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AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE HIGHWAY
AND TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS
COMMITTEE CORRESPONDENCE
July 7, 2004
Address Reply to
Dwight A. Horne, Secretary
AASHTO Subcommittee on Design
Federal Highway Administration, HIPA-1
400 7th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20590
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Subject: Subcommittee on Design National Meeting
Snowbird, Utah – June 8-11, 2004
Meeting Minutes
Members
AASHTO Subcommittee on Design
Region IV and the Utah Department of Transportation hosted the 2004 joint meeting of the AASHTO Subcommittee on Design (SCOD) and the AASHTO Standing Committee on the Environment (SCOE) in Snowbird, Utah June 8-11.
Tuesday – June 8
Fellowship and networking began at the welcoming reception on Tuesday evening.
The SCOD Executive Council also met on Tuesday evening. During this meeting, the SCOD Executive Council discussed general business, the agenda, and the format of the joint meeting.
Wednesday – June 9
Opening Joint Session and Official Welcome
Jason Davis (Utah) opened the meeting and welcomed the attendees.
John Njord, AASHTO President and Secretary of Utah DOT, welcomed the attendees to Utah, presented some facts about Utah, and served as moderator of the opening session.
Doug MacDonald (Washington), SCOE Chair, welcomed the attendees and noted that communication is the challenge we face.
Al Biehler (Pennsylvania) welcomed the attendees and suggested that integration across units is necessary for State transportation departments to be successful.
Cindy Burbank, FHWA Associate Administrator for Planning, Environment, and Realty, welcomed the attendees and noted that for FHWA environmental stewardship and environmental streamlining are part of our vital few emphasis areas. Nearly half the State transportation departments fit their projects into the context of the surrounding human and natural environment. They also include people who live near the projects in the input phases of project development. Integrating NEPA into the planning process is a focus within Cindy’s office. A new workshop has been developed on integrating planning and NEPA. The workshop has been piloted in Maine. Twelve other States are scheduled to host this workshop.
Maintaining Project Commitments – Presentations
Bill Hauser (New Hampshire DOT)
· Project commitments are
o building block for trust with the public and the resource agencies
o deal sealers
John Mettille (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)
· improving credibility by
o CAP - communicating all promises
o FACT - finding acceptable construction techniques
Mary Ivey (New York DOT)
· Guidance, tools, practices need to be in place
· Accountability – quality audit
· Meaningful partnerships
Dianna Noble (Texas DOT)
· Root cause analysis, including organizational structure
· Environment, permits, issues, commitments
Don Snider (Alberta Transportation Agency)
· Described Alberta’s process for environmental clearance of projects
Concurrent Panel Sessions
A. Design Build Challenges
B. Mired in the SWMP: Storm Water Management for DOTs
Speaker at Lunch
John Njord spoke about En Libra Principles. John described En Libra as moving forward into balance.
Concurrent Panel Sessions
C. Star Search: Transportation & Design tools for the Future
D. Implementing Context Sensitive Solutions: What is a Successful CSS Project?
Working in Unison/Environment and Design
· Doug MacDonald and Al Biehler facilitated a discussion on how SCOE and SCOD can serve and support each other in the future.
· Al Biehler led off with a presentation on Smart Transportation based on a PennDOT visit to New Jersey DOT to learn about protecting arterial investments. Access and land use (including the DOT role) were discussed.
· In the open forum, quality of documents and earlier involvement of resource agencies were topics of discussion
Technical Tour – Wednesday evening
Thursday – June 10
SCOD Opening Business Meeting
· Al Biehler opened the meeting
o Provided a recap of the June 9 joint session of SCOE and SCOD.
o Discussed the updated SCOD Operating Guidelines that were adopted March 1, 2004.
