Volume 17, Issue 3 - Fall 2012 Interconnect

In t e r c o n n e c t
The Official Newsletter of the Mid-Atlantic Section of the Institute of Transportation Engineers
MAS
TE
Volume 17
Issue 3
www.masite.org
October 2012
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE…
Presidential Potpourri
Greetings friends! For this newsletter, I am going to
quickly hit a variety of important MASITE topics; a
Presidential Potpourri so to speak. I want to start off by
thanking everyone who help out with the Annual Meeting
last week in Pittsburgh. It was a huge success! Our cochairs, Amy Staud and Brad DiCola, both did a great job.
Also, special thanks to their committee:
Dave DiGioia
Judy Iszauk
Nicole Kline
Rebecca Martinez
Jennie McCracken
Orla Pease
Andy Rebovich
John Sada
Dan Ference
Hussain Kahn
Giuseppe Mammana
Alyssa May
Michael O’Connor
Chris Prisk
Kelly Rigot
Steve Stuart
private investment in public highways, bridges, and other
facilities. State officials are pointing to the recent $1.3
billion expansion of the Capital Beltway in Virginia as an
example of potential public-private partnerships. Visit
www.virginiahotlanes.com for more info.
In closing, I know that our local area coordinators are busy
planning several local meetings for the upcoming season.
Look for more info in the weekly email blasts! Also, keep
an eye open for information regarding the annual Penn
State social held during the Transportation Safety
Conference (December 5th-7th).
Regards,
Michael Mudry
2012 MASITE President
The success of this meeting is a direct result of your
efforts. Thank You.
I would also like to congratulate Dave DiGioia, recipient of
this year’s MASITE President’s Award. Dave has been
actively involved in ITE for almost 20 years. He has held
several prominent leadership positions including Penn
State Student Chapter President, MASITE President, and
he is currently serving as the District 2 President. Please
join me in thanking Dave for his continuing dedication and
service. Thank you Dave!
As the fall season kicks into high gear, our student
chapters are back in business and planning several
activities for the upcoming semester. We have a number
of active student chapters including the University of
Delaware, Villanova University, and Penn State. Efforts
are also underway to reestablish the University of
Pittsburgh student chapter. These student groups are
always looking for more interaction with our membership.
So if you have an interesting topic or project, feel free to
reach out to the student chapters. I am sure they would
appreciate your help.
An ongoing theme in my past newsletter articles has been
transportation funding. With a Presidential Election in
full swing, one would think that infrastructure and
transportation funding would be a hot topic. But, if you
have been following the debates, there’s been very little
talk of transportation funding from both candidates. With
all the challenges facing our county, it seems that neither
side wants to wade into this difficult issue.
On the Pennsylvania transportation front, Governor
Corbett recently signed P3 legislation authorizing publicprivate partnerships to improve transportation facilities.
The Governor is hoping that the new law will stimulate
In this Edition
2012 MASITE BOARD MEMBERS .............. 2
2012 MASITE COMMITTEE MEMBERS ....... 2
MASITE HAPPENINGS .......................... 3
MASITE SPONSOR NEWS… .................... 8
MASITE MEMBER ARTICLE… ................... 9
MASITE 2012 EVENTS CALENDAR… ......... 11
NEWS YOU CAN USE… ........................ 12
TRANSPORTATION HISTORY… ............... 19
2012 MASITE CORPORATE SPONSORS… .... 21
INTERCONNECT ENDINGS… .................. 22
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MAS
2012 MASITE BOARD MEMBERS
President
Michael J. Mudry, P.E., PTOE
Traffic Planning and Design, Inc.
Regional Enterprise Tower
425 Sixth Avenue, Suite 2825
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 765-3717
Fax: (412) 765-3719
[email protected]
Secretary
Nicole R. Kline, P.E.
McMahon Associates, Inc.
840 Springdale Dr.
Exton, PA 19341
Phone: (610) 594-9995
Fax: (610) 594-9565
[email protected]
Eastern Area Coordinator
Orla H. Pease, P.E., PTOE
Urban Engineers, Inc.
55 Haddonfield Road, Suite 200
Colwick Business Center
Cherry Hill NJ 08002
Phone: (856) 663-5367
Fax: (856) 663-4836
[email protected]
1st Vice President
Kathryn L. Russo, P.E., PTOE
Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson, Inc.
1600 Market Street, Suite 520
Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 496-4726
Fax: (267) 256-0395
[email protected]
2nd Vice President
Melody A. Matter, P.E., PTOE
McCormick Taylor, Inc
5 Capital Drive, Suite 400
Harrisburg PA 17110
Phone: (717) 540-6040
Fax: (715) 540-6049
[email protected]
Treasurer
Jeffrey G. Bergsten, P.E.
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
4431 North Front Street, 2nd Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (717) 221-2056
Fax: (717) 234-7618
[email protected]
Immediate Past President
District 2 Representative
Vincent C. DeFlavia, P.E., PTOE
Bentley Systems, Inc.
685 Stockton Drive
Exton, PA 19341
Phone: 800-236-8539
[email protected]
Central Area Coordinator
Jeffrey G. Bergsten, P.E.
Michael Baker Jr., Inc.
4431 North Front Street, 2nd Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17110
Phone: (717) 221-2056
Fax: (717) 234-7618
[email protected]
Western Area Coordinator
Christopher A. Prisk, P.E., PTOE
L.R. Kimball
Frick Building - North Mezzanine
437 Grant Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15219
Phone: (412) 201-4900
Fax: (412) 201-2339
[email protected]
2012 MASITE COMMITTEE MEMBERS
2013 Mid‐Colonial Dist. Annual Meet. Chair 2013 MASITE Annual Meeting Chair Recognitions/Awards Chair Rebecca Martinez Urban 856‐663‐5550 [email protected] Membership Chair Jeff Uhler R, K & K 717‐852‐1490 [email protected] Technical Chair Educational Outreach Chair Legislative Affairs Dave Petrucci 302‐382‐1865 [email protected] Marie Pantalone 610‐324‐6985 [email protected] Alex Meitzler A. Morton Thomas & Assoc. 302‐737‐1627 [email protected] Newsletter Editor Dean Kaiser Orth‐Rodgers 610‐407‐9700 dkaiser@orth‐rodgers.com Website Coordinator Erik Schmidt Urban [email protected] Nominations Chair Mark Luszcz DelDOT 302‐659‐4091 [email protected] Scholarship Chair Student Chapter Liaison, Univ. of Del. Student Chapter Liaison, Penn State Student Chapter Liaison, Villanova Student Chapter Liaison, Univ. of Pitt. Student Chapter Liaison, WVU Robert Watts McCormick Taylor 814‐861‐4948 [email protected] Vince DeFlavia Traffic Planning & Design 610‐326‐3100 [email protected] David DiGioia DiGioia, Gray and Assoc. 412‐372‐4500 [email protected] Scott Nale Gannett Fleming 304‐296‐6492 [email protected] Jenn Walsh McMahon 215‐283‐9444 [email protected] Eastern Area Engineer’s Club Liaison Page 2
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MAS
MASITE HAPPENINGS
ETO/TIM Committee Meeting Summary – Eric Rensel
If you did not attend the ETO/TIM Committee Webinar on
July 11 you missed this:
Kimberly Vasconez (FHWA Office of Operations) and
David Bergner (Maricopa County, AZ Emergency
Management Agency) presented an overview on their
work to increase the awareness of traffic incident
management among public works departments.
Vasconez reminded the group of the impact of nonrecurring congestion on the nation’s transportation system:
it places more responders at risk everyday, it costs an
annual amount of over $67 billion in congestion and $164
billion in crash mitigation costs annually.
She also
reiterated the fact that the national unified goal (NUG) for
TIM promotes and encourages officials at all levels of
government to work together.
