Work Zone Awareness Week: Outreach Ideas and Strategies Webinar
February 6, 2013
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Contact Information: WorkZoneFeedback@dot.gov
Missouri Department of Transportation Presentation, by Julie Stotlemeyer, Missouri Department of Transportation
slide 1
Work Zone Awareness 2012
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slide notes:
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slide 2
National Work Zone Kickoff in MO
- April 23, Chesterfield, Route 141 Relocation project
- Featuring national work zone memorial wall
- Featuring: FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez
- Missouri was awarded this honor from ATSSA & NWZAW executive committee – based on past history of safe work
slide notes:
2012 National Work Zone Awareness Kickoff Event was in St. Louis, which is the first time away from the Washington D.C. area. We were awarded the kickoff by ATSSA & NWZAW exec committee because of our safety efforts in work zones and work zone awareness – American Traffic Safety Services Association & National Work Zone Awareness Week executive committee.
MoDOT continue the theme Don't Barrel Through Work Zones in 2012. Our education efforts last year, started Work Zone Awareness Week April 23-27 and continue through Labor Day weekend.
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Selection Reasons
- Measurable Results
- Project Selection
- Education & Outreach Efforts
- Innovations
- New Communication Strategies
- Partnerships
slide notes:
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slide notes:
MoDOT
The 10-year average for fatalities is in work zones is 17, so we are making progress. In all of the past five years we have been below that number.
- Fatalities fell from 14 people in 2010 to 10 in 2011.
- There were 878 people injured in 2010 work zones, compared to 536 in 2011.
- This is a decrease in injuries of over 39%.
- Crashes were down 30% while our number of work zones increased by 3%.
slide 5
Project:
- Rt. 141 – Missouri's Largest ARRA Project
- Enhance Traffic Flow, Reduce Congestion & Generate $ 1B in Economic Impact
- Intelligent Compaction, Two-lift Paving & "Smog-eating Concrete"
slide notes:
Rt. 141 project was Missouri's largest American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project of $45 million. The project upgrading will enhance traffic flow through the region, reduce congestion and generate $1 billion in economic impact over the next 20 years.
The project had its own website and blog sites to promote the projects and listen to concerns.
With this project, MoDOT tested several innovative techniques of intelligent compaction, two-lifting paving and photocatalytic additive for the concrete which absorbs and breaks down pollution into harmless elements ("smog-eating concrete").
With the project, the continual effort MoDOT emphasizes for work zone including education, engineering practices and enforcement.
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Outreach and Education
- Work Zone Awareness Week April 23-27, 2012
- Messages via radio, internet, social media
- Truck ads, and ads on televisions on top of gas pumps
- Barrel Bob continues...
slide notes:
Research shows most of the people in work zone crashes are males 25-54. So, to most effectively get the work zone safety messages to them, we'll be using ads strategically in many places including the back of trucks on the interstate like the one in this picture, gas stations video gas pump toppers, on the internet and radio stations.
Last year, MoDOT added a BRAND NEW component with the wildly popular Barrel Bob personality (thanks to Kansas City District). He was added to all our media components and has his very own Facebook page (which you can become a fan of) and also Twitter posts.
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Barrel Bob
- 6 Barrel Bob characters across Missouri
- Barrel Bob Facebook page continues with more than 5,300 followers
- 1st Place – WZ Safety – Outreach Program/State – ARTBA
- 2nd Place – NAGC Facebook Award
slide notes:
Barrel Bob became wildly popular across the state. We will continue to promote his facebook page that has more than 5,300 followers as well as using him to encourage motorists to rate our work zones.
We now have six Barrel Bobs to watch over work zones and spread the message about work zone safety.
1st Place – 2012 Work Zone Safety Awareness Award Competition in the Outreach Program/State category in a contest sponsored by the American Road and Transportation Builders Association.
2nd Place – National Association of Government Communicators Facebook Award
slide 8
slide notes:
The new Traveler Information Map App gives work zone information and Rate Our Work Zone button on MoDOT's mobile site for use on any smart phone.
In addition the traditional electronic map on the MoDOT website provides great information and continues to be one of the most visited pages on the website.
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Other Outreach & Education
- Posters, fliers, placemats & banners
- District memorial events
- Partnership with Labor Unions at rest areas
- Changeable message board messages
- MoDOT Close Calls video for YouTube
slide notes:
We also used all non-paid options we can including partnering with the Laborer's Union at many of our rest areas to hand out work zone safety materials (an event we've done for many years), messages on our own electronic message boards, updating work zone safety information on our website, and providing other materials like posters and placemats for kids.
Another new item this year is a close calls video for YouTube that features some MoDOT employees talking about their experience in the work zone.
slide 10
Dynamic Message Signs
- Work zone awareness and distracted driving messages rotated throughout the state
- Only incident, work zone, and distracted driving messages to appear on rural message boards during the week
slide notes:
Dynamic message signs (DMS) was used across the state to promote Work Zone Awareness Week. At the same time, the opportunity will be taken to discourage distracted driving. These two types of messages (work zone awareness and distracted driving) will be rotated throughout the state in conjunction with one another.
