National Roadway Safety Awards

Noteworthy Practices Guide

2011
i 2 0 1 1 N AT I O N A L R O A D WAY S A F E T Y AWA R D S • Noteworthy Practices Guide

Letter from the Administrator
2 0 1 1 N AT I O N A L R O A D WAY S A F E T Y AWA R D S • Noteworthy Practices Guide 1

Table of Contents

Award Winners for Infrastructure Improvements

Using Micro Surfacing to Reduce Wet Weather Crash Rates...........................................................2

Mississippi Cable Median Barrier Safety Initiative............................................................................3

Jones/Linn County Portland Cement Concrete Pavement Overlay With Safety EdgeSM...................4

Making Roadways Safer for Motorcycles..........................................................................................5

Award Winners for Operational Improvements

Evaluation of Moveable Barriers in Construction Work Zones ..........................................................6

Safety Patrol Sponsor-Partnership ....................................................................................................7

Award Winners for Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

California’s HSIP Application and Evaluation Tool for Local Roadways............................................8

Smart Roadside Inspection Program................................................................................................9

Minnesota County Road Safety Plans.............................................................................................10

Wright County Highway Roadway Safety Program.........................................................................11

Honorable Mentions

FM 1960 Median Improvements Program.......................................................................................12

Work Zone Safety Education Program ............................................................................................13
2 2 0 1 1 N AT I O N A L R O A D WAY S A F E T Y AWA R D S • Noteworthy Practices Guide

Agency: MnDOT District 3B and Office of Materials and Road Research

Contact: Thomas J. Wood 

Telephone: 651-366-5573 

Email: Thomas.wood@state.mn.us 

Infrastructure Improvements Winner Using Micro Surfacing to Reduce Wet Weather Crash Rates

Historically, the Interstate 94 bridges east of Monticello, Minnesota had a higher crash 

rate than the surrounding highway. The elevated rate could, in part, be attributed to 

poor geometry. The bridges were on a super-elevated curve over a railway. In addition, 

the elevated bridge decks allowed the concrete deck to cool off faster than the surrounding 

pavement, causing bridge decks to become icy at a faster rate than the surrounding pavement. 

In 1999, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) applied micro surfacing treatment to the 

bridges and approaches. 

MnDOT analyzed crash data for the 10 years both before and after the application to determine the 

effectiveness of micro surfacing on reducing wet weather crash rates. Over a 20-year period, the combined 

average daily traffic (ADT) for both directions rose 65 percent, from an estimated ADT of 33,000 in 1988 to an 

ADT of 54,000 in 2009. However, wet weather crashes and total crashes decreased by 76 percent and 19 

percent respectively after the placement of micro surfacing.

In looking at cost-effectiveness, MnDOT calculates an average cost of $70,000 for all crashes and an 

average construction cost of $2.30 per square yard for single course micro surfacing. Using these figures, 

the wet weather crash reduction has a payback ratio of 14:1 for every dollar spent. Local maintenance forces 

re-applied the micro surfacing after five years to insure high friction characteristics. If the time between reapplication is lengthened to seven years, the payback ratio becomes 19.7:1. These analyses show that the 

use of micro surfacing was a cost-effective method for reducing wet weather crashes.
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Agency: Mississippi Department of Transportation

Contact: Jim Willis 

Telephone: 601-359-1454 

Email: jcwillis@mdot.state.ms.us 

Infrastructure Improvements Winner Mississippi Cable Median Barrier Safety Initiative

The Mississippi Department of Transportation (MDOT) launched a cable median barrier safety initiative 

to reduce fatalities and the severity of crashes in a highly cost-effective manner. Initial results show lives 

saved and an outstanding return on investment.

The project was piloted in the early 2000s on segments of I-55 in northern Mississippi with especially high 

median-crossover crash rates. An immediate reduction in crash severity on I-55 led to the installation of 

cable median barriers on a 12-mile stretch of I-220 in metropolitan Jackson that had a long history of high 

crash rates. In fact, during construction, the cable was hit more than 20 times. Since the installation, there 

have been zero cross-median fatalities and the severity of crashes has been dramatically reduced. These 

results generated positive media coverage and won the widespread support of elected officials, MDOT 

management, and the public.