The two professionals explained to the attendees that TIM
capacity building is an important aspect since emergency
responders can be involved with both planned events and
all-hazard emergencies. Further, the basic concepts of
better communication, cooperation and capability are the
basis for all ETO/TIM activities. The justification for better
awareness of TIM to public works is also clear from a
homeland security standpoint. According to Bergner, the
framework of preparedness, response and recovery is
based on the fact that most incidents occur at the local
level, local governments are expected to handle the first
72 hours of any incident and that public works are primary
responders along with law enforcement, fire and EMS.
Due to the annual meeting being held in Pittsburgh this
year, our next (and last) meeting of the year is tentatively
scheduled for early November. Keep an eye out for more
details in the coming month as we look forward to a strong
finish of this year’s events.
CENTRAL AREA – STEVE PALMER
On August 22, a lunchtime technical session was held at
the District 8-0 offices. Jason Bewley presented on the
topic What’s New With District 8, followed by a question
and answer roundtable with several district traffic
engineering staff. It was a succsessful event, with people
attending
from
eastern
and
central
areas.
The group met again from 4:30-6PM on Monday August
13 at the ITE Annual Meeting in Atlanta to continue this
conversation and begin to formulate a plan to raise
awareness and make the business case for ETO/TIM in
the Public Works community and transportation in general.
To become involved with the ETO/TIM Committee, contact
Eric
Rensel
of
Gannett
Fleming,
Inc.
at
[email protected]
WESTERN AREA - CHRISTOPHER PRISK
The MASITE Western Area held a lunch time meeting on
Thursday, July 19th at Peters Place in Bridgeville, PA.
Todd Kravits, PennDOT District 11-0 Traffic Engineer,
presented on Low Cost Operational & Safety
Improvements.
There
were
40+
transportation
professionals in attendance eager to hear the innovative
ideas presented by the District at this very successful
meeting.
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MID-COLONIAL DISTRICT NEWS – ABI LERNER
August 18, 2012 email to all District ITE Members:
I am pleased to announce the results of the Mid-Colonial
District Elections.
ITE International Director: Dean Kaiser
Mid-Colonial District President: Jennifer Walsh
Mid-Colonial District Vice-President: Abi Lerner
Mid-Colonial District Secretary/Treasurer: Joshua Smith
ANNUAL MEETING – AMY STAUD
The 2012 MASITE Annual Meeting was held in Pittsburgh,
PA on September 30th and October 1st. Sunday’s events
included attending Game 3 of the Pirates series against
the Cincinnati Reds. After watching the Pirates officially
record its 20th losing season, MASITE members and
exhibitors met at Finnegan’s Wake on Pittsburgh’s North
Side for consolatory drinks. At Monday’s Meeting, there
were 106 attendees and 9 exhibitors. The Opening
Session included presentations by the Executive Director
of BikePGH, Scott Bricker, a Special Projects Manager
from Allegheny County Executive’s Office, Darla Cravotta,
and Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s (PEC) Director
of Recreational Infrastructure, Hannah Hardy. In lieu of
attendee swag, MASITE donated $250 each to BikePGH
and PEC to support their planning efforts and
implementation of sustainable transportation solutions.
The Keynote Speaker during lunch was Brad Heigel,
Chief
Engineer
of
the
Pennsylvania
Turnpike
Commission. Mr. Heigel shared his perspective for the
future of the Turnpike and their efforts to upgrade the
system. The Project of the Year was awarded during
lunch to Urban Engineers for the US 13 and US 40
Pedestrian Safety Project in Delaware.
Fan Appreciation Day with the Clemente Family…
And the game ended with a come-from-behind Reds win
Enjoy the photos…
Social after the game at Finnegan’s Wake
At the Pirates game with Max & Nelson on Sunday!
During the walk back to the Marriott Sunday evening…
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MASITE ANNUAL MEETING PICS…
Morning Session with Darla Cravotta and Hannah Hardy
Vendor and Break Area at the Marriott
Photo opportunity!
Morning Session speaker Scott Bricker
ITE Committee’s Panelists
Mtg Co Chair Amy Staud presenting MASITE Checks to
representing organizations…
Board and Area Coordinators being sworn in at lunch by
Mid-Colonial District President David DiGioia
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MORE MASITE ANNUAL MEETING PICS…
Section President Mike Mudry presenting Presidents
Award to ‘mentor’ David DiGioia
Keynote Speaker Brad Heigel, PTC
Scott Diehl & Orla Pease accepting Urban’s Project of the
Year Award from Section Secretary Nicole Kline
ORA’s Project Board
Urban’s Project
McCormick Taylor’s Project Board
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EVEN MORE MASITE ANNUAL MEETING PICS…
WR&A’s Project Board
AWP/Maser’s Project Board
Tim Scanlon’s signing interpretation!
PennDOT’s Project Board
Dr. Eck’s Expert Witness discussion
Jacob’s Project Presentation
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MASITE SPONSOR NEWS…
McMahon Associates, Inc. is proud to announce the
addition of Natasha G. Manbeck, P.E., AICP as project
manager to its Mid-Atlantic Transportation Planning
Department.
Ms. Manbeck draws on extensive professional experience
with expertise in transportation planning and engineering
with a focus on coordinating land use and transportation
systems. With the addition of Natasha Manbeck to
McMahon’s depth of senior professionals, the firm
strategically seeks to grow our transportation planning
group of professionals in the Mid-Atlantic region to serve
our client’s needs.
KMJ Consulting, Inc. (KMJ) is pleased to be recognized
on the Philadelphia Business Journal’s List of the top 100
Women-Owned Businesses. The list was revealed today
during the second annual Philadelphia Business Journal
Women’s Conference held at the Crystal Tea Room in
Philadelphia this morning. The list ranked companies
based on the number of local employees and will be
published in the July 20, 2012 edition of the Philadelphia
Business Journal; KMJ moved up on the list from number
81 in 2011 to number 68 this year.
“I continue to be proud of our staff. Their dedication to our
clients and commitment to innovation and quality made
this and our other achievements to date possible. I look
forward to our continued contribution to improving mobility
in the region. ” said Karen Jehanian, President of KMJ
Consulting.
The conference benefitted the Philadelphia chapter of
Susan G. Komen for the Cure and featured a discussion
among a very distinguished panel moderated by CBS 3 /
CW Philly Medical Reporter Stephanie Stahl. The panel
included some of Philadelphia’s top women executives:
Lydia C. Grose, Manager, Civil Engineering, SEPTA EMC
Division; Pam Hardgrove, VP of Sales, QVC, Inc.; Lori
Shultz, President, Yoh; Judy Spires, President and CEO,
Kings Super Markets, Inc.; Risa Vetri Ferman, District
Attorney, Montgomery County; and Tara L. Weiner,
Managing Partner, Deloitte.
AMT is pleased to announce that Kathy Walsh, P.E., has
been promoted to associate in the firm. Walsh has more
than 24 years of experience in all aspects of transportation
planning and design. Her project experience has included
planning, preliminary and final roadway design for new
alignments, widening, spot safety improvements and
congestion relief.
Company President Mike Wiercinski, P.E., noted the
occasion, “We are always excited with the opportunity to
reward the extraordinary effort that our employees give to
us. Kathy is immensely qualified and it gives me great
pleasure to be able to announce this accomplishment.”
William Parkway, South Summit Avenue through Old
Town Gaithersburg, Kenilworth Avenue (MD 201) in Prince
Georges County, Eisenhower Avenue in the City of
Alexandria, and MD 4.
Dawood Engineering, Inc. (Dawood) is pleased to
announce that Collin Mohr, EIT was recently hired to serve
as a Traffic Designer in our Philadelphia Regional Office.
Collin is a 2012 graduate of the University of Delaware
and will be responsible for ADA ramp design and review
services, data collection, traffic studies, and traffic related
plan preparation.
Dawood would also like to announce that we have
outgrown our current regional office in King of Prussia and
made a move just a few miles down the road.
