CHAPTER 5

Anticipated Best Practices for Emerging Technologies in SWZs

Connected and Automated Vehicles

The use of CAV technology in SWZs can present a number of challenges, but there are some best practices that can help to ensure the safe and effective deployment of this technology. Here are some of the key implementation considerations:

1. Communication and coordination: It is important to establish clear communication and coordination between CAV technology providers, IOOs, state and local DOTs, work zone inspectors, contractors, and other stakeholders to ensure safe and efficient operations.
2. Infrastructure: Work zones must have the necessary infrastructure to support CAV operations, including connected and automated vehicles, communication systems, and data management systems.
3. Safety protocols: Work zones must have robust safety protocols in place to ensure the safe operation of CAVs, including measures to address potential hazards and emergency situations. A thorough risk assessment should be conducted to identify all potential hazards, and mitigation strategies must be developed for each identified hazard.
4. Training and education: Workers and other stakeholders must be properly trained and educated about the safe operation of CAV technology in work zones.
5. Data management: Work zones must have robust data management systems in place to ensure that CAV data are collected, stored, and analyzed in a secure and efficient manner. Proper data governance processes must be put in place and enforced to assure that data provided by various work zone data sources are accurate, timely, and validated. To support the goals of ubiquitous data dissemination, IOOs and DOTs should institutionalize CAV data management processes across all sources of work zone data to ensure that accurate and reliable information can be made available to disseminators.
6. Data standardization: Work zones must have systems in place for validating the accuracy of data captured. FHWA has initiated a standardized data system through its efforts to promote the WZDx. The WZDx provides a data framework and standards for DOTs for making data available to potential consumers such as third-party providers of navigation applications and data consolidators that collect and provide data to third parties on the basis of their desired formats. Standardization across IOOs and DOTs will increase the likelihood of CAV data being used by data dissemination technologies.
7. Evaluation, research, and improvement: Stakeholders (e.g., state DOTs, original equipment manufacturers, contractors) must regularly evaluate their CAV operations and make improvements as necessary to ensure that those operations are safe, efficient, and effective. More research is required to evaluate CAV technology in work zones.
8. Compliance with regulations: Work zones must comply with all relevant regulations and standards related to the deployment of CAV technology in work zones, including safety, data protection, and privacy regulations.

9. Integration with other technologies: Integrating CAV technology with other advanced transportation technologies, such as ITS and advanced traveler information systems, will enhance safety and efficiency in the work zone.

Crowdsourced Data

Crowdsourced data can provide valuable insights into the behavior and needs of drivers, which can help DOTs make informed decisions and improve the safety and efficiency of work zones. Here are some best practices for using crowdsourced data in work zones:

1. Data validation: It is important to validate the accuracy and reliability of crowdsourced data to ensure that these data can be used effectively. Data may require validation before they can be reliably utilized or disseminated. A means of verifying that crowdsourced reports are accurate and reliable must be established.
2. Privacy protection: Crowdsourced data may contain sensitive information about individuals and organizations, so it is important to ensure that data vendors protect personally identifiable information. The collected data should be anonymized and only used for the purpose of improving work zones.
3. Data management: Work zones must have robust data management systems in place to store, analyze, and validate crowdsourced data and to ensure that the data are accessible and usable.
4. Data standardization: Work zones must have systems in place for providing data that conform to work zone data standards. FHWA has initiated a standardized data system through its efforts to promote the WZDx. The WZDx provides a means for DOTs to make data available to third-party providers of navigation applications in a standardized format. Data standardization across IOOs and DOTs will increase the likelihood of the data being used by data dissemination technologies.
5. Data analysis: Work zones must have the necessary tools and expertise to analyze crowdsourced data and turn these data into useful insights and information.
6. Performance management: Agencies should develop measures for tracking and analyzing performance in work zones as well as processes to identify and implement improvements.
7. Engagement with stakeholders: Work zone strategies must engage stakeholders, including workers and the public, to ensure that all interested parties understand the importance of crowdsourced data and are willing to contribute.
8. Training and education: Stakeholders must be properly trained and educated about the use of crowdsourced data in work zones.
9. Collaboration: DOTs should collaborate with other organizations and experts to maximize the value of crowdsourced data for work zones and to ensure that these data are used effectively.
10. Compliance with regulations: Work zones must comply with all relevant regulations and standards related to the use of crowdsourced data, including data protection and privacy regulations.
11. Integration with work zone management systems and other technologies: The insights gained from the analysis of crowdsourced data should be integrated into work zone management systems and other technologies, not only to improve decision-making and optimize resource allocation, but also to increase safety and mobility.

On-Call Contracts for Deploying SWZ Technologies

On-call contracts provide a flexible and efficient way for DOTs to respond to maintenance needs in work zones. This a priori mechanism can allow for variability in the approach as well as increased flexibility with the scope of work. The Illinois DOT has used Highway Safety

Improvement Program (HSIP) funding to provide a pot of money from which each district that requests it can draw to establish a partnership with a traffic control company or provider to deploy SWZ systems (mainly queue detection systems) for short-duration projects. Typically, an opportunity is advertised to all districts, and they are eligible to apply for HSIP funds to establish this program at the district level. The Illinois DOT believes that district traffic operation center and construction personnel are much more in tune with their district’s needs and can better allocate resources as they see fit.

Structuring Contracts

Two of the best practices for structuring contracts for managing SWZ systems are as follows:

1. Ensure that there are line items for the different components within a system to allow for changes in the field to meet the needs of the project.
2. Currently, some state DOTs’ specifications list the different line items (e.g., sensors, cameras) but leave a lot of the design and final determination of numbers to coordination between the construction engineer and the traffic control provider. The Illinois DOT gives flexibility to those whom it considers to be the experts in the field—the traffic control and SWZ providers—to give input on location, spacing, and type of devices to be used in the field.

The appendix, “North Carolina DOT Connected Lane Closure Devices and Dynamic Zipper Merge System,” shows the technical specifications as well as the operational requirements for deploying the previously discussed SWZ technologies.