Next, MDOT installed a cable median barrier in Vicksburg on 6 miles of I-20, a major east-west Interstate 

Highway in the Southern United States. Again, the cable median barrier produced excellent results. MDOT’s 

evaluation studies are quantifying a significant reduction of fatalities and severity after installation of a cable 

median barrier in each location.

In 2010, MDOT awarded more than $20 million in cable median barrier contracts throughout the State. This 

resulted in 209 more miles of cable median barriers installed on stretches of Mississippi roadway with high 

crash rates. Another 150 miles of highway have been targeted for future phases of installation. As funding 

allows, MDOT plans to install cable median barrier on all interstates and access-controlled highways in the 

State.
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Infrastructure Improvements

Jones/Linn County Portland Cement Concrete Pavement 

Overlay With Safety EdgeSM

Roadway departure crashes account for 53 percent of U.S. highway fatalities and 1 million injuries 

annually. Many of these crashes occur as a result of pavement edge drop-offs. Edge drop-offs often 

reduce vehicle stability, affecting a driver’s ability to control a vehicle when it inadvertently leaves the 

paved driving area. In Iowa, the Jones/Linn County E34 project incorporated a solution proven to be effective – 

the Safety EdgeSM – to address the potentially severe danger of roadway departure crashes that exists in Iowa 

and other states. 

A study by Iowa State University found that a pavement edge drop-off may have been a contributing factor in 

approximately 18 percent of rural run-off-the-road crashes on paved roadways with unpaved shoulders, and 

that pavement edge drop-off-related crashes were twice as likely to result in fatalities as other crash types on 

similar roadways.

This project was located along a 2.7 mile stretch of a county highway that carries an average traffic volume of 

approximately 1,350 AADT. The county engineers of Jones and Linn Counties chose to incorporate the Safety 

EdgeSM on this project in order to provide additional safety protection for a road segment that was on the list 

of Iowa’s “High Risk Rural Roads” and to evaluate the constructability, quality, and performance of the Safety 

EdgeSM. The project design included a 6-inch unbonded Portland cement concrete (PCC) overlay placed over 

an existing 6-inch PCC pavement. The overlay also included two 11-foot lanes with tied 2-foot shoulders plus a 

9-inch wide, 30-degree sloped Safety EdgeSM in both eastbound and westbound directions.

More widespread use of the Safety EdgeSM has the potential to reduce lane departure crash occurrence and 

severity. Crash reduction factors indicate that the use of the Safety EdgeSM has the potential to reduce crashes 

by 5.7 percent, making it a cost-effective countermeasure. It can also provide additional pavement edge 

stability, which may improve pavement life.

Winner

Agency: Jones County Secondary Roads Department

Contact: Mike McClain 

Telephone: 319-462-3785 

Email: engineer@co.jones.ia.us 

Agency: Linn County Secondary Roads Department

Contact: Steve Gannon 

Telephone: 319-892-6400 

Email: steve.gannon@linncounty.org
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Infrastructure Improvements 

Making Roadways Safer for Motorcycles

Agency: Florida Department of Transportation

Contact: Marianne Trussell 

Telephone: 850-245-1504 

Email: marianne.trussell@dot.state.fl.us 

I

n 2008, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) Safety Office requested its motorcycle 

programs be reviewed by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The result was the 

formation of a motorcycle safety coalition, the development of a Motorcycle Strategic Safety Plan 

with 11 emphasis areas, and a plan to track implementation and status of the initiatives.

Members of Florida’s motorcycle safety coalition, which includes state and local engineers, made 

a recommendation to produce a 10-minute training DVD that calls attention to common road 

conditions that challenge motorcycle riders. The video shows how motorcycle riders react to different 

roadway conditions including grates, potholes, ridges, steel plates, pavement markings, grooved 

surfaces, loose gravel, lane changes, and drop-offs in work zones. The video also enables viewers 

to understand more clearly how a motorcycle rider reacts when encountering these various roadway 

conditions.