Please note the new contact
Philadelphia Regional Office:
information
to
our
950 West Valley Road
Suite 2402
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 484-580-8085
JMT is pleased to announce that Kathryn Russo, PE,
PTOE has joined JMT's Philadelphia office, where she will
be responsible for leading and expanding our traffic
engineering practice in Philadelphia and eastern
Pennsylvania.
Ms. Russo has significant experience with the analysis
and design of transportation projects with a wide variety of
components. She has completed complex traffic
engineering alternatives analyses for new or reconfigured
freeway and roadway alignments, and detailed signal
designs for highly urbanized corridors, applying the latest
technologies and techniques to maximize travel efficiency.
Kathryn has worked closely with local and regional
transportation agencies including the City of Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Delaware
Department of Transportation, and Pennsylvania Turnpike
Commission.
Ms. Russo is an active member of the Mid-Atlantic Section
of the Institute of Transportation Engineers (MASITE) and
will serve as MASITE's President beginning in 2013. She
is also active in the Engineers Club of Philadelphia.
Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering
from the University of Delaware and a Master of Science
degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Virginia.
She is registered as a Professional Engineer in
Pennsylvania and Delaware as well as a Professional
Traffic Operations Engineer.
She may be contacted
[email protected].
at
(215)
496-4726
or
Walsh will continue her work leading transportation
projects in the Mid-Atlantic region such as the Prince
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MASITE MEMBER ARTICLE…
Senior Executive Transportation and Public Safety Summit
Remarks by Mr. Eric Rensel, TIM Network Liaison,
Gannett Fleming Inc.
June 27, 2012
“Effective Outreach”
“On September 18, 2011, a 41-year-old male volunteer fire
fighter lost his life while directing traffic at a motor vehicle
collision on an interstate highway in rural Iowa”1.
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health (NIOSH) the contributing factors included:

Insufficient training, staffing, equipment, and
standard operating procedures to adequately
establish a traffic incident management area to
protect emergency responders and provide
advanced warning to approaching motorists

Victim working in a travel lane outside of the
established traffic incident management area

Lack of established pre-incident plans and
agreements regarding traffic control incident
management at roadway incidents with agencies
responsible for responding to roadway incidents

Inattentive motorist.
As part of the Toward Zero Deaths national strategy, it is
imperative that the lessons from this tragedy and other
ones like it be used to effect a cultural change within the
emergency responder community and the driving public.
Risk is a reality for the more than two million emergency
responders in America and year after year, responding to
traffic crashes proves to be one of their most dangerous
tasks. The increasing danger due to driver distraction and
the constant danger of impaired drivers on the roadway
further reinforce the need for emergency responders to
take special precautions on the highway.
change; however awareness and continued improvement
cannot stop with the end of the training session.
Avoiding complacency will become just as important as
training when our nation takes the next step in the
emergency response evolution being enabled by the US
DOT. In business management, the idea of total quality
management includes an ongoing process for evaluating
existing conditions; identifying and communicating what
barriers exist that inhibit success; and developing a
strategic action plan to achieve common goals. In short,
total quality management is about avoiding complacency
and that is where the link between training and outreach
can be made.
The continuous and near real-time
exchange of information will sustain the cultural change
enabled by the foundation of success created by the
training to be completed.
Continuous, specific and relevant outreach is the key to
avoiding complacency within the emergency responder
culture. These individuals are mission driven. The value of
their time can literally be the difference between life and
death.
The National Traffic Incident Management
Coalition and subsequently the TIM Network are resources
to support national, state, regional and local leaders in
efforts to disseminate consistent information to the
national emergency responder community. The lessons
that can be taken from the NIOSH incident described in
the opening of this document are an example of how the
TIM Network can quickly recognize and share lessons that
reinforce the National Unified Goal for Traffic Incident
Management and the Towards Zero Deaths Strategy.
Here are three key elements that the TIM Network will
assist national leaders with to move America to a culture
of Towards Zero Deaths for motorists and responders.

The challenge is to take the lessons learned and widely
distribute them across the entire emergency responder
community as quickly as possible so that no additional
responders die from the same circumstances described
above. Although the idea is a simple one, the execution
presents significant challenges. The US DOT is meeting
these challenges by conducting unprecedented outreach
activities now and will continue to make even greater
strides with the implementation of standard training.
Consistent training is a one of the keys to emergency
responders making wise choices when it comes to their
personal safety on the highway. The US DOT through the
Federal Highway Administration, the Transportation
Research Board and others are making significant gains in
the area of training and outreach. Within the next several
years, America’s emergency responders will be better
prepared and more consistently trained than ever before.
This training approach is essential to achieving cultural
1
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face201123.html 
Understand where and how to communicate.
Emergency responders and especially first
responders such as firefighters, law enforcement,
emergency medical services, and towing and
recovery operators embrace family values when it
comes to the safety and well-being of their brethren.
It may best be described as a tremendous feeling of
respect and love for individuals that put their lives on
the line for the good of others. There are social
media outlets that have hundreds of thousands of
membership comprised of first responders who like
to trade stories and experiences.
Understand what messages have value. Different
groups of emergency responders interpret
messages differently. Adults learn best when the
information is presented in a way where they can
identify its relevance with their everyday routine.
The use of social media helps streamline the
delivery of valuable messages. This approach is
applicable to outreach because emergency
responders are already internally motivated to
complete their tasks. Messaging that is tailored for
their interpretation will be easily comprehended and
moved into practice.
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Be inclusive. Emergency responders represent a
complete cross-section of America’s population
because they exist in major metropolitan centers
and small rural towns alike. They will learn well from
hearing stories from one another but they also need
to have the ability to come together as an entire
community.
Many experienced emergency
responders realize that the most successful teams
are those that know one another and are able to
maximize cohesion. All efforts to promote multidiscipline outreach need to respect the roles and
responsibilities of others and in doing so, must cast
a wide net of inclusion for discussion, team-building
and ultimately zero deaths.
The National Traffic Incident Management Coalition,
through partnership with US DOT and private industry has
put the foundation for successful implementation of these
three elements into place by initiating and continuing to
support the growth of the TIM Network. As a result of the
efforts of the Federal Highway Administration and the
commitment demonstrated by those in attendance at this
Summit the deployment of multi-disciplinary training, local
TIM programs, integration of TIM with the Towards Zero
Death Strategy and solid performance measurement, the
next Generation of TIM will ensure increased focus on
responder safety and a safer more efficient travel
experience for users.
Achieving Zero Deaths also means that EVERY
responder goes home, EVERY time.
