On Jan. 31 Federal Highway Administrator Mary Peters issued an "advance notice of proposed rulemaking" (ANPRM) which solicits potential improvements to federal regs on traffic safety in roadway work zones, with an eye to making zones safer and transit times faster.

Suggestions and comments were being accepted through June 6.

The solicitation dates to early 2001, when FHWA director of traffic operations Shelley Row asked Associated General Contractors (AGC) members assembled in Nashville to help establish a new push to make work zones safer, beginning at the very conception of a road project.

Later, in July 2001, AGC held a Work Zone Safety Summit that developed potential solutions to work zone problems. AGC said the summit produced over 50 concepts for safer work zones, and developed an action plan to identify the recommendations, impediments, implementation strategy, and what additional information is needed to give life to the recommendations in the field.

AGC endorsed FHWA's initiative and said a joint public/private strategy for reducing fatalities and injuries might include

o Increased enforcement of speed limits
o A public relations campaign to educate motorists, and
o Training programs aimed at contractors and workers.

To that end, in May 2002 in St. Louis, AGC's new Highway Work Zone Safety Committee held its first meeting and prepared its response to FHWA's request for comments for its proposed rulemaking.

Similarly, American Traffic Safety Services Association executive director Roger Wentz presented ATSSA's plan for enhanced work zone safety and traffic safety in next year's federal surface transportation program (TEA-21) reauthorization at a meeting of transportation insiders in Washington in May.
 

FHWA articulates goals

There is a precedent for federal involvement with work zone safety.

TEA-21's predecessor legislation, the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 (ISTEA) ordered the U.S. secretary of transportation to improve work zone safety by enhancing the quality and effectiveness of traffic control devices, safety appurtenances, traffic control plans, and bidding practices.

This was rolled out as a non-regulatory action in October 1995, which established a National Highway Work Zone Safety Program. One of the fruits of this effort was creation of the National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse (http://wzsafety.tamu.edu) by FHWA and the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA).

The clearinghouse is a gold mine of information for government agencies, public and private organizations, and the general public about safe and effective traffic work zones. The clearinghouse began operations in February 1998 under FHWA funding, and now is a cooperative partnership between ARTBA and the Texas Transportation Institute, supported by private and public organizations.

In support of heightened federal involvement with work zones, FHWA states that much of TEA-21's enhanced funding is being spent on maintaining and operating existing roads, as comparatively few new roads are being built. At the same time, traffic volumes continue to grow and create more congestion.

"From 1980 to 1999, the U.S. experienced a 76 percent increase in total vehicle-miles traveled, while total lane miles of public roads increased only by 1 percent," FHWA observes. "Congestion is frustrating and costly to businesses and individuals."

Over the years, improvements in work zones have taken place, FHWA says. "However, more effort is required to meet the needs and expectations of the American public," FHWA says. "FHWA is seeking to identify and foster ways to make work zones function better. This requires looking at the full life of our transportation infrastructure and may require changing the way construction and maintenance projects are conceived, planned, designed and executed."

FHWA believes that the trends of increasing road construction, growing traffic and public frustration with work zones call for a more broad-based examination of the current regulations. Regulations may be updated to reduce the need for recurrent road work, the duration of work zones, and the disruption caused by work zones.
 

Countering potential backlash

Given the difficulty and vulnerability of the road worker in construction done under traffic, some may question why driver delays should be included in as part of a new federal work zone safety regulation. But FHWA is right to include user delays and motorist attitudes in the work zone safety equation, along with worker and motorist safety.

That's because as road work volume ramps up to the levels required by condition -- and permitted by enhanced funding -- the entire industry risks a backlash from motorists who see work zones blocking prime, and often, alternate routes.

Sarcasm such as "We only have two seasons here: winter and road construction" underlie simmering frustration with road work. This backlash already is being cultivated by enemies of road work such as the environmental movement and local NIMBYs ("not in my backyard") opponents of projects.

Moreover, frustrated motorists are a source of impulsive driving that endangers road workers. It's enough that workers have to dodge beer bottles and soda cans; they shouldn't have to dodge vehicles as well.

A fresh, new, national perspective on work zones -- constituted by industry stakeholders, bolstered by the FHWA and including motorist needs -- should help all the industry in the long term.

We should support it.