Motorcycle safety continues to be a concern in Florida. In 2008, 532 motorcycle riders and their 

passengers were killed on Florida roadways. In Florida, motorcyclists account for 6 percent of the 

motoring public, but make up 17.8 percent of all fatalities. In 2009, those numbers dropped by 13 

percent to 402 fatalities and just 15.7 percent of all roadway fatalities. Developing a Motorcycle 

Strategic Plan and identifying safety countermeasures continues to be an emphasis area for FDOT, 

whose goal is to continue to reduce motorcycle fatalities. Infrastructure changes often take years to 

program and build, with the use of the DVD, the problems identified can be used in numerous training 

sessions throughout Florida and can be provided to engineers and engineering groups in a relatively 

short time.

Winner
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Operational Improvements

Evaluation of Moveable Barriers in Construction Work Zones

Agency: Utah Department of Transportation

Contact: Ken Berg 

Telephone: 801-965-4321 

Email: kenberg@utah.gov 

T

he 3500 South Reconstruction Project in Utah consisted of reconstructing and widening a 1.7-mile arterial 

from six lanes to an eight lane facility to provide two lanes in the center median dedicated for the first Utah 

Transit Authority Bus-Rapid Transit Line. The average annual daily traffic ranges from 39,000 near Bangerter 

Highway to 48,800 at the Interstate 215 interchange. Reconstruction included new curbs, gutters, and sidewalks 

to further facilitate the safe flow of pedestrian traffic. 

The project began in November 2008 and ended in June 2010, seven months ahead of schedule. One side of 

the highway was completely closed for construction while traffic was diverted to the other side. Phase I of the 

traffic control plan called for two lanes of traffic to be open in each direction, utilizing plastic barrels to separate 

directional traffic and delineate the work zone. The work zone was confined, inefficient, and lacked positive 

protection for workers, creating dangerous conditions. Furthermore, confused motorists would occasionally 

turn into the work zone, and crashes occurred when drivers made left turns through the barrels into businesses, 

contributing to the congestion.

During the second phase of construction, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) implemented a 

“reversible lane with a moveable barrier.” The moveable barrier system consisted of one-meter sections of highly 

reinforced concrete pinned together at each end to form a continuous barrier wall. The barriers had a modified 

“T” top, which acts as a lifting surface for the transfer machine. A barrier transfer machine lifted the barrier and 

passed it through an inverted conveyor system, laterally transferring the barrier from 4 to 18 feet in a single pass.

The moveable barrier was deployed on a 1.7-mile stretch of the work zone as a positive barrier separation 

between east and westbound traffic. It was moved multiple times daily to create 1-2 and 2-1 traffic patterns based 

on peak traffic needs. The barrier was laterally transferred 12 feet in a single pass at 5 miles per hour. The transfer 

took approximately 20 minutes to complete (including repositioning signage and traffic control devices). As one of 

the first applications in the country on a highly congested urban arterial, the moveable barrier positively separated 

workers and motorists; enabled a larger, more efficient work zone in the off peak periods to help accelerate 

construction; and resulted in zero work zone encroachments by motorists into the work area.

Winner
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Agency: Travelers Marketing LLC

Contact: Samuel A. McClain 

Telephone: 407-456-1917 

Email: smcclain@travelersmarketing.com 

Operational Improvements

Safety Patrol Sponsor-Partnership

With the Safety Patrol Sponsor-Partnership, Travelers Marketing identified a highly effective 

transportation program with untapped sponsorship value and forged partnerships with companies 

whose business interests and corporate missions aligned with the program’s safety objectives. The 

partnership exists among State departments of transportation and toll road authorities; the private-sector, 

sponsor companies, and Travelers Marketing. Travelers Marketing identifies the sponsorship elements, 

assembles the private partners, leads them through the procurement process, and implements and manages 

the sponsorship program throughout the term. 

Ongoing State fiscal crises have reduced or eliminated funding for these programs. The partnership program, 

however, uses private sector resources to offset the cost of operating the patrols. 

The first Safety Patrol Sponsor-Partnership was developed in Massachusetts in 2002. Since then, six other 

states, including Florida, Pennsylvania, Georgia, New York, Maryland and Kansas, have joined the program. 

