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A collection of 8 documents issued by the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Discusses the results of the State Department of Transportation's (DOT) I-95 tolling study.

America's ability to attain its objectives in an environment shifting to a multi-polar reality has never been more complex. Global influence remains ever crucial for executing our foreign policy, engaging crises, maintaining strategic legitimacy and defending our interests. At the core of these abilities, two vital instruments of national power will be of increasing importance: economic resilience and the capability to project military power decisively in the 21st Century strategic environment. Reliance on an infrastructure system in rapid decline, namely our domestic roadways, hampers our competitive edge in both arenas and dramatically reduces navigable options for protecting our interests. To mitigate this growing risk, investment in our highways and funding reform is urgently required to stem the potential for losing relevance in global affairs.

The primary objective of the research was to identify and evaluate effective ways of improving traffic operations and safety on congested freeways. There was particular interest in finding condition-responsive traffic control solutions for the following problem areas: (1) end-of-queue warning, (2) work zones with lane closure, and (3) queue spillover at exit ramps. Available techniques considered by this research include combination of static and dynamic queue warning systems, dynamic merge control in advance of freeway lane closures, and various traffic control strategies, such as traffic diversion and ramp metering, to mitigate queue spillover at exit ramps. Three sets of evaluation studies were conducted: first, two queue warning systems deployed on IH 610 and US 59 in Houston, Texas, were evaluated based on field observations. Second, strategies to resolve a ramp spillover problem at an exit ramp in El Paso, Texas, were analyzed using traffic simulations. Third, the Dynamic Merge work zone traffic control concept was evaluated using traffic simulations, and recommendations were developed for its potential use for various work zone types with different lane closure configurations.

Compiled by members of the Transportation Division of the Special Libraries Association, this bibliography is part of the 6th edition of the Division's "Sources of Information in Transportation". The new edition will become available on the National Transportation Library website (http://ntl.bts.gov/) in summer 2007.

"The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) launched the US 2 / MT 16 TRED Study in January 2006 to examine whether four-lane highway improvements to the Montana segment of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway can be justified by economic, safety, regulatory, and other considerations."

"On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Turnpike's opening - October 25, 1956 - the Kansas Turnpike Authority board and staff are pleased to present this compilation of memories."--Page 1

"A history of the changing politics and participants related to decision making about and construction of the interstate system in the Twin Cities metro area from the 1950s to the 1990s. Using case studies of construction or expansion projects on Interstates 94, 35W, 35E, 394, and 335, the report identifies three distinct eras in the history of freeway construction in the Twin Cities, and offers conclusions about how politics and the role of various participants shaped the debates about these projects. Includes appendices." -- abstract from website., The Center for Transportation Studies (CTS) and the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA) co-sponsored a research project designed to provide a history of major transportation decisions over the past fifty years, primarily in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Region. A major part of the research involved in-depth interviews with those who worked in and with the Minnesota Department of Transportation, as well as transportation officials in other governmental units, citizens, and elected representatives. Research at relevant archives grounded the information from the interviews with specific dates, events, and participants. The results have been integrated with maps, reports, and other recent research projects to provide an historical context and potential lessons for our current transportation development processes. This provides a detailed history of the creation of the Twin Cities highway system. The interviews provide important perspectives on the impacts of federal, state and local governments, the effects of government actions on the public, and the influence of specific events, interest groups and individuals in the public policy arena.

Describes the "Following Too Closely Enforcement Campaign", which targets aggressive driving.

Chronological listing of events in the history of Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (called the Oklahoma Transportation Authority from 1999 to 2005).

Answers questions regarding a highway project currently being done between exits 10 and 13 on I-95 including project specifications, cost, completion date, and if it is part of implementing the governor's idea of using the road shoulders on I-95 as an additional travel lane.

Discusses if recent trends for the federal government to pass down to the states more control of and responsibility for programs previously controlled at the federal level (devolution) has changed the circumstances for states with highways without tolls being able to make them toll roads without incurring federal penalties.

Provides information about the current program administered by the Dept. of Transportation (DOT) for reducing peak hour highway demand by 5% over a five-year period in the southwest corridor (New Haven to Greenwich).

Highway-freeway interchanges can be a source of confusion to unfamiliar drivers. Typically, freeway entrance ramp information is provided by means of trailblazer assemblies (interstate or highway shield, cardinal direction, and a small white arrow on a blue shield). Trailblazer assemblies are generally located right at the interchange location, giving unfamiliar drivers very little advance notification as to the proper lane choice needed to gain access to the freeway entrance. Advance located ground mounted diagrammatic guide signs provide this much needed information well in advance of the interchange entrance, thus giving drivers more time to change lanes, if needed. Diagrammatic signs have been used in Europe for many years with great success. The present study investigated the effectiveness of ground mounted diagrammatic signs in the context of urban multi-lane arterials leading to a freeway. The diagrammatic sign layout was designed as part of this project in collaboration with ODOT. Six highway-freeway interchanges were selected in the Greater Columbus, Ohio, area to determine the effectiveness of the diagrammatic signs in the field. Traffic flow video footage was collected at the selected sites before the diagrammatic signs were installed. The finalized diagrammatic sign designs were then installed and the traffic flow videotaping was repeated. The collected video footage was automatically analyzed with Mobilizer PC. The resulting vehicle count, speed, and headway data was used as input to a closed form analytical model to determine the probability that drivers could successfully change lanes as needed, prior to reaching the gore of the freeway entrance. The theoretical analysis indicated a much higher probability that an unfamiliar driver could execute a required lane change when diagrammatic signs are used. ODOT/FHWA evaluators visited the six interchange sites and provided their input and opinions as to the use of diagrammatic signs. The vast majority of the evaluators fully embraced the idea of diagrammatic signs. Eye movement recordings were performed at night at the six sites in order to determine if the presence of the diagrammatic signs was distracting. The results of the eye movement analysis indicate that the diagrammatic signs are not looked at excessively often or excessively long. The overall median first look distance to the diagrammatic signs was found to be 125m. An evaluation with unfamiliar test drivers corroborated the findings of the theoretical model analysis, in that drivers were able to execute a needed lane change much earlier when diagrammatic signs were provided. A set of application guidelines for diagrammatic signs is provided.