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Meeting Diverse Needs through Transportation Investments

Successful transportation systems are essential to the fabric of American life. Although improved mobility is an important outcome for most transportation investments, many additional goals are met by these successful projects including:

The following sections highlight successful transportation investments that meet these diverse needs.

Improving Public Safety

Public safety is a fundamental goal for all transportation improvement projects. Some successful projects programs, however, are undertaken specifically to correct a public safety deficiency or to raise awareness about public safety strategies on America’s streets and highways.

The Colorado Department of Transportation’s first-in-the-nation wildlife detection system is designed to reduce the rate of animal–vehicle collisions in an area where nearly 70 percent of all accidents were animal related. The pilot system uses intrusion detection technology to alert motorists to nearby wildlife.

The Hawaii Department of Transportation rebuilt Saddle Road—described by Forbes Traveler as one of the scariest drives in America with an accident rate more than double the average on any road in the state—to modern standards to improve mobility, minimize conflicts with military training, open the road to tourists, and provide a safe, cross-island highway.

The Delaware Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT) Neighborhood Speeding Education Program focused on reducing speed-related crashes involving children. The campaign’s blunt message—“At 25 mph she’s hurt, as 35 mph she’s dead”—drew widespread attention and commitment, built new partnerships for long-term support, increased awareness of the risks of speeding in residential areas, and raised DelDOT’s profile.

High speed, heavy traffic, and an increase in accidents along Route 32 prompted the Maryland State Highway Administration to build a new $18.5 million interchange at Burntwoods Road. In order to improve the sight distance of drivers for safety purposes, the project shifted Route 32 and realigned the roadway geometry. The complexities of the interchange redesign and the increasing number of crashes made the interchange reconstruction a top priority. The project was finished six months ahead of schedule.

Reconstruction of “The Stack” in Jackson, Mississippi—the multi-level urban interchange of Interstates 20 and 55 and U.S. Highway 49—has reduced congestion and provided a more predictable, less confusing, and safer journey through Jackson for both commuters and through traffic. The crash rate and severity index have dropped since completion of the project.

The Michigan Department of Transportation rebuilt and widened a segment of Interstate 94 in Kalamazoo County that routinely carries more than 78,000 cars a day. The $68 million project was designed to ease traffic congestion, build 11 bridges, replace 2.6 miles of roadway in poor condition, and improve public safety. The new configuration has drastically decreased rear-end and side-swipe collisions.

 

Enhancing Economic Growth

Transportation projects support economic growth in many ways—by improving freight movement along vital corridors, creating and sustaining jobs, and supporting investments in new businesses.

The Georgia Department of Transportation built a new interchange at I-85 to support a job-creating KIA Motors assembly plant in West Point, Georgia. A fast-tracked timeline and design-build contract were used to meet an 18-month “open to traffic” target date. Constant communication and accountability within the team quickly and accurately identified project challenges and kept the work moving. The new interchange was successfully completed in 17 months—nearly a month ahead of schedule.

In Rhode Island, the Route 403 relocation project provided direct highway access to a former Navy Base being reborn as the state’s largest business and industrial park. The 3,000-acre Quonset Business Park was already home to 168 businesses employing 8,500 people. The new 4.5-mile, limited-access highway replaced a two-lane, rural state road through a mostly residential area. Plans to grow the park to 15,000 jobs hinged, in part, on improved highway access. Successful completion of the new highway and an interchange with Route 4 will help the park attract new businesses, create jobs, and strengthen the state’s economy.

The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) played a key role in facilitating the opening of the new Washington Nationals baseball park—a long-term economic development engine for the Anacostia area of the city. DDOT successfully carried out the overall traffic operations and parking plan for Opening Day, including widening and modernizing roads around the park and improving pedestrian access from nearby subway stations and the surrounding neighborhoods. Although the baseball team’s record in its first two seasons at the park has been disappointing, the transportation plan has been a great success—even for the occasional sold-out mid-week games.

The Washington State Department of Transportation’s $50.8 million Blaine Border Project successfully improved traffic flow in one of the busiest crossings for commercial trucks along the U.S.–Canadian border—with up to 2,000 trucks crossing daily. The newly upgraded SR 543 is an efficient, safe, five-lane highway with a grade-separated interchange to minimize congestion with local traffic. It also includes a designated lane for pre-approved trucks under the Free and Secure Trade (FAST) program to facilitate border crossings. Successful completion of the project required close coordination with the U.S. Customs and Border Crossing, the city of Blaine, the U.S. Border Patrol, the British Columbia Ministry of Transportation, and the Canadian Border Services Agency.