Sponsorship revenues enable States to sustain the program when they otherwise would not be able to do 

so, or to expand geographic coverage and hours of operation. Through this sponsorship program, what 

was previously a significant DOT expense now generates in excess of $30 million for participating States 

over the term of the current partnerships. These funds are typically reinvested into new safety patrol vehicles, 

equipment, and drivers. 

In addition, the Safety Patrol Sponsor-Partnership program increases public awareness of roadway safety by 

leveraging the public relations and marketing capabilities of private industry to spread the roadway safety 

message. Public awareness activities include a launch event announcing the sponsorship that was attended 

by the State’s governor or other high ranking officials, promotion from the sponsor company through events 

and photo opportunities, newsletters, and die cast models of the patrol vehicles. Safety Patrol drivers also 

have brochures to distribute.

Winner
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Agency: California Department of Transportation

Contact: Ted Davini 

Telephone: 916-651-8256 

Email: ted.davini@dot.ca.gov 

Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

California’s HSIP Application and Evaluation Tool for Local 

Roadways

California has roughly 10 percent of all roadway 

fatalities in the United States, with 57 percent of 

those occurring on local roadways. The California 

Department of Transportation (Caltrans) has a wellestablished process for identifying and constructing safetyimprovement projects on their State’s highway system. In 

contrast, local roadway safety improvement projects are 

identified and scoped by the more than 600 individual local 

agencies eligible for Federal Highway Safety Improvement 

Program (HSIP) funding. Eligible agencies range from larger 

agencies with established safety evaluation processes and 

dedicated roadway safety staff to smaller rural agencies with 

little or no in-house highway safety experience, no evaluation 

processes, and no funding set aside for roadway safety 

projects.

One of Caltrans’ long-term objectives has been to improve 

the safety of California’s local roadway network by assisting 

local agencies in selecting projects with the maximum 

safety benefit. With the goal of making the local roadway 

HSIP entirely data driven, Caltrans’ Division of Local 

Assistance (DLA) staff developed the HSIP Tool through a 

partnership with the University of California Berkeley’s Safe 

Transportation Research and Education Center and with 

members of California’s Strategic Highway Safety Planning 

team. 

The result is a user-friendly HSIP Tool that makes fair and 

reliable statewide project selections following Federal 

guidelines for proven safety countermeasures. The tool 

also encourages local agencies to put a greater emphasis 

on roadway safety through network analysis and low-cost 

safety projects, and works within the context of the State’s 

inconsistent, and not always reliable, local roadway safety 

data.

Winner
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Agency: New Mexico DPS MTPD

Contact: Major Ron Cordova 

Telephone: 505-476-2452 

Email: ron.cordova@state.nm.us

Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

Smart Roadside Inspection Program

T

he challenge for Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) has been keeping up 

with the growth in commercial vehicles. There are more than 12 million registered 

commercial vehicles in North America today, and the number is growing. 

The number of inspection personnel has not grown proportionally however, and 

increasing the number of random inspections is not sustainable. Additionally, the 

traditional preliminary screening methodology of forcing vehicles to stop interferes with 

the flow of commerce, putting additional pressure on inspection personnel.

New Mexico’s Smart Roadside Inspection System Program is based on objective free-flow inspection systems 

and management tools. Traditional inspection is limited by a fixed number of CVE inspectors screening 

“unsafe looking” or randomly-selected trucks. Electronic screening is based on objective testing criteria which 

helps level the playing field. Multiple roadside sensors allow automated data collection from passing vehicles 

without creating transportation slow-downs or stoppages. The sensors can be deployed in conjunction with 

existing technology. 

When the sensors identify a high-risk vehicle, it is checked against safety and security databases for alert 

flags for enforcement operations. Because this is done automatically, the Smart Roadside Inspection Program 

allows CVE personnel to focus their resources more efficiently and effectively on trucks that pose the most 

risk to transportation safety and security without interfering with the flow of commerce. It rewards responsible 

carriers with free-flow travel and also motivates those who do not maintain or insure their fleets to comply with 

the law.