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MASITE 2012 EVENTS CALENDAR…
DATE LOCATION CONT
ACT January 28th Sheet Metal Workers Union Hall., Philadelphia, PA Marie Pantalo
ne [email protected] Eastern Area Joint MASITE/ASHE Dinner Meeting ‐ Route 422 Evaluation & Remidiation of Recent Sinkhole Activities February 15th Radisson Valley Forge
King of Prussia, PA ASHE Delware Valley N/A Western Area Technical Lunch ‐ Roundabouts in Western PA February 16th Carmody's Restaurant
Franklin Park, PA Chris Prisk [email protected] Central PA Engineers Week Banquet February 23rd West Shore Country Club Camp Hill, PA www.cp
ewc.com N/A Eastern Area ‐ University of Delaware ITE Student/Professionals Mixer February 28th Kildare's Irish Pub Newark, DE Kyle Cleveng
er [email protected] Technical Session Lunch at the PA Turnpike Commission February 29th PA Turnpike Building Middletown, PA Steve Palmer [email protected] Walt Whitman Bridge Redecking Challenges March 20th Holiday Inn Historic District in Phila Rebecca Martine
z [email protected] ASHE First State/MASITE Technical Tour April 5th Salem Nuclear Plant, NJ Preston Ayars [email protected] Joint MET Section/MASITE Networking Event at TransAction April 11th Carmine's at the Tropicana Atlantic City, NJ Adam Allen [email protected] Joint ITS PA/MASITE Dinner Meeting April 19th Hollywood Casino Grantville, PA Steve Palmer [email protected] ITE Mid‐Colonial District Annual Meeting April 25th ‐ 27th Lancaster Marriott at Penn Square Lancaster, PA Steve McGinle
y [email protected] Joint ASCE YMF/MASITE Critical Issues Seminar May 1st Elephant & Castle Pub & Restaurant Philadelphia, PA Lindsey Glavin 610‐631‐8151 Regional Traffic Signal Program ‐ First Cycle Update Lunch Meeting May 3rd Doubletree by Hilton Pittsburgh, PA Chris Prisk [email protected] 5th Anniversary ACEC/PA Legislative Reception May 8th Whitaker Center, The Kunkle Gallery, Harrisburg, PA Alex Meitzler [email protected] 8th Annual MASITE vs ITSPA Golf Challenge May 15th Range End Golf Club Dillsburg, PA Todd Trautz [email protected] Philadelphia Waterfront Master Plan Panel Discussion Breakfast Meeting June 8th Municipal Service Building Philadelphia, PA Shelley Hull [email protected] Camden Riversharks vs Southern Maryland Blue Crabs Minor League Baseball Game June 29th Campbell's Field Camden, NJ Kate Russo [email protected] EVENT Future City Philadelphia EMAIL Page 11
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July 19th Peters Place Bridgeville, PA Chris Prisk [email protected] August 22nd PennDOT District 8 Office Steve Palmer [email protected] MASITE Annual Meeting September 30th & October 1st Marriott City Center Pittsburgh, PA Brad DiCola Amy Staud bradd@gibson‐thomas.com [email protected] Joint ASHE Southern NJ/MASITE/ASCE NJ Technical Dinner Meeting ‐ Focus on Safety Registration info coming soon November 7th Maggianoʹs Cherry Hill, NJ TBD TBD Western Area Meeting More info coming soon November (TBD) TBD TBD TBD Central Area Technical Dinner Meeting: PA Turnpikeʹs Durable Pavement Marking Program Registration info coming soon November 27th Appalachian Brewing Company Harrisburg, PA TBD TBD December 6th Gingerbread Man State College, PA Jennifer Walsh [email protected]
Western Area Lunch Seminar: SR 88 and Route 51 Project Central Area Technical Luncheon at PennDOT District 8: What's New with PennDOT, and Q&A Roundtable MASITE Winter Social NEWS YOU CAN USE…
PENNDOT’S 511PA TRAVEL INFORMATION WEBSITE
REACHES 2 MILLION VISITS
7/3/2012 www.dot.state.pa.us
Harrisburg – Pennsylvania’s 511PA system, which
provides free travel information including construction
alerts and real-time traffic cameras, reached a milestone in
June of 2 million total website visits, PennDOT Secretary
Barry J. Schoch said today.
“The 511PA system places reliable information at the
fingertips of anyone traveling in Pennsylvania,” Schoch
said. “Motorists travel millions of miles on Pennsylvania
roadways every year, and I’m pleased to see they are
taking advantage of 511PA to help avoid unnecessary
delays and to better plan their trips.”
The 511PA telephone system has received more than 1
million calls and more than 15,000 people have signed up
for personalized text or email alerts.
Launched in 2009, the 511PA service provides travel
information such as active and planned construction,
incident alerts and weather alerts for more than 2,900
miles of Pennsylvania highways. Average traffic speeds
are also available for several interstates and other major
roadways in urban areas.
The 511PA system is accessible 24-hours-per-day, seven
days a week at www.511PA.com or by calling 5-1-1.
PennDOT asks motorists to not call 511PA while driving.
Motorists should safely pull off the road before calling, or
do so before leaving home.
GOV. TOM CORBETT EXPECTED TO SIGN BILL
ALLOWING FLASHING PURPLE LIGHTS FOR
FUNERAL PROCESSIONS
BY CLARA RITGER, For The Patriot-News
July 3, 2012
Flashing purple lights may distinguish funeral
processions after the governor signs a bill aimed at
increasing traffic safety.
Gov. Tom Corbett is likely to sign the bill, said Janet
Kelley, Corbett’s spokeswoman.
By law, funeral processions are allowed to drive through a
red light as long as the first car entered the intersection
during a green signal. Funeral directors typically use
headlights and place small flags on the cars in
processions to alert neighboring drivers.
“There’s been accidents and in some cases even deaths,”
Rep. Ronald Marsico, R-Lower Paxton Township, said,
describing the dangers of funeral processions when
surrounding drivers are unaware. “We’ve met with the
state police and the [Corbett] administration on this bill.
They’ve helped us, and they’re supporting the bill.”
Marsico sponsored the legislation, which was amended to
include a provision for drivers to display illuminated decals
in their cars. The amendment, sponsored by Sen. Bob
Mensch, R-Montgomery County, caused some legislators
to defect. “It allows any driver to display illuminated —
blinking, flashing — details in their cars,” said Sen. Jane
Earll, R-Erie County. “I think that’s potentially dangerous
and distracting to drivers on the roadway.”
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Sen. Pat Vance, R-Cumberland County, joined Earll in
voting against the bill.
“I thought the underlying bill was fine,” Vance said. “I
immediately thought, ‘How safe is that?’ when I heard the
amendment, though. It’s so you could show your
preference for athletic sports teams – which I thought
would be very distracting.”
Marsico said he did not initially support Mensch’s addition
to his bill. After working out the details with the state police
and the Corbett administration, Marsico said he felt
confident the illuminated objects would not pose a safety
hazard.
“It allows one, small illuminated detail on the back window
of the car,” Marsico said. The detail must be no larger
than 6 by 6 inches. State police Spokeswoman Maria Finn
said they remain supportive of the bill in its entirety.
John Eirkson, executive director of the Pennsylvania
Funeral Directors Association, said he was glad the bill
made it through the Legislature. While accidents are not
frequent during funeral processions, he said, “every little
bit of safety helps.
“We are supportive of the bill,” Eirkson said. “It might
provide additional safety, and it is a personal choice for the
funeral home as to whether they will use the purple light.”
Gib Parthemore, funeral director and supervisor at
Parthemore Funeral Home in New Cumberland, said he
planned to use the purple lights because so many
motorists cut off processions unknowingly.
“The visibility of our processions — whether we’re going
slow in town or 60 miles per hour on the highway – isn’t
always clear to drivers,” Parthemore said. “When you’re
driving you’re paying attention, but you’re also thinking
about a million other things. More often than not, drivers
are just unaware. Hopefully, the purple light will become a
recognized signal for funeral processions.”
PA. OKS "PUBLIC-PRIVATE" PROJECTS ON ROADS
AND BRIDGES
July 04, 2012|By Paul Nussbaum, Inquirer Staff Writer
Pennsylvania lawmakers on Saturday approved new ways
to build roads or fix bridges - but did little to pay for them.
The "public-private partnership" measure sent to Gov.
Corbett would allow companies to propose new highway
projects, and give state and local government more
flexibility to use firms to design, build, finance, and
manage roads. But the measure did not make a dent in
the state's $3.5 billion-a-year shortfall for transportation.
"This is just a tool to do big projects. It doesn't do anything
to rebuild bad roads," said State Rep. Richard Geist (R.,
Blair), chief sponsor of the bill. "We're still leading the
country in distressed bridges."
Pennsylvania has more structurally deficient bridges than
any state in the nation, more than 5,000, and 26 percent of
its state-owned roads - about 8,000 miles - are in very
poor condition.
If Corbett signs the legislation, as expected, the state will
become the 33d to authorize public-private partnerships
for transportation projects. A seven-member state panel
would approve the projects, and the legislature would have
20 days to overrule the panel.