In New York, reconstruction of the Interstate 86–Route 15–Route 17 interchange balanced regional transportation needs with significant improvements to community cohesion and economic development infrastructure. The complex project included construction of a new interchange along a route that is part of the trade corridor connecting Toronto and Detroit to the eastern seaboard. The improved traffic flow also supports the Sullivan Park Ceramic Incubator development, expected to create 6,000 new jobs.

The timely delivery of the I-35W Bridge project is a direct result of an innovative schedule management and the design-build process. A quality product was produced in a very short timeline with no lost-time safety incidents.

~ Minnesota Department of Transportation

Rebuilding After and Preparing for Disasters

Disasters happen—sometimes with devastating impacts on transportation systems. Transportation officials face the challenge of restoring mobility and consumer confidence—quickly, efficiently, and safely—without the typical lead time for planning alternative routes and informing the public of what lies ahead. As a result, fast-track design and construction are the norms for post-disaster transportation success.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation launched reconstruction of the Interstate 35W Bridge over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis four days after the bridge collapsed during rush hour, killing 13 travelers and injuring 144 more. The bridge had carried 140,000 vehicles daily. The new $234 million bridge has five lanes of traffic in each direction, reconstructed ramps at the interchanges, and room to accommodate a future light-rail line. The bridge was completed nearly three months ahead of schedule and opened to traffic 13 months from the day of the collapse.

Ten Ways the Oklahoma DOT Opened SH 20 Ahead of Schedule

  1. Held planning meetings and pre-bid conferences at the site so everyone could see the extent of damage first-hand.
  2. Held daily conference calls with key staff and managers to stay on track.
  3. Completed repair plans in 19 days compared to a typical two-year planning process.
  4. Convened an emergency meeting of the Oklahoma Transportation Commission to get the project awarded and started quickly.
  5. Started construction work 19 days after the landslide.
  6. Offered significant financial incentives for early completion.
  7. Temporarily relocated two homeowners at the bottom of the hill to make round-the-clock work possible.
  8. Purchased a home that was threatened by the slide area to permit more reinforcement material at the bottom of the hill.
  9. Coordinated simultaneous project work along the hillside.
  10. Maintained communication among key players to identify and solve problems quickly and achieve the expedited construction schedule.

This project is a great example of communities working together across borders to get something positive done for their citizens. It is a win-win for everybody. During hurricanes, people will have an easier time getting out of harm’s way, and this new four-lane corridor will be more attractive to business and industry.

~ Alabama Governor Bob Riley

The Wisconsin Department of Transportation faced a daunting challenge when the rain-soaked Lake Delton dam collapsed, washing out a 600-foot-wide section of the County Trunk Highway. The highway is an important emergency link into the area and a major route to the “Dells,” a leading tourist destination. The project team mobilized the day after the event. Repair work began a month after the disaster and involved not only rebuilding the highway, but also replacing utility lines and restoring the lake’s water level. The highway reopened less than six months after the dam collapse.

In Oklahoma, on April 10, 2008, a landslide caused by heavy rains washed out State Highway 20 at Keetonville Hill, shutting down an important commuter link between Tulsa and its north and east suburbs. The closest highway detours took drivers nearly 20 miles out of their way. But with an aggressive planning, contracting, and construction schedule, State Highway 20 reopened in early June—52 days ahead of the 110-day projected schedule.

Transportation also plays a vital role in helping states and communities prepare for disasters. For example, the Alabama Department of Transportation led a successful effort to improve a major hurricane evacuation from coastal Florida to inland Alabama. The completed widening of 13.5 miles of State Highway 113 from two lanes to four eliminated a major chokepoint along this vital evacuation route. The vastly improved highway opened all lanes to traffic six months ahead of schedule. The project completes a joint local, state, and federal effort to create a reliable evacuation route from Pensacola, Florida, and the central Gulf Coast.

