways. The guide covers planning, design, and operation for the strategies, and administrative issues.
• Safe and Effective Use of Law Enforcement Personnel in Work Zones - FHWA-developed course that provides law enforcement agencies and personnel with practices and procedures to improve safety in work zones. The course covers the role of law enforcement officers in work zones; proper practices and procedures; the parts of a typical work zone; and standards and guidelines related to temporary traffic control in work zones.
  • Web-Based Course (FHWA-NHI-133119) - Interactive, Web-based version of the course that is free and takes approximately 3.5 hours to complete. Registration is required.
  • Fact Sheet 13 – Work Zone Training: Examples of What Agencies Are Doing - Fact sheet that briefly describes the FHWA course, as well as law enforcement training provided by the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development.
• Study on The Use of Uniformed Police Officers on Federal-Aid Highway Construction Projects - Documents the opinions and understandings of study participants regarding the extent and effectiveness of uniformed police officers on Federal-aid highway construction projects.

Speed Advisory Systems

• Safe Speeds in Work Zones (HTML, PDF 481KB) - Describes work zone speed display technologies that can be used to help manage safe speeds and provides example applications.
• Radar Speed Display (PDF 591KB) - Evaluates the effectiveness of radar actuated speed displays in several contexts.
• D-25 Speed Advisory System - Evaluates the D-25 Speed Advisory Sign System, which is intended to warn drivers of stopped or slow-moving traffic ahead to enable them to reduce their speeds and avoid rear-end crashes.

Variable Speed Limit Systems

• Work Zone Variable Speed Limit Systems: Effectiveness and System Design Issues (PDF 451KB) - Virginia Transportation Research Council report evaluating the potential of VSL systems to enhance mobility and safety in heavily traveled work zones. The results indicated that VSL could create substantial improvements in traffic operations if the demand did not drastically exceed capacity.
• Field Operational Tests On Variable Speed Limits In Work Zones (PDF 159KB ) - Describes the results of field tests carried out in Michigan to implement and analyze the effectiveness of VSL in work zones.
• Development and Field Evaluation of Variable Advisory Speed Limit System for Work Zones - Abstract to a paper included in Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2015. Copies of the paper are available for purchase from TRB.

Other Work Zone Speed Management Resources

• Colorado DOT Work Zone Speed Control Report (PDF 462KB) - Explores several methods to reduce the speed of traffic through work zones, including variable message signs, presence of law enforcement, and signing methods.
• Revisiting the Use of Drone Radar to Reduce Speed in Work Zones, South Carolina's Experience - Abstract to a paper included TRB's Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 2015. Copies of the paper are available for purchase from TRB.
• Safe and Effective Speed Reductions for Freeway Work Zones Phase 2 - Results of a research study conducted by the Oregon Department of Transportation to investigate the impact of selected traffic control devices on vehicle speeds within highway paving project work zones. The research findings suggest using a combination of reduced speed limit signs, radar speed monitoring displays, and portable changeable message signs on either trailers or rollers.
  • Report (PDF, 3.1MB)
  • Appendices (PDF, 12.6MB)
• Speed Management Information Resources - Searchable collection of resources on speed management topics/applications, including in work zones.