Supporters envision that the authority would allow
"capacity-enhancing projects" to add, say, a toll lane to I95 or the Schuylkill Expressway, with drivers paying a
variable toll to avoid the congested free lanes.
They point to Virginia's public-private partnership to build
express lanes on I-495 west of Washington. Those new
lanes will be free for high-occupancy vehicles (those
containing more than two people) and available for a toll to
all other drivers, with the toll rising or falling depending on
congestion.
Other examples of such partnerships include the $1 billion
Port of Miami tunnel, Denver's $7 billion "FasTracks"
expansion, and San Francisco's $1 billion Presidio
Parkway. The new Pennsylvania law specifically prohibits
using the measure to lease the Pennsylvania Turnpike, as
then-Gov. Ed Rendell tried to do in 2008.
Any effort to lease the turnpike would require separate
action by the legislature.
Geist predicted the new law would prompt transportation
officials to proceed with projects that had been on hold,
because private up-front money and expertise would
speed the work.
"Projects that have been on the shelf will be undertaken,
creating a multitude of jobs in the engineering and
construction industries that are looking to get back to
work," he said.
Rep. Steve Santarsiero of Bucks County voted against the
bill, arguing that it took control of road projects away from
local residents and legislators. "It's taking the view of
residents out of the mix," he said. "It's also letting
companies that might not be anywhere near the area be
responsible for it."
Santarsiero, a Democrat, sought to require companies to
give preference to Pennsylvania workers and the use of
Pennsylvania steel. His amendment was defeated in the
GOP-controlled state House.
"The real problem is our critical funding problem, and that
hasn't been addressed yet," he said. "We need the
governor to come out with a proposal. Unless he signals
his support for some plan, it's not going to move."
BOSSES PRESSED TO TARGET DISTRACTED
DRIVING EMPLOYEES
Paul Bedard - Washington Secrets
The Washington Examiner July 5, 2012
Distracted drivers, responsible for some 30 percent of all
crashes, beware: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is
stepping up his bid to get you to turn off that cellular phone
and drop the nose hair clippers.
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After putting carmakers on notice to skip the fancy
doodads and getting states to pass laws banning
cellphone use in cars, LaHood, considered the most
effective DOT boss ever, has finally won the backing of
some states to count distracted driving details in crash
reports just like drunk driving.
During his opening remarks, APTA President and Chief
Executive Officer Michael Melaniphy touted the results of
an APTA study released yesterday that showed nearly
two-thirds of Americans say they are interested in riding
high-speed trains. The figure jumps to almost threequarters in the 18-to-24 age bracket, Melaniphy said.
In a tweet Thursday he heralded a new report used
nationwide to track crashes that included distracted driver
information such as whether drivers were gabbing on the
phone or texting. "Collecting consistent information about
motor vehicle crashes is essential to improving road
safety," he tweeted.
The majority of the questions asked during the press
conference were directed at U.S. Transportation Secretary
Ray LaHood. Following are paraphrased versions of
several questions posed to LaHood and his lightly edited
responses.
According to the new "Model Minimum Uniform Crash
Criteria Guideline," the following driver distractions will be
sought by cops: texting, typing, dialing, eating, and
working on personal hygiene. The rational, said the report,
is that it is "important to identify specific driver behavior
during a crash and understand and mitigate the effects of
distracted activities."
LaHood and insurance companies are eager to get the
nasty details so they can pressure even more states to
pass distracted driving laws--and enforce them.
What's more, the Governor's Highway Safety Association,
which produced the new crash report, wants employers to
develop new anti-distracted driving policies. The report
reveals that nearly 2,000 companies ban employees from
using hand-held cellphones in their car. The report
endorsed by LaHood wants more companies to follow suit.
It also called on states to "help employers develop and
implement distracted driving policies and programs. Many
companies have established and implemented cell phone
policies for their employees. Company policies can be a
powerful influence on employees' driving," said the report.
According to recent distracted driving surveys, 24 percent
of all drivers said that they had texted while driving over
the last 30 days; 16 percent of all fatal accidents are
caused by distracted driving; and in a study of 100 car
wrecks, 80 percent were caused by drivers not paying
attention to where they are going.
LAHOOD ADDRESSES
PHILADELPHIA EVENT
HIGH-SPEED
RAIL
AT
7/12/2012 by Angela Cotey progressive railroading
Yesterday, about 1,000 high-speed rail experts, leaders
and stakeholders from 37 countries descended on the
Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia for the
8th World Congress on High Speed Rail. Hosted by the
International Union of Railways (UIC) and American Public
Transportation Association (APTA), the event — which
runs through tomorrow — features conference sessions,
technical tours and exhibits.
Following the event’s opening session, APTA and UIC
officials held a press conference to discuss — and answer
questions about — high-speed rail development,
particularly as it relates to the United States.
Q: European and Asian colleagues at the World Congress
have said the keys to high-speed rail success are political
will and a financial plan. Where is the political will in the
United States, and what is the financial plan?
LaHood: The political will lies in California. We’re hoping
our friends in Congress will take their cues from the very
strong leadership we’ve seen come from California. The
Assembly and Senate showed very strong political
courage in voting to sell $6 billion worth of bonds to match
more than $3 billion in federal dollars. We have a lot of
friends of high-speed rail in Congress.
Q: How do you make the case for states to invest in highspeed rail, particularly given their difficult financial
situations?
LaHood: I spent 14 years in Congress, and five of those
years we balanced the budget. The way we did that was
we set aside money for debt reduction and that’s what
states are doing. We have a $3 trillion budget in
Washington. The idea that you take all that money and set
it aside for debt — nobody does that in their own personal
budget. You set aside some money for but you still have
priorities. We have to have transportation priorities, and
one of them should be high-speed rail.
Q: What do high-speed rail advocates need to do to make
sure projects move forward?
LaHood: Put people in office who support their ideas.
Elections make a difference. The reason California got the
most money is because they’ve worked for two decades
on this. People have been working there for 20 years and
that’s the reason they’re so far along.
Q: Politicians are winning elections in battleground states
by promising to kill high-speed rail. In light of what
happened in England, where the success of the HS2
project passing was due to public outreach, has any
thought been given to doing a similar outreach to the
American public?
LaHood: I’m out of the politics business. I’ll just tell you
this: Ordinary citizens are enlightened about this issue.
Every place where we’ve made investments, people have
been behind the elected officials. It’s amazing the kind of
groundswell there is among common, ordinary citizens for
different forms of transportation. This is what the people
want. We’re going to keep the train moving here, because
we’re headed in the right direction. The politics almost
always takes care of itself — the people almost always get
it right.
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Q: Governors around the country turned back money for
high-speed rail projects. This conference likely was
planned to be held in the U.S. before that happened — are
you disappointed you don’t have more projects to show?
LaHood: Only three governors turned down the money.
When Florida turned down the money, we had $10 billion
worth of requests. That was a signal that there was pentup demand in America for different forms of transportation.
We’re thrilled with the opportunities we’ve had around the
country.
BUSES NEED TO USE FLASHING LIGHTS WHEN
PICKING UP, DROPPING OFF DISABLED PERSONS,
NEW LAW SAYS
July 12, 2012, www.nj.com
TRENTON — Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno today signed a bill
that she said closes a loophole by requiring that buses and
other vehicles equipped with flashing lights turn them on
when picking up or dropping off developmentally disabled
persons.
"It clears up an area of the law that might have been
unclear," she said in a Statehouse news conference. "Turn
the lights on. And when you see the lights come on, stop
and stay stopped until you see someone get off that bus
and get to an area of safety."
Human Services Commissioner Jennifer Velez said the
law is one of several steps the administration has taken to
protect the developmentally disabled, including elimination
of the word "retardation" from state statues and
establishing an abuse registry of people who are
permanently barred from working with the population.
"Today we take another step to protect people with
developmental disabilities, particularly people who are
living in the community and using transportation to go
about their daily lives like so many of us do," she said.