· Jim McDonnell (AASHTO) led a discussion on FHWA’s supplemental notice of proposed rule making on work zone safety and mobility
o FHWA addressed concerns AASHTO expressed on the first rule making
o AASHTO has a few minor comments on this rule making
o States encouraged to comment on this rule making
o Handout provided
· Susan Martinovich (Nevada and SCOD Vice-chair) led discussions of
o Highlights of recent meetings with activities that affect SCOD
§ Standing Committee on Highway Traffic Safety
· Six safety areas/features to improve for largest gain
· Two resolutions proposed on automated law enforcement support as a tool and on the strategic highway safety plan by expressing that each State must have its own
· In the research area – CEO’s safety leadership forum
§ Standing Committee on Highways
· Balloting procedures
· Clarification of AASHTO publication titles as guides or policies – project NCHRP 20-7 to clarify
· Discussed pavement design guide, LTPP, and the steel prices issue
· Discussed OIG errors and omissions audit
· NCHRP 20-7 research topics
o $410,000 approved for quick (six months) projects
§ streamlining operations
§ safety leadership
§ testing striping material
§ product evaluation
§ barrier rail
§ LFRD
§ Consistency of titles for publication
· Resolutions passed included
o Asset management
o NETPEP
o Work zone
o Special information task force – sunset
o SCOH CSD task force continued one more year for implementation activities
o Traffic safety
· Al Biehler led discussion about annual work program development
o Technical committees and regional committee input desired
o Regional committee should identify important tasks via work plans, including suggested research
o Technical committee work plan updates to Jim McDonnell by July 31
o SCOD Executive Council to take input and roll up into SCOD work plan
· Al Biehler talked about DOT partnerships with communities regarding land use and asked SCOD attendees to think about this and discuss during the Regional Meetings.
Presentations
Moderated by Susan Martinovich
Kevin Mahoney (Penn State University)
NCHRP Project 3-69, Design of Work Zones on High-Speed Highways; status and preliminary findings
Tim Neuman (CH2M Hill)
AASHTO’s new publication: A Guide for Achieving Flexibility in Highway Design
Ed Hammontree (FHWA Central Federal Lands Highway)
Hoover Dam Construction Project
Carl Bard (Connecticut)
Church Street Truss Project; crane selection for truss erection in New Haven
Concurrent Roundtables
A. Design Consultant Errors and Omissions
B. Fitting Transit Projects into Highway Design
C. Benefit/Cost Issues Related to Safety Features in Design
D. Design Speed vs. Posted Speed
Speaker at Lunch
John Horsley (AASHTO Executive Director) spoke about the status and issues related to reauthorization of TEA-21.
Regional Meetings
SCOD Awards Banquet
Awards Recipients
Region 1, Phil Clark (New York)
Region 2, Brian Blanchard (Florida)
Region 3, Joe Busic (Ontario)
Region 4, Wayne Kinder (Nevada)
National, Don Arkle (Alabama)
Region 3 Project Award, Ohio – I-270/SR 161 Interchange
Friday – June 11
Reports from Regional Meetings
Moderated by Susan Martinovich
Region 4 – Loren Thomas (Idaho)
· Next officers – Texas, chair; Colorado, vice-chair; Washington, secretary
· Arkansas and Oklahoma not in attendance
· Guardrail research and testing in a pooled approach with FHWA
· Expand regional meeting time
· More roundtable sessions with some concurrent
· Consider combining business meeting and Executive Council meeting
· Other topics discussed included rumble strips, truncated dome material and tremendous variation among users
· Steel price issue – seems to be going down
· Use of low volume road guide
Region 3 – Gary Mroczka (Indiana)
· Next officers – Indiana, chair; Ontario, vice-chair; Missouri, secretary
· In attendance – Indiana, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois, Ontario
· COE 404 permits – timeliness
· Railroad insurance rates increasing for Class I companies
· Consultant use – 90 percent or higher in Indiana and Ontario
· Green Book and reconstruction
· Rumble strips
· CSS and cost of aesthetics on Interstate highways
· CSS land use as a local issue; education is need regarding the effect on the system
· Cost-effective mitigation
· Research: 1965 driveway guide; price indexing
Region 2 – Brian Blanchard (Florida)
· Next officers – South Carolina, chair; West Virginia, vice-chair; Louisiana, secretary
· No research topics
· No resolutions
· Include in 2005 meeting topic of coordination of utilities, railroads, etc. to help with production
· Rumble strips
· Two-way left turn lanes
· Design exceptions
· Maintenance of traffic
· Truncated domes
· Nighttime striping
· Special Report 214; 3R projects and crest vertical curves vs. 2001 Green Book
Region 1 – Stan Wood
· Next officers – District of Columbia, chair; Pennsylvania, vice-chair; Connecticut, secretary
· All States in attendance
· Median crossover accidents
· 60-feet vs. 30-feet; Roadside Design Guide values
· Most States are active in CSS
· Land use is a local issue
o consider in corridor planning and work with locals
o Standing Committee on Planning should lead
o Consider asset management focus
· Work plan
o Traffic calming effectiveness; a past resolution
