PEOPLE HAVE VALUE —
TELL THEM THE GOOD NEWS

Mr. Frederick H. Downs has been appointed Assistant Division Administrator for the Illinois Division Office of the Federal Highway Administration in Springfield. Fred recently served as District Engineer in the New York Division Office and had responsibility for New York City and Long Island. He was Chief of Environmental Programs for the Regional FHWA Office in Albany and was New York Division Planning Engineer. Other assignments during his 22 year career with FHWA include work in the Division Office in Madison, Wisconsin and Boston. Fred looks on Illinois as being his great southernmost assignment and we say, "Wait until February, Fred!"

Robert J. Deatrick, former Assistant Division Administrator in Illinois, was promoted to Kansas Division Administrator in Topeka on February 1, 1987.

Mr. John A. Morris, PE & SE, was employed as the Bridge Liaison Engineer in the Bureau of Local Roads and Streets effective August first. John has experience as a designer in the Bureau of Bridges and Structures for seven years, and has been Chief Design Engineer for Ozyurt Engineers, Inc. (Springfield) since June, 1979. Mr. Morris will have responsibilities in the area of inspection, rating, posting, repair and rehabilitation of local bridges.

It is unusual that we make note of staff changes that affect our day-to-day operations. My purpose in doing so here today, is to focus for a few minutes on the great talents that are so much the real core of the transportation scene at the township, municipal and county levels and the state and federal levels as well. Too often, we interpret our accomplishments only in terms of money and projects. Is not our service to the public, better expressed in terms of time and talent as well?

GRADE CROSSING FUND DIVERSION

Public Act 85-7 mandates the transfer of $500,000 annually from funds previously allocated the Grade Crossing Protection Fund to the Transportation Regulatory Fund. This amount, coupled with an amount derived from a fee imposed against intrastate rail freight movements (0.23% of the freight bill for such movements), is to be accounted for as the rail carrier portion of the fund and will be used to pay the cost of administration of the Illinois Commerce Commission's railroad safety program. While this new legislation effectively reduces to $11,500,000 the amount available annually from the Grade Crossing Protection Fund for improved safety at local public highway-railroad crossing, it does allow the rail safety responsibility within the Commission to continue to operate. The GCPF can be used by the Department of Transportation for such local crossing improvements only upon order of the ICC.

IT'S HOSTILE OUT THERE

Why are highway work zones considered by motorists to be so obnoxious? The fact is that a work zone is an abnormal highway environment. Motorists accustomed to clear, unobstructed roadways are required to obey an array of instruction conveyed by a variety of traffic control devices and sometimes by human flaggers. The adjacent roadside, usually free of fixed objects, is occupied by warning devices, barriers, equipment and workers. The work activity itself, by being close to the travelled way, can divert the attention of the motorists. Highway work zones continually change. As work progresses through various construc-

September 1987 / Illinois Municipal Review / Page 7

tion stages during various periods of time, traffic may be diverted over different portions of the roadway. Often the normal roadway is physically reduced by one or more lanes. The ultimate result of this is increased delay and added frustration for the motorist.

The increased level of highway rehabilitation work (always common to the local system) has had a major impact on work zone safety. Nationally, the number of fatalities occurring in work zones increased from 489 in 1982 to 702 in 1984. A large portion of this increase relates to rehabilitation work on the interstate system. Rural highways account for 64 percent of the work zone fatalities, however, 66 percent of work zone injuries and 71 percent of all work zone accidents occur on urban highways.

The most common type of work zone accident, as in the case of non-work zones, involves vehicles striking other vehicles (60 percent). Nearly 20 percent of work zone accidents involve the collision of vehicles with fixed objects. A national survey showed there were an estimated 46,400 work zone accidents in 1985 on the interstate and primary systems. Of these, 400 were fatal accidents involving 485 fatalities. There were 15,000 non-fatal injury accidents and 31,000 property damage accidents. In looking at statistics for all 1985 work zone fatalities, 73 percent were in construction zones, 14 percent in maintenance activities, 2 percent utility and 11 percent not classified.

It is essential to have personnel skilled in safe traffic operations at major construction sites and that an effective traffic control plan be established and maintained. The complexity of the project and the amount of traffic will have bearing on the extent of the traffic control plan. Speed of traffic through work zones is known to have a major impact on safety. While the posting of unreasonably low speeds should be avoided, speed control is a must. The motoring public can play a major role in improving the safety of highway work zones. Motorists must appreciate the necessity for the work, more importantly that it is in a hostile environment, and that they have a responsibility for its safe conclusion, right along with the construction workers, contractors, engineers and enforcement personnel. Containment of these damming statistics, if it is to be, must be a cooperative effort with everyone sharing the responsibility. (Statistical information from July, 1987 AASHTO Quarterly).

SAFETY FOR MAINTENANCE OPERATIONS
(from GEORGE HOUCK, Work Zone, Manager,
Bureau of Traffic)

Many highway related safety studies utilize, as a measurement, the reaction of motorists to existing conditions. Studies relating to speeds discount the highest 15 percent as that portion of motorists that don't know when to slow down. This 15 percent needs a lot of help from a lot of sources to keep them out of trouble. One source of help is the flashing amber lights that should be in good operating condition on all pieces of maintenance equipment. These lights are to be visible at 500 feet in normal sunlight (Illinois Vehicle Code 95 1/2, 12-215d). All motorists need to be reminded that the law requires them to yield the right of way to any authorized vehicle engaged in maintenance work and displaying flashing lights (IVC 95 1/2, 11-908). These lights may be the only indication to an inattentive motorist that maintenance work is going on in the road ahead. Using them will not only provide some measure of early warning to a speeding motorist, but will also enhance the probability of the enforcement of the law toward a deserving target. More importantly, the flashing amber light may offer some small protection for you or your employee from the standpoint of safety if it is properly in service. •

Page 8 / Illinois Municipal Review / September 1987