Thomas Buffet, executive director of The Arc of New
Jersey, noted that drivers were never required to activate
safety equipment and drivers were never required to stop.
"More and more folks with intellectual and other
developmental disabilities are living in the community and
anything we can do to make them safer, I think is a good
thing," he said. "This was a little gap in the law. Any time
we can find these gaps and correct them, make the
community sifter, I think is a good thing,"
The primary sponsors of the bill (S618) are Senate
President Steve Sweeney (D-Gloucester), Sen. Diane
Allen (R-Burlington), Assemblywoman Celeste Riley (DCumberland) and Assemblyman John Burzichelli (DGloucester).
Drivers who violate the new law are subject to a fine of at
least $100 for a first offense, which is currently on the
books for drivers who pass school buses with embarking
or departing students.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT PROTECTING DISTRACTED
PEDESTRIANS
By: JOAN LOWY Associated Press
July 26, 2012 – nbc4i.com
WASHINGTON -- A young man talking on a cellphone
meanders along the edge of a lonely train platform at
night. Suddenly he stumbles, loses his balance and
pitches over the side, landing head first on the tracks.
Fortunately there were no trains approaching the
Philadelphia-area station at that moment, because it took
the man several minutes to recover enough to climb out of
danger. But the incident, captured last year by a security
camera and provided to The Associated Press,
underscores the risks of what government officials and
safety experts say is a growing problem: distracted
walking.
On city streets, in suburban parking lots and in shopping
centers, there is usually someone strolling while talking on
a phone, texting with his head down, listening to music, or
playing a video game. The problem isn't as widely
discussed as distracted driving, but the danger is real.
Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital
emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past
seven years and are almost certainly underreported. There
has been a spike in pedestrians killed and injured in traffic
accidents, but there is no reliable data on how many were
distracted by electronics.
"We are where we were with cellphone use in cars 10
years or so ago. We knew it was a problem, but we didn't
have the data," said Jonathan Akins, deputy executive
director of the Governors Highway Safety Association,
which represents state highway safety offices.
State and local officials are struggling to figure out how to
respond, and in some cases asking how far government
should go in trying to protect people from themselves.
In Delaware, highway safety officials opted for a public
education campaign, placing decals on crosswalks and
sidewalks at busy intersections urging pedestrians to
"Look up. Drivers aren't always looking out for you."
Philadelphia officials are drafting a safety campaign that
will be aimed in part at pedestrians who are looking at their
devices instead of where they're going. "One of the
messages will certainly be 'pick your head up' - I want to
say 'nitwit,' but I probably shouldn't call them names," said
Rina Cutler, deputy mayor for transportation and public
utilities.
Story continued at:
http://www2.nbc4i.com/news/2012/jul/26/what-do-aboutprotecting-distracted-pedestrians-ar-1117590/
PEDESTRIANS DISTRACTED BY ELECTRONIC
DEVICES STUMBLE INTO DANGER, RAISING SAFETY
CONCERNS
By Associated Press, July 26, 2012
WASHINGTON — A young man talking on a cellphone
meanders along the edge of a lonely train platform at
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night. Suddenly he stumbles, loses his balance and
pitches over the side, landing head first on the tracks.
Fortunately there were no trains approaching the
Philadelphia-area station at that moment, because it took
the man several minutes to recover enough to climb out of
danger. But the incident, captured last year by a security
camera and provided to The Associated Press,
underscores the risks of what government officials and
safety experts say is a growing problem: distracted
walking.
On city streets, in suburban parking lots and in shopping
centers, there is usually someone strolling while talking on
a phone, texting with his head down, listening to music, or
playing a video game. The problem isn’t as widely
discussed as distracted driving, but the danger is real.
Reports of injuries to distracted walkers treated at hospital
emergency rooms have more than quadrupled in the past
seven years and are almost certainly underreported. There
has been a spike in pedestrians killed and injured in traffic
accidents, but there is no reliable data on how many were
distracted by electronics.
“We are where we were with cellphone use in cars 10
years or so ago. We knew it was a problem, but we didn’t
have the data,” said Jonathan Akins, deputy executive
director of the Governors Highway Safety Association,
which represents state highway safety offices.
State and local officials are struggling to figure out how to
respond, and in some cases asking how far government
should go in trying to protect people from themselves.
In Delaware, highway safety officials opted for a public
education campaign, placing decals on crosswalks and
sidewalks at busy intersections urging pedestrians to
“Look up. Drivers aren’t always looking out for you.”
When the Utah Transit Authority adopted an ordinance
barring pedestrians from using cellphones, headphones or
other distracting electronic devices while crossing the
tracks of its light rail system on the streets of Salt Lake
City, subject to a $50 fine, the Legislature refused to make
it a statewide law.
The plan is being looked at by the North Jersey
Transportation Authority. It’s called the Integrated Corridor
Management System and it’s something that has been
done in other states. It would integrate the transportation
system so you’ll know about problems out on the
roadways and on the rails. There are several components
from an early warning electronic notification setup to
access through internet and smartphones about what’s
happening out there.
Ocean County Freeholder James Lacey sits on the board.
He says “while this is in the very early stage of
development, the idea is to better communicate through
the two way connection. We have learned a lot in the last
few years that getting accurate information out in a timely
manner is important for public safety and to limit issues on
the roads. The plan would be implemented statewide.”
One component allows you to know of detours and
accidents as soon as police get word. There’s even an
idea being kicked around to let you check how many
people are on a train you need to ride and if there are any
seats left. Lacey says it could be several years before it’s
implemented but they are currently examining their funding
options.
REDESIGNING HIGHWAY SIGNS, TO TALK TO YOUR
SMARTPHONE
By Kyle VanHemert www.fascodesign.com 8/21/2012
There’s definitely room to improve highway signs, but
would we miss the green ones that have grown so
familiar?
Highway signs are an unavoidable and unmistakeable part
of the American landscape, and they’re not likely to
disappear anytime soon (Wikipedia says that the United
States has "no plans for adopting the Vienna Convention
on Road Signs and Signals standards.") Still, the signage
plays such a big part in our lives that even a speculative
redesign represents an irresistible challenge for designers
to tackle. For their annual Rethink issue, Icon Magazine
asked the San Francisco-based studio Manual to do just
that.
Story continued at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/protectingpedestrians-distracted-by-their-electronic-devices-how-farshould-communitiesgo/2012/07/26/gJQAKlkcBX_story.html
NEW PROJECT EYED FOR NEW JERSEY’S
TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM
By: Jason Allentoff nj1015.com
Imagine you are hurrying to get to work when you hit an
unexpected detour. You are being redirected to a location
you’re not sure of. Now you’re gonna be late for work.
Frantic, you continue on until you get to your destination.
Wouldn’t it be great to be 100 percent aware of this ahead
of time? A new plan is now being studied that could ease
your headaches if a situation like that comes up.
The familiar green placards that currently flank our roads,
Manual writes, are "confusing, inconsistent and messy." In
their place, the group devised a system of muted gray
signs, using simple geometric markers in place of the
existing shield symbols, which, they explain, feel "dated
and too 'police state.'" Colored strips at the top of Manual’s
signs maintain the color scheme currently employed to
designate various roadways, with blue signaling interstate
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highways, white being used for U.S. highways, and black
representing state highways.
It all contributes to an immediate feeling of modernity and
efficiency, and after looking at these orderly new signs for
a while, the current ones do start to look a little bit silly,
with all their cartoon shields and oversize arrows.
Manual’s strict, rectangular signs also have the benefit of
doing away with a particularly annoying little quirk of our
current design: the four tiny green triangles that poke
outside the rounded white outline at the corners of every
highway sign. Those drive me crazy.
signs and devices is now in effect, PennDOT said today.
Act 114, signed on July 5 by Governor Tom Corbett,
reinforces the critical need for all drivers to obey traffic
control signs. The law aims to increase safety for motorists
and emergency responders in areas where flooding or
other hazardous conditions exist.
