Review of U.S. Department of Transportation Truck Size and Weight Study - Second Report: Review of USDOT Technical Reports

Traditionally, highway improvement project evaluation is done without incorporating highway users’ views. The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) wants drivers to be satisfied and have “good feelings” about its passing lanes program. KDOT needs input to decide whether passing lanes are efficient, safe, and acceptable to the public. Drivers’ views were solicited via a questionnaire survey which was part of a comprehensive study on passing lanes in Kansas. Generally, drivers support the passing lane program and suggest construction of more passing lanes. Drivers think that passing lanes are more beneficial for improving safety than for saving time. They are equally divided on the length of passing lanes between “too short” and “just right,” although the provided lengths are within the recommended optimum lengths found in the literature. The “too short” responses could be due to existing passing lane spacings, preference of four-lane highways over two-lane highways, and difference in local conditions from those used to determine lengths. Drivers cited fellow drivers’ failure to follow signs and markings properly, and failure to use the lanes properly; this seems to indicate that improvements in signing and pavement markings should be considered. A smaller proportion of drivers, satisfied with a lower frequency of local travel on a route closer to the state’s borders (i.e., more unfamiliar drivers), suggests the importance of standardizing highway operating and design practices throughout the country.

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New Paradigm for State Department of Transportation Environmental Initiatives: New York State’s Guidelines and Procedures

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.3141/1702-11 ◽

2000 ◽

Vol 1702 (1) ◽

pp. 92-96 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Gary McVoy ◽

Mark Sengenberger ◽

Elizabeth Novak

Keyword(s):

New York ◽

New York State ◽

Cost Effective ◽

State Department ◽

Regulatory Compliance ◽

Environmental Benefits ◽

Environmental Damage ◽

York State Department ◽

Department Of Transportation ◽

New Paradigm

Public-works agencies have an obligation to enhance the environment as opportunities arise. The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has developed an environmental initiative to make an affirmative contribution to the environment, using the department’s organizational strengths. The environmental initiative is a paradigm shift applicable to all departments of transportation (DOTs). Conventional reactive regulatory compliance can reduce unnecessary environmental damage and sometimes gain grudging regulatory agency cooperation; however, it is not a positive, satisfying way of doing the people’s work. Through proactive steps, NYSDOT has become an important part of the state’s environmental solution (often at little or no additional cost) and has changed its working relationships with environmental agencies and groups. As these agencies and groups have become partners, instead of adversaries, permit-approval times have improved, mitigation costs have declined, morale has improved, and cost-effective environmental benefits are being realized. Procedures are outlined to apply the engineering capabilities of a DOT to the environmental-stewardship responsibilities shared by all governmental organizations.

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Comparison of Overnight Truck Parking Counts with GPS-Derived Counts for Truck Parking Facility Utilization Analysis

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/0361198119843851 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2673 (8) ◽

pp. 377-387 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Karla Diaz Corro ◽

Taslima Akter ◽

Sarah Hernandez

Keyword(s):

Global Positioning System ◽

Survey Methodology ◽

Population Level ◽

Department Of Transportation ◽

Expansion Factor ◽

Arrival Times ◽

Global Positioning ◽

Facility Type ◽

Transportation Agencies ◽

Parking Facilities

Increased demand for truck parking resulting from hours-of-service regulations and growing truck volumes, coupled with limited supply of parking facilities, is concerning for transportation agencies and industry stakeholders. To monitor truck parking congestion, the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) conducts an annual observational survey of truck parking facilities. As a result of survey methodology, it cannot capture patterns of diurnal and seasonal use, arrival times, and duration. Truck Global Positioning System (GPS) data provide an apt alternative for monitoring parking facility utilization. The issue is that most truck GPS datasets represent a sample of the truck population and the representativeness of that sample may differ by application. Currently no method exists to accurately expand a GPS sample to reflect population-level truck parking facility utilization. This paper leverages the ARDOT study to estimate GPS “expansion factors” by parking facility type and defines two expansion factors: (1) the ratio of trucks parked derived from the GPS sample to those observed during the Overnight Study, and (2) the ratio of truck volume derived from the GPS sample to total truck volume measured on the nearest roadway. Varied expansion factors are found for public, private commercial (e.g., restaurant, retail store, etc.), and private truck stop facilities. Comparatively, the expansion factor based on roadway truck volumes was at least twice as high as that derived from the Overnight Study. Considering this, the method to determine expansion factors has significant implications on the estimated magnitudes of parking facility congestion, and thus will have consequences for investment prioritization.

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Analysis of Overweight Truck Permit Policy in New Jersey

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/03611981211026654 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036119812110266

Author(s):

Sami Demiroluk ◽

Hani Nassif ◽

Kaan Ozbay ◽

Chaekuk Na

Keyword(s):

New Jersey ◽

Environmental Conditions ◽

Decision Makers ◽

Actual Cost ◽

Department Of Transportation ◽

Heavy Weight ◽

Vehicle Route ◽

Heavy Trucks ◽

Maintenance And Rehabilitation ◽

The Cost

The roadway infrastructure constantly deteriorates because of environmental conditions, but other factors such as exposure to heavy trucks exacerbates the rate of deterioration. Therefore, decision-makers are constantly searching for ways to optimize allocation of the limited funds for repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation of New Jersey’s infrastructure. New Jersey legislation requires operators of overweight (OW) trucks to obtain a permit to use the infrastructure. The New Jersey Department of Transportation (NJDOT) issues a variety of permits based on the types of goods carried. These permits allow OW trucks to use the infrastructure either for a single trip or for multiple trips. Therefore, one major concern is whether the permit revenue of the agency can recoup the actual cost of damage to the infrastructure caused by these OW trucks. This study investigates whether NJDOT’s current permit fee program can collect enough revenue to meet the actual cost of damage to the infrastructure caused by these heavy-weight permit trucks. The infrastructure damage is estimated by using pavement and bridge deterioration models and New Jersey permit data from 2013 to 2018 containing vehicle configuration and vehicle route. The analysis indicates that although the cost of infrastructure damage can be recovered for certain permit types, there is room for improvement in the permit program. Moreover, based on permit rules in other states, the overall rank of the New Jersey permit program is evaluated and possible revisions are recommended for future permit policies.

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Using Large Linked Field Data Sets to Investigate Density’s Impact on the Performance of Washington State Department of Transportation Asphalt Pavements

Transportation Research Record Journal of the Transportation Research Board ◽

10.1177/03611981211006101 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 036119812110061

Author(s):

Ryan Howell ◽

Stephen Muench ◽

Milad Zokaei Ashtiani ◽

James Feracor ◽

Mark Russell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Aggregate Size ◽

Large Data ◽

State Department ◽

Washington State ◽

Maximum Aggregate Size ◽

Test Case ◽

Data Sets ◽

Department Of Transportation ◽

Clear Trend ◽

Washington State Department

Large data sets of Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) pavement construction and condition data are linked together and used to investigate an implemented change in in-place density to lower specification limit (LSL) from 91% to 92%. This serves as a test case for using such large in-service data sets to create analysis value for a state DOT. Findings include: (1) WSDOT field density has remained relatively steady at 93% for over 20 years; (2) raising the density LSL to 92% will likely result in more contractor effort to achieve higher densities; (3) no clear trend links density with better pavement condition; (4) raising the density LSL will likely result in fewer problematically low densities; and (5) there is no evidence of differing pavement performance based on asphalt content, gradation, or nominal maximum aggregate size.

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