o Bike lanes on urban streets
o Reconstruction projects and Green Book criteria - revisit
o Consistency of safety road audits with other guidance
o Regarding the meeting format
§ Not enough time for Regional Meetings
§ Suggest adding one day back onto schedule after 2005
§ For 2005 concurrent meeting with Design Symposium
· have less SCOD sessions
· suggest 3-two hour Regional meeting sessions
Technical Committee Reports/Presentations
Moderated by Susan Martinovich
Cost Estimating – Diane Heckemeyer (Missouri)
· Planning and project estimates
· Assisted FHWA with developing major project estimate guidance
· FHWA engineering technical advisory updated
· Measuring accuracy of estimates
· Use of price escalation clauses
· A5T60 accelerated construction
· WSDOT CVEP process (for estimating project costs)
Design Build – Brian Blanchard (Florida)
· AASHTO web site
· Current design-build practices report
Environmental Design – Jim McDonnell
· Eliminate traffic noise publication
· 1993 noise guide deemed okay
· 1996 wetland guide is to be added to web site
· Update 1995 landscape guide
· Cost of downloadable publications
· Should CSS ownership be with this technical committee
· Should this be a joint technical committee
Geometric Design – Don Arkle (Alabama)
· Updated superelevation chapter for Green Book
· Updated policy on Interstate standards
· Updated utilities publication
· Pedestrian guide passed ballot
· Next Green Book update scheduled for 2007/2008
· Committee meets July 14-16 in Virginia
· NCHRP 20-7 will update figures in Green Book
Highway Lighting – Jim McDonnell
· Lighting guide balloting
· After publishing, technical committee will go inactive
Hydrology and Hydraulics – Dean Schreiber (Pennsylvania)
· Model highway drainage manual balloted by SCOD
· Next update by 2008
Nonmotorized Transportation – Dick Albin (Washington)
· Pedestrian guide
· Bicycle guide – update needed
· U.S. bike route system may be outlined by 2005
Pavements – Ken Sperry (Kentucky)
· NCHRP 1-37A, pavement guide
· NCHRP 1-40, implementation of pavement guide
o July 2006 interim guide
o July 2008 new guide
Preconstruction Engineering Management – Dick Adams (Kansas)
· Provided handout
· November 2003, published 2003 Guide to Quality in Preconstruction Engineering
· Conducted internet survey of States in several general areas related to 1991 publication, Guidelines for Preconstruction Engineering Management, with result summarized and located on AASHTO SCOD web site
· Reviewing and developing questionnaire regarding the publication, 1996 Guide for Contracting, Selecting, and managing Consultants in Preconstruction Engineering
o Update focus in coming year
Public Transportation Facilities Design – Jim McDonnell
· Updated HOV guide
· Updated park and ride lot guide
· Now inactive
Roadside Safety – Dick Albin (Washington)
· Updating guidelines for median barriers
· Looking at curbs and barriers
· Railing height for bikes
· Clear zone conflicts in AASHTO documents
· Revising low volume roads in roadside design guide to address zone of inclusion
· Considering domestic scan
· Reviewing design vehicle selection for the NCHRP 350 criteria
Value Engineering – Ken Smith (Washington)
· NCHRP defining appropriate things to measure
· Web site for VE tools
· NCHRP 20-5 synthesis study underway
Closing Business Meeting
Moderated by Susan Martinovich
Susan summarized the "actions" during this final session:
· The region chairs need to work with their respective regions to solicit topics for next years meeting. The Executive Council will be holding conference calls prior to the annual meeting to discuss.
· Land Use was a big topic of discussion. We committed to talk to AASHTO about forming a joint committee composed of SCOD's environmental technical committee and members of SCOP and SCOE. This joint committee would either replace the existing SCOD technical committee or would be a new committee under SCOP. The committee would look at long range planning incorporating the NEPA and design/safety issues.
· The technical committee on Geometric Design would evaluate the 214 Report.
· The median study completed by Art Eisendorf (New Jersey) would be sent to the Roadside Safety technical committee for more information to use in their charge to update the median barrier guidelines.
· We committed to discuss with AASHTO about the technical committee on Environmental Design assuming the CSS role of the SCOH CSS Task Force when it sunsets this fall.
· The Roadside Safety technical committee will coordinate with FHWA on the guardrail testing. There may be something already underway through NTPEP.
· The Geometric Design technical committee will update the driveway guide
· Jim McDonnell and Dwight Horne will track down past SCOD resolutions on traffic calming devices research to determine what is the status of the research.
· The Geometric Design technical committee will revisit the 13 controlling criteria and relative importance regarding curve designs.
· The Executive Committee will consider the desire/need to make publications available on the web site versus revenue generation for AASHTO and access liabilities.
· The Executive Committee will consider benefits of putting the Green Book in a 3-ring binder.