"Too often, motorists decide their immediate needs
outweigh the safety warning signs and they ignore them,
which increases hazards for them and emergency
responders," said PennDOT Secretary Barry J. Schoch.
"This law underscores that we take safety seriously. When
motorists are confronted with emergency road closures,
we urge them to use common sense and obey the signs
that are placed to keep them safe."
Under the law, motorists who drive around or through
signs or traffic control devices closing a road or highway
due to hazardous conditions will have two points added to
their driving records and be fined up to $250.
If the violation results in a need for emergency responders
to be called, the fine is increased to between $250 and
$500. In addition, violators will be held liable for repaying
the costs of staging the emergency response.
But the most radical components of Manual’s redesign can
be found when you’re getting off the highway. The group’s
proposal calls for every exit sign to be fitted with a wireless
transmitter, connecting it to a smartphone app provided by
the Department of Transportation. As drivers zoom down
the interstate, the app would update dynamically with
information on restaurants, gas stations, and local points
of interest found at the exits ahead.
It’s like a high-tech version of those signs that tell you what
restaurants you can expect at the next exit, except instead
of just announcing every McDonald’s and Cracker Barrel
across the country, the app would feature independent
businesses that lack highway visibility. Aside from the
whole issue of fumbling with your smartphone while you’re
hurtling down the highway at 80 miles per hour, this part of
Manual’s redesign is especially compelling.
I must say, after a lifetime of looking at them, I’ve grown
pretty attached to the green highway signs, shields and all.
They may not be the most effective way to relay road
information to drivers, but after comparing them to
Manual’s somewhat clinical take, I have to admit that the
existing signs have a sort of beguiling personality that I
think I’d miss. Manual concedes that they’d allow the little
shields to stick around for historic routes, appreciating that
"they may have a certain Americana charm." I’d argue that
there’s charm to the rest, too.
NEW LAW PENALIZES MOTORISTS FOR IGNORING
TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNS, DEVICES
09/06/2012
Harrisburg – A new state law imposing stiff penalties on
motorists who ignore “road closed” or other safety warning
Follow
PennDOT
on
Twitter
at
www.twitter.com/PennDOTNews and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/PennsylvaniaDepartmentofTransporta
tion.
Visit PennDOT’s full website at www.dot.state.pa.us
DAUGHTER’S BRUSH WITH TEXTING DRIVER SPURS
DAD TO CREATE LIFESAVING APP
www.insidebainbridge.com
by Julie Hall September 18, 2012
Erik Wood and his 3-year-old daughter Eve were walking
home on a quiet Saturday afternoon from Coe Elementary
School park in Seattle’s Queen Anne neighborhood. It was
a familiar route, and Eve had skipped ahead a few steps
on the sidewalk when Wood realized the car he heard
coming toward them through the alley was not slowing
down.
In the elongation of time that happens in a moment of
crisis, Wood lurched forward, yanked his daughter out of
harm’s way by the back of her overalls, and looked up to
see the driver of the speeding buffed black VW Jetta
looking down, wrists on the steering wheel, thumbs texting
on a smart phone.
Wood, who now lives on Bainbridge Island, said, “She
blew through the intersection without raising her head, no
doubt oblivious to this day that she almost killed my kid. If
she had looked up, stopped, apologized, realized what
had almost happened, I probably would have let the whole
thing go. But she never knew, and I had to do something
about that.”
Thus was born OTTER (One Touch Text Response), a
GPS-based app for smart phones designed to eliminate
the need to respond to an incoming text or phone call
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while driving. Once the user’s vehicle exceeds ten miles
per hour, OTTER automatically silences all tones, tinkles,
and toots indicating a text or call is coming in. Unless a
Bluetooth is enabled, calls silently go to voicemail to stop
you from fumbling for that ringing phone, and a
customizable auto reply responds to all text messages,
letting texters know you are in a “black out” time and when
you’ll be available again.
In our ADHD culture, Wood sees OTTER as a step toward
using technology purposefully to help complement and
assist our lives and goals rather than run and define them:
“It’s a paradigm shift of doing one thing at a time with
quality results as opposed to having seven or eight things
going at once and settling for mediocre results on all of
them.” For anyone over forty, that way of living is a
treasured memory not long passed.
OTTER also features a Parental Control function with a
programmable pass code for parents looking to help their
teens drive more safely.
OTTER has been embraced by a wide range of users,
companies, and organizations. Since launching on Android
in April 2010 OTTER has been added to Blackberry and
Nokia’s Symbian platform and is now available for free. It
has been endorsed by organizations including Impact
Teen Drivers and The California Association of Highway
Patrolmen, as well as an increasing number of insurance
companies looking to reduce phone-related litigation.
Wood’s daughter was one of the lucky ones. Texting while
driving was the cause of 16,141 highway deaths from
2001 to 2007 and over 200,000 non-fatal accidents last
year. For teens, texting is the primary way they
communicate technologically, feeling compelled to
respond to an incoming message within 30 seconds.
Adults, too, are joining the texting throngs these days,
becoming increasingly conditioned to pick up their phones
no matter where or when.
According
to
Wood,
“Ninety-five percent of
people grab their phone
when it goes off, no
matter
what.
The
epidemic
of
mobile
addiction has become a
Pavlovian response.”
But OTTER isn’t just
about improving public
safety on the road. It’s
also
a
texting
management system for
the home and office—a
tool to use at work during
meetings, at home while
doing homework or eating
dinner, or in the woods
where peace and quiet is
the point.
Wood said, “One mother told me, ‘My teen is finally
sleeping.’” Obsessive texting had kept her daughter up all
hours, and OTTER had finally given her “permission” to
sign off for the night while still feeling connected to her
friends.
Companies that have introduced OTTER to their workers
find it improves productivity and radically reduces meeting
times because of the lack of phone interruptions.
Wood believes that Big Brother software doesn’t address
the fundamental culture of texting. With OTTER, it is up to
users—teens at the wheel, commuters, chauffeuring
parents, delivery drivers, office workers, friends chatting at
a coffee shop—to choose to change their behavior. With
the OTTER software, users opt to schedule their own
texting blackout periods so they can focus on what’s at
hand without feeling disconnected from their social
network.
Wood and his business partners Jon Lam and Troy
Niehaus, also of Bainbridge Island, would like to see Apple
offer OTTER for its iPhone users. OTTER enthusiasts
have written hundreds of letters to Apple requesting they
offer it as an iPhone app.
But for the public to fully utilize what OTTER has to offer,
Wood believes targeting end users isn’t enough. He would
like to see carriers like Sprint or AT&T or car companies
such as BMW or Ford offer OTTER to their customers.
For a guy looking for creative ways to help people use
their smart phones smarter, the possibilities are limitless.
Learn more at OTTERapp.com.
TRANSPORTATION CHIEF WANTS GSP SAFETY
PROGRAM
Sep 27, 2012 by Larry Higgs app.com
WOODBRIDGE — Reducing fatalities on the Garden
State Parkway is the goal of an initiative modeled on NJ
Transit’s efforts to make railroad crossings safer.
“It’s appropriate to look at it. It’s our youngsters who are
dying. It’s shocking that (more than) half of the fatalities
are young men,” state Transportation Commissioner
James Simpson said. “Statistically, we don’t know if it is an
anomaly.”
Simpson was referring to 2012 fatality statistics from state
police showing that, of 15 fatalities on the Parkway this
year, nine involved young men between ages 20 and 30,
in crashes that occurred between midnight and 6 a.m.
The common thread came to him as he was reading over
the fatality numbers, which are among information
regularly presented at the monthly New Jersey Turnpike
Authority meetings, Simpson said.
“All are young men, all occurred after midnight and all
occurred from Friday to early Monday morning,” Simpson
said.