Achieving Sustainable Solutions

Successful transportation investments take into account environmental impacts, the relationship between transportation systems, the communities they serve, and smart travel strategies.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and Maricopa Association of Governments’ 137-mile, $5.7 billion Valley Freeway System successfully integrates transit lanes, pedestrian bridges and underpasses, biking and walking paths, open spaces, equestrian underpasses, habitat areas, and parks that support all the communities in Metro Phoenix.

The Illinois Department of Transportation rehabilitated the 7,122-foot Abraham Lincoln Bridge, which crosses three wetlands, two active railroads, the I&M canal and towpath, and the Illinois River. A protective shield over the river and wetland areas was used to prevent concrete and deck-forming materials from falling into the water, and old bearings, deck drains, scuppers, and other metal items were recycled.

The District Department of Transportation launched the SmartBikeDC program—a first in North America—which rented more than 14,000 bikes to its 11,000 members in its first year of operation. Patterned after a popular car-sharing program, SmartBikeDC is funded primarily through bus shelter advertising revenues along with the $40 membership fee. An electronic membership card is used to facilitate electronic access to pre-reserved bikes—to minimize staffing costs.

The new India Point Park Pedestrian Bridge in Rhode Island connects pedestrians and cyclists in the heavily populated east side of Providence with the waterfront for recreation and non-motorized commuting options. A key challenge for the project was saving a large red oak tree located close to the northern bridge abutment. The Rhode Island Department of Transportation hired an arborist to ensure that the historic tree survived the construction process.

Supporting Tourism

Tourism is a major revenue producer for many states, and transportation projects that support tourism—either as a primary goal or side benefit—provide an enhanced return on investment of public dollars.

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development rebuilt a 104-year-old roadway in Natchitoches—brick by brick—to improve ride quality and drainage and to bring sidewalks up to date. The historic street, located in the oldest section of Natchitoches, which is the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, is vital to tourism and the economy of central Louisiana. The project involved hand removing and individually cleaning 300,000 bricks before installing new underground drainage, a new stone base course, and concrete pavement—and then reinstalling the original bricks on top of the concrete. The already-complex project hit many obstacles along the way, including the numerous archaeological discoveries, an unexpected 80-year-old, 10,000-gallon underground storage tank that had to be removed, and the impact of Hurricane Gustav. Nevertheless, the entire project was completed within the 240-day contracted time.

The Arizona Department of Transportation transformed the US 60 two-lane regional road into a four-lane divided highway that serves as the gateway to the scenic lands of the Tonto National Forest along with recreational facilities and communities in eastern Arizona. By incorporating agency streamlining, design and construction partnering, enhanced public involvement, and proactive construction management techniques, the critical regional and tourism link opened to traffic nearly 10 months ahead of schedule.

The Missouri Department of Transportation’s new Interstate 44 Welcome Center combines modern amenities, environmentally friendly technology, and an historic Route 66 atmosphere to greet visitors as they enter the state. The center opened a month ahead of schedule and $3 million under budget. Along with modern and green technology, the Route 66 theme provides a regional connection to encourage travelers to visit nearby communities.

 

Providing Community Services

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development coordinated a collaborative effort to help thousands of displaced residents get to work. The LA Swift intercity bus service offers low cost, seven-days-a week service between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and connects residents without other transportation options with vital services and jobs. The service, which began operations on October 21, 2005, has provided more than 592,000 passenger trips for displaced residents. Other partners in this collaborative community service are the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Federal Transit Administration, New Orleans Regional Transit Authority, Capital Area Transit System, and other state and local officials.

The New York State Department of Transportation successfully created a free, comprehensive travel information system to meet the multimodal needs of commuters, travelers, tourists, and commercial vehicle operators. 511 New York integrated multiple databases into a single public source of information about all things transportation-related throughout the state—transit schedules and routes, park-and-ride lot information, vanpool and rideshare referrals, bicycling information, real-time traffic and transit conditions, emergency information, and more. The system provides both online and telephone information using the 511 phone system. And it promotes sustainability by encouraging the use of more efficient travel methods.

The Alaska Department of Transportation and Facilities (ADOT), the city of Fairbanks, and the Fairbanks North Star Borough joined together to improve the approach to the city’s largest community and cultural events center. Fairbanks designed the project, which included new storm drains, lights, and upgrades to approaches to the Carlsen Center; ADOT implemented the design plans; and North Star Borough handled the beautification and landscaping. The $4 million collaborative effort enhanced a valuable community resource that serves local residents of all ages and tourists.