Winner
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Agency: Minnesota Department of Transportation

Contact: Sue Groth 

Telephone 651-234-7004 

Email: sue.groth@state.mn.us 

Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

Minnesota County Road Safety Plans 

(Joint award with Wright County Highway Department)

Minnesota’s 2007 Strategic Highway Safety Plan noted more than half of the 

State’s traffic fatalities occurred on local roads, which are operated by local 

communities and counties. Meeting the statewide Toward Zero Deaths goal 

would not be possible without reducing crashes on those systems. 

County highway departments in Minnesota generally do not have experience with 

carrying out system-wide crash analyses or linking crash causes with mitigation 

strategies at specific locations. The County Road Safety Plans (CRSP) Program was 

initiated by the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) to more effectively 

involve local highway agencies in the safety planning process and to provide these 

agencies with the technical assistance needed to apply for State and Federal funding 

successfully.

Typically, locations on county roads do not experience the number of crashes that are high enough to identify 

them as candidates for improvement under traditional safety planning processes. The CRSP process includes 

a crash analysis and system-wide risk assessment of road and traffic characteristics for each county. The 

results of this process are used to identify low-cost, infrastructure-based safety projects for specific at-risk 

locations on county roads. MnDOT then works with county engineers to prioritize projects and familiarize them 

with the safety project development and the Highway Safety Improvement Program solicitation processes.

The first set of 20 county road safety plans completed identified $70 million worth of projects equating to $3.5 

million per county. About 90 percent of these projects focused on roadway departure crashes. Minnesota 

receives approximately $20 million per year in HSIP funds and targets 65% toward local roads based on the 

distribution of fatal and serious injury crashes.

Winner
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Agency: Wright County Highway Department

Contact: Wayne A. Fingalson 

Telephone: 763-682-7388 

Email: wayne.fingalson@xo.wright.mn.us 

Program Planning, Development and Evaluation

Wright County Highway Roadway Safety Program

(Joint award with Minnesota Department of Transportation)

Over the past few years Wright County 

Minnesota has become one of the fastest 

growing counties in the Nation. The county is 

responsible for 520 miles of highways, and safety is a 

top priority for the Wright County Highway Department, 

which has initiated a number of safety programs and 

strategies in order to minimize injuries and fatalities. 

Two critical safety emphasis areas have been roadway 

departure crashes and intersection crashes. A variety 

of projects have been employed including improved 

pavement markings and signage and ITS technologies 

such as intersection warning systems, a curve warning 

system, and driver feedback speed limit signs. 

These engineering safety improvement projects have 

contributed to a 34 percent reduction of fatal and 

serious injury crashes since 1997.

Public awareness also has improved the effectiveness of Wright County’s safety programs. Wright County has 

proactively engaged the local media and has been an active participant in the statewide Toward Zero Deaths 

Program Team and other safety organizations. As a result, a positive change in the safety culture has been 

created in Wright County.

Winner
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Agency: Texas Department of Transportation

Contact: Danny Perez 

Telephone: 713-802-5077 

Email: Danny.Perez@txdot.gov 

Honorable FM 1960 Median Improvements Program

Mention

The Houston District of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) recently completed the FM 

1960 Median Improvements Project to improve mobility and safety along approximately 8 miles of FM 

1960. The project included construction of raised-curb medians, channelized left-turn bays, signal 

improvements, and striping.

FM 1960, which serves as the primary east-west thoroughfare in Harris County, has a daily traffic count of 

approximately 65,000 vehicles, 50 cross streets, 36 signals, and a driveway density as high as 49 driveways 

per mile in a mixed-use area that includes commercial, retail, and residential developments and a high 

population density. Prior to the improvements, FM 1960 was primarily a multi-lane concrete roadway with a 

curb and gutter and a continuous center left-turn lane. Many sections operated at a level of severe congestion, 

which was compounded by the large number of driveways and other obstructions. Only 2 sections along the 

entire 8-mile corridor had raised medians. 

Before construction began, a 3-year study documented 2,171 crashes on the corridor, some 217 percent 

higher than the statewide average. Between 1998 and 2000 there were a total of 2,316 total crashes, with 

42 percent occurring at intersections and 58 percent at driveways. On the 2 existing sections of roadway 

containing raised medians, however, there were only 123 crashes per mile – 17 percent fewer crashes than on 

those sections with a continuous center left-turn lane. 