While Simpson said half the crashes occurred north of the
Driscoll Bridge over the Raritan River, four others
happened in the Shore area, south of milepost 97 in Wall.
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After three teenagers were killed in two separate railroad
accidents in Wayne and Garfield last fall, Simpson
convened a rail safety task force in conjunction with the
state Department of Transportation and federal railroad
officials. The task force delivered its findings in February.
NJ Transit has rolled out those recommendations, which
ranged from stepped-up education and enforcement
efforts to engineering solutions, such as last week’s
unveiling of a talking warning sign at a crossing in Garfield
to alert pedestrians that a second train was approaching.
A 12-year-old boy lost his life in such an accident last
October.
That sign, created by NJ Transit employees, is also being
looked at as a model for other railroads to use. “We’ll
bring the best practices from NJ Transit to the parkway.
There’s a lot that can carry over,” Simpson said.
NEW TRAFFIC CAMERAS TO PROVIDE ERIE-AREA
HIGHWAY IMAGES
By VALERIE MYERS, Erie Times-News 10/8/2012
Construction on Interstate 90 can back up traffic for miles.
Blowing snow can obscure traffic on all three local
interstates. Local drivers soon will be able to see those
road conditions as they happen, and choose another
route. Cameras recently mounted along Erie County
interstates and at busy local intersections will stream live
online road views beginning later this fall.
"It's real-time information that motorists can access before
they take a trip or go to work," said Tom McClelland,
district traffic engineer for the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation. "Whether it's weather conditions or traffic,
they'll know what's ahead."
The 14 new traffic cameras are part of a $7.3 million
project expanding PennDOT's 511 system in Erie,
Crawford, Mercer, Venango, Lawrence and Butler
counties. The 511 system also includes electronic
message signs and radio advisories to alert drivers to
dangerous road and weather conditions.
"We want to be able to give motorists all of the information
that we can," McClelland said.
The traffic cameras are mounted on steel poles along
interstates 90 and 79, at the junction of interstates 86 and
90, on the Bayfront Parkway at State Street, at Peach
Street and Interchange Road, and West 12th Street and
Lincoln Avenue.
Transmitters mounted to new wooden poles will relay
microwave signals to the cameras from PennDOT's district
control center in Oil City. Poles originally planned for
placement along the west Bayfront Parkway to relay
signals to nearby cameras were not placed because of
concerns about their height and aesthetics.
"There are height restrictions in place along the waterfront,
and although the poles would have been located in (the)
state right of way and PennDOT would not have been
bound by the restrictions, they were very good about
understanding the issues there and finding another way to
accomplish the project. And we appreciate that," Erie
Mayor Joe Sinnott said.
PennDOT found alternate locations for the poles, said Bill
Petit, chief of PennDOT's northwestern Pennsylvania
district.
"We all agree that the Bayfront Parkway is a special place
and that aesthetics are important in that area. We found
another way to get the signal across," Petit said.
Images from the new traffic cameras will refresh every few
seconds. Drivers will be able to access the images on
smartphones, tablet computers and other portable devices
while they travel.
That's good news for Tom Yadeski, of Erie, who
commented on the new cameras on the GoErie.com/Erie
Times-News Facebook page. Yadeski drives Interstate 90
between Wesleyville and North East every day and said
that the cameras could help him avoid pileups.
"The ability to check a camera in real time to determine
conditions or if a jackknifed truck is blocking the road could
make a huge difference for me," Yadeski said.
Deanna Gutowski-Kacar, recalling a multicar pileup on
Interstate 90 one winter, said that the cameras would help
drivers not already involved. "I think cameras would help
people avoid this situation," Gutowski-Kacar said in a
Facebook posting.
Others don't think that local traffic warrants the cost of the
cameras. The cameras are a "waste of money," Chuck
Foulk said. "Erie is not that bad for traffic." The cameras
are expected to go online in November and will not be
used for traffic enforcement, PennDOT officials said.
But some local drivers aren't convinced and shared
enforcement and privacy concerns on Facebook. " ...
These are detailed cameras. You don't put up a tower with
wireless microwave antennas to stream with webcam for
'convenience,'" Zac Owens said.
To view images from PennDOT traffic cameras already
online across the state, visit www.511pa.com.
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TRANSPORTATION HISTORY…
July 1, 1862 **150th anniversary** The Union Pacific Railroad was created when President Abraham Lincoln signed the Pacific
Railway Act of 1862. July 4, 1817 **195th anniversary** Construction began on the Erie Canal in Rome, New York.
July 17, 1962 **50th anniversary** Major Robert M. White set an altitude record of 314,750
feet flying in an X-15.
July 18, 1962 **50th anniversary** Eugene Houdry, who discovered a method for cracking low-grade crude oil
into high-test gasoline, passed away in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania. July 20, 1962 **50th anniversary** The world's first passenger hovercraft
service began on a route between Wales and England.
July 24, 1897 **115th anniversary** Amelia Earhart was born in
Atchison, Kansas.
July 30, 1962 **50th anniversary** The Trans-Canada Highway was officially opened.
August 3, 1492 **520th anniversary** Christopher Columbus left Spain with his fleet of the Pinta, Santa
María and Niña, on his first voyage to the New World. August 6, 1932 **80th anniversary** The fourth (and current) Welland Ship Canal opened. The canal
connects Lakes Erie and Ontario.
August 7, 1912 **100th anniversary** Construction began on the first state highway in California.
August 9, 1912 **100th anniversary** The US Senate passed a bill for the opening of the Panama Canal. The bill also
included a number of other provisions pertaining to the canal.
August 14, 1937 **75th anniversary** The Appalachian Trail was officially completed connecting Mt.
Oglethorpe, Georgia and Baxter Peak in Maine. August 21, 1862 **150th anniversary** The USS New Ironsides was commissioned. It spent most of the
Civil War supporting the blockade of the Port of Charleston, South Carolina. August 23, 1957 **55th anniversary** The Saskatchewan section of the Trans-Canada Highway was
opened. The province was the first to fully open their portion of the highway.
September 1, 1962 **50th anniversary** The Port of New York Authority became the owner of the Hudson & Manhattan
Railroad and renamed it PATH (Port Authority Trans-Hudson).
September 4, 1917 **95th anniversary** Henry Ford II was born in Detroit.
September 6, 1522 **490th anniversary** The Victoria returned to Spain and became the first ship to circumnavigate the
globe.
September 11, 1972 **40th anniversary** Bay Area Rapid Transit, better known as BART, began passenger service.
September 18, 1947 **65th anniversary** The United States Air Force was formed as a separate branch of the military.
September 20, 1912 **100th anniversary** The first transcontinental truck delivery was completed. The trip took 91 days.
September 26, 1982 **30th anniversary** The first driverless car made its debut. TV viewers were introduced to KITT on
Knight Rider.
October 2, 1948 **64th anniversary** Checkered flag waves at first postwar U.S. road race in Watkins Glen, New York
October 7, 1960, **42nd anniversary** CBS broadcasts the premiere episode of "Route 66"
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2012 MASITE CORPORATE SPONSORS…
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Dean J. Kaiser, PE, PTOE
n t e r c o n n eOrth-Rodgers
ct
& Associates, Inc.
301 Lindenwood Drive, Suite 130
Malvern, PA 19355
To:
MASITE Interconnect Info – Please feel free to comment liberally on this and any issue of the Interconnect.
All news and noteworthy items
are still greatly appreciated in the next couple of months as well as information relating to sponsor companies, organizations, MASITE members
and other Section planned activities. The deadline for the December 2012 issue will be December 21st.
EDITOR
INTERCONNECT ENDINGS…
I think Tim copied my idea from the newsletter for his
Annual Meeting Presentation… you know I love finding
interesting signs all the time!!
Happy Reading!!
Respectfully submitted,
DEAN J. KAISER, PE, PTOE - 2012 MASITE Newsletter Editor
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