Engaging the Community

Community outreach and information sharing are essential to the success of any major transportation project. Many successful projects involve affected communities more deeply from start to finish to keep in touch with changing needs, stay on top of emerging concerns, involve citizens in the decision-making process, and produce excellent outcomes.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) put together a community design advisory team to guide the Boulevard of the Allies Bridge project, which replaced the severely deteriorated bridge and ramps that connect Pittsburgh’s downtown area with Oakland, a regional center for culture, higher education, and health care. PennDOT held six public meetings—including a design charette—and more than 10 working sessions with the design advisory team and the community throughout the life of the project. The collaboration helped transform the design from that of a transportation project into a landmark structure that can be woven into the Oakland community fabric.

A robust and comprehensive region-wide public information campaign was launched by the California Department of Transportation to create close community connections during the Fix I-5 rehabilitation project in Sacramento. The campaign included an interactive web site including e-mail alerts and an “open for business” page to provide advertising space for businesses affected by the construction project.

The design phase of the Kansas Department of Transportation’s Focus435 reconstruction project involving two major commuter corridors and interchanges began with an extensive public involvement process. Regular public meetings, one-on-one meetings with stakeholders, six newsletters during the course of construction, and a project hotline and e-mail address to answer real-time questions all ensured positive connections with the traveling public during the project.

A public involvement meeting convened by the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department (AHDT ) brought citizens into the Highway 245 interchange improvement project in Texarkana from the start. AHDT made design changes based on citizen feedback and continued to work with local residents and business throughout the effort to maintain harmony. In addition, the local newspaper printed a weekly column highlighting construction progress, including anticipated lane closures, traffic changes, and work schedules for the coming week.

Neighborhood voting provided feedback to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WDOT) on whether to build noise walls as a part of the I-5 Everett High-Occupancy-Vehicle (HOV) Expansion. Two of the three proposed noise walls were approved and constructed. Voters rejected one wall. WDOT also held regular open houses and meetings for the Everett Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood associations, emergency responders, and transit operators during the three-year project. At the conclusion of the construction project, the WDOT construction team received the Everett Chamber of Commerce “Service to Business Award.”

Investment in public outreach and education helped maintain a positive relationship with the community that endured living and working in a construction zone for three years.

~ Washington State Department of Transportation

A Community Project

Years of planning, months of environmental work, and more months of construction provided education and entertainment for many observers every day for 11/2 years. Hundreds of people sat in parking lots eating their lunches, observing the project. Others lined the riverbanks and public lawns, bringing chairs and binoculars so as not to miss anything…The communities felt ownership, support, and excitement and displayed pride in being part of the successful milestones along the way. The ribbon-cutting that opened the beautiful, wide, new bridge was a celebration of new life.

~ Nebraska Department of Roads

A special task force was formed, and regular public meetings were held to engage interested residents and historians in the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development’s (LATD) sensitive reconstruction of Front Street in Natchitoches. Because of the historic nature of the brick road and its central role in tourism, many individuals and groups cared deeply about protecting and preserving the roadway. At the end of the project, Front Street merchants took out a full-page ad in the local newspaper thanking LATD, the contractor, and the city of Natchitoches for getting the job done successfully and ahead of schedule.

A contest was held to give the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-410–US 281 interchange project a name as part of its comprehensive community involvement program. The winners—chosen from thousands of entries—were two elementary school students who suggested naming the new interchange “the San Antonio Web,” reflecting its spider-web design and its purpose of helping motorists move through the area quickly, efficiently, and safely.

Feedback was sought from residents on Ocracoke Island to help the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) decide how to manage traffic during reconstruction of seven bridges along NC 12, the only highway on the island. Residents recommended that NCDOT use full-road closures during one off-season rather than staged construction that would keep the highway open, but extend construction over two years. In addition to regular town meetings, NCDOT used a project web site and changeable message signs throughout the island to keep the public informed about construction progress and upcoming activities.

A citizen-initiated construction project to build a new bridge connecting South Yankton, Nebraska, and Yankton, South Dakota, replaced a deteriorating double-deck bridge that had once served as a link between Nebraska and South Dakota. Under the watchful eyes of many bridge boosters from both states, the Nebraska Department of Roads completed the new Discovery Bridge a year ahead of schedule and under budget.