TxDOT completed the safety improvements project in the fall of 2010. Early results show a reduction in conflict 

points and more efficient traffic operations. However, sufficient crash data is not yet available to fully assess 

this project. Law enforcement officials in the area believe the project will reduce crashes and help emergency 

vehicles reach their destinations along the corridor more quickly. Modeling data in the FM 1960 Access 

Management Study indicates the improvements will reduce travel time by an average of 16 percent, delays by 

an average of 40 percent, and the number of stops by 45 percent.
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Agency: New Jersey Local Technical Assistance Program at Rutgers

Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Training 

Contact: Janet Leli 

Telephone: 732-445-3632, Ext. 145 

Email: jleli@rutgers.edu

Honorable Work Zone Safety Education Program

Mention

Developed, maintained, and led by the New Jersey Local Technical Assistance Program (NJ LTAP) 

at Rutgers Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, the Work Zone Safety Education 

Program has a 20 year history of providing a multi-level, interactive, and state-certified collection of 

educational training courses. For the past 12 years, the program also has included a major statewide annual 

conference for State transportation agency officials, law enforcement, highway construction managers, work 

zone personnel, engineers, and highway contractors to help reduce work zone related injuries and fatalities.

As the only work zone curriculum recognized by the New Jersey DOT (NJDOT), the program offers specified 

instruction on an annual basis to more than 1,000 work zone safety professionals at convenient locations 

statewide with little or no cost to the attendee. To a degree, New Jersey credits the increased availability of 

training through the program to a 50 percent decrease in work zone worker fatalities since 2007, despite a 

concurrent increase in highway construction projects.

Each year, the work zone safety training sessions and annual conference are updated based upon 

partnership and attendee feedback to provide access and up-to-date educational materials to incoming 

students. Because of this, the Work Zone Education Program does not simply develop and offer training, it 

serves as a “watchdog” for work zone-related issues and continually advances the program in an effort to 

increase safety in and around work zone areas.
US Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration

1200 New Jersey Avenue SE

Washington DC 20590

Tel. 202.366.2288

 http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov

www.roadwaysafetyawards.org

Roadway Safety Foundation

1101 14th Street NW, Suite 750

Washington DC 20005

Tel. 202.857.1228

 http://www.roadwaysafety.org

Philip J. Caruso 

Deputy Director for Technical Programs

Institute of Transportation Engineers

Gregory M. Cohen, P.E.

Executive Director

Roadway Safety Foundation

William A. Crank 

Senior Community Relations Manager 

Michelin North America, Inc. 

T. Bella Dinh-Zarr, PhD, MPH

Road Safety Director, FIA Foundation

North American Director, MAKE ROADS SAFE

Anthony Giancola, P.E. 

Retired Executive Director, National Association of 

County Engineers

The Roadway Safety Foundation

The Roadway Safety Foundation is a 501(c)(3) 

nonprofit charitable and educational organization 

solely dedicated to reducing the frequency and 

severity of motor vehicle crashes by improving the 

safety of America’s roadways. To this end, the RSF 

focuses on improving the physical characteristics of 

roadways, such as design and engineering, operating 

conditions, removal of roadside hazards, and effective 

use of safety features.

Michael Griffith

Director, Office of Safety

Federal Highway Administration

Tony Kane

Director of Engineering and Technical Services

AASHTO

Chuck Niessner 

Senior Program Officer 

TRB/NCHRP 

Karen Timpone 

Office of Safety 

Federal Highway Administration

The 2011 Blue Ribbon Panel

We are especially grateful to the esteemed panel of Blue Ribbon Judges who have supported this program. 

Their contributions of expertise, time, talent and vision have been extremely important in ensuring the 

continued success of this program. 

The Federal Highway Administration

The FHWA Office of Safety’s mission is to significantly 

reduce highway fatalities and serious injuries by 

making our roads safer through a data-driven, 

systematic approach to putting safety first when 

applying engineering, education, enforcement, and 

emergency medical services. Focus areas include: 

Comprehensive Strategic Planning, Roadway 

Departure, Intersections, Pedestrians and Speed 

Management. Visit: http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov

FHWA-SA-11-51