On the 66 rural message boards, the entire week will be dedicated to the rotation of these types of messages along with any real incidents or construction impacts that need to be communicated to motorists.
slide 11
Work Zone Customer Survey
- Rate work zones on MoDOT website, postcards at rest areas, welcome centers, public meetings, signs on projects and mass mailings
- Results so far: 1700+ submitted in 2012
- Meeting customer expectations: 87%
slide notes:
Customer surveys are available on the internet and are distributed in hard copy at rest areas and welcome centers. Also distributed at public meetings and even in the work zone. We started mass mailings for projects. The response information from the survey is distributed in the same day that it is received.
This tool has prompted changes to our temporary traffic control based on public feedback.
Also received national recognition as the only state providing customers with a voice about our work zones.
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Work Zone Management Focus
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slide notes:
The planning of our work zones starts in the very early stages of design. The Work Zone efforts must be considered along with the design of the necessary scope of work in order to minimize impacts to our motorists.
Our project core teams include District and Central Office staff that provide the expertise for suggesting the appropriate temporary traffic control.
Our designers are using effective modeling tools that help forecast queue length during certain volumes of traffic. These tools help us establish any needed work hour restrictions.
MoDOT continues to improve Work Zones by mitigating congestion or potential delays.
We are using more Real Time technologies with in the work zones to detect and notify our staff the instant that any delays happen. Portable Camera units will help us monitor WZ's too on certain locations without any current Camera technology.
Congestion mitigation plans are pre-established so that the response is known by all stakeholders if/when congestion or a delay occurs. Under no circumstances do we want any motorist to experience a delay without having adequate advanced warning through electronic or static signs.
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TMC Monitoring of Mobile Work Zones
- Notify TMC of Mobile Operation
- Dynamic Message System will notify public
- TMC will monitor and inform the operations of travel delay, crashes, etc.
slide notes:
Both Kansas City and St. Louis had an average 34% decrease of crashes from 2010 to 2011. St. Louis and Kansas City saw a 32% and 35% decrease of injuries, respectively.
Our Traffic Management Centers will continue to provide direct support to all Mobile Operations in the Metro areas.
A protocol for consistent communication will aid in this support.
Motorists will be provided with timely and accurate information well in advance of the mobile operation via electronic message signs.
Additionally, the mobile operation will be notified of other delays or vehicle crashes in the area that could be problematic for the operation.
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Sequential Lights
- Provide a continuous light sequence along the taper of a work zone
- Recommended for nighttime interstate projects
slide notes:
For lane closures on our interstate routes at night you can expect to see a new sequential light system.
This device is a relatively new product that was recently approved as a Focus Technology by AASHTO's Technology Implementation Group. (The "Tow plow" was also a Focus technology as an example of what this means)
Missouri will chair the lead states team for promoting this technology around the country.
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Increased Law Enforcement
MSHP Operation Protect – 27 agencies
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slide notes:
Law enforcement always plays a key role in keeping our work zones safe. We continue to fund additional hours for increased law enforcement when we can. Here are a few statistics on the law enforcement efforts from 2011.
Current efforts are to ensure that we are maximizing our STIP commitments for the use of law enforcement in work zones.
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Lessons Learned
- Start early identifying all key people, partners (ATSSA, AGC, etc.) groups, companies, etc.
- Meet regularly as a TEAM
- Identify resources that different groups can provide
slide notes:
MoDOT and FHWA started working with different groups almost a year before the event, mostly identifying all the different people and groups for the event – example Law Enforcement, Laborers Union, Private companies, local agencies.
The groups started to meet regularly as a TEAM, started monthly and toward the end about weekly, normally over the phone.
FHWA and MoDOT provided resources and people for the promotion of the event around the state besides in St. Louis. One example which was out of the box for MODOT was a private company promoting the Work Zone Customer Survey by donating fuel card to be used in a drawing. If the traveling public filled out a Work Zone Customer Survey within the Work Zone Awareness Week their name could be selected to win a fuel card for a certain amount.
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Event
- Largest event by attendees, speakers and media
- Speakers – FHWA Administrator Victor Mendez, congressional, St. Louis city/county, industry, highway patrol, and family members of fallen MoDOT worker Josh Slatten
slide notes:
Building the different groups, MoDOT was able to increase the number of interested parties for the event.
slide 18
Questions?
Julie Stotlemeyer
Julie.Stotlemeyer@modot.mo.gov
573-751-0982
Daniel Smith
Daniel.Smith@modot.mo.gov
573-526-4329
slide notes:
The bottom line on all these efforts is the safety of everyone who drives through work zones or works on or along Missouri roads. We tip our hats to those who put their lives on the line every day and we urge motorists to slow down and pay attention in work zones.
