Georgia roads [Spring 2007]

A newsletter of Georgia's Local Technical Assistance Program

Vol. 16, No. 4 Spring 07

Route To:

Roundabouts

Intersection safety is a serious problem

in the United States. Addressing this

problem is one of the Federal Highway

Administration's (FHWA) top priorities.

In 2004, more than 2.7 million

intersection-related crashes occurred,

accounting for more than 45 percent of all

crashes in the United States. That same

year, intersection fatalities were 9,117 or

21 percent of all traffic fatalities.

In addition, approximately 45 percent of

all injury crashes, or nearly 900,000

crashes, occurred at intersections. Each year, side-impact crashes, which occur

mostly at intersections, cause more than one-third of all vehicle occupant deaths.

Inside

Why are there so many intersection crashes? An intersection is a planned point of conflict in the roadway system. With different crossing and entering

movements by both drivers and pedestrians, an intersection is one of the most

Page 3 Safety Spotlight

complex traffic situations that motorists encounter. Add the element of speeding motorists who disregard traffic controls, and the dangers are compounded.

Who is most likely to be affected? Situations involving complex speed-

distance judgments under time constraints, as found at intersections, can be

Page 4 LTAP Resources

problematic for many drivers and pedestrians, especially senior drivers and pedestrians. Approximately half of fatal crashes involving drivers 80 or older

take place at intersections.

Solution: Roundabouts are a proven safety solution that prevent and

Page 5 Tailgate Trainers

reduce the severity of intersection crashes. Over the past 25 years, U.S. intersection designs and traffic engineering

measures have improved, but the annual number of intersection fatalities has

not changed significantly. To reduce crashes and improve intersection safety,

Page 7 Calendar of Events

FHWA recommends the use of roundabouts, where appropriate. Roundabouts must be designed to meet the needs of all road users--drivers, pedestrians,

pedestrians with disabilities, and bicyclists. Proper site selection and pedestrian

channelization are essential to making roundabouts accessible to all users.

What is a roundabout and how does its design improve intersection

cont on page 4

GEORGIA LOCAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

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www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/personnel/training/training_ext/index.shtml Spring 2007

Georgia Roads
Dennis Rice, Editor
Bobby Vaughn, Reporter
Dennis Rice, Program Director
Beverly Fontenot, Program Training Coordinator II
Adele Samuel, Program Assistant
Address
GDOT, LTAP 276 Memorial Drive, S.W.
Atlanta, GA 30303
The Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) is a nationwide effort financed jointly by the Federal Highway Administration and individual state departments of transportation and/or universities. Its purpose is to disseminate the latest state-ofthe-art technologies in the areas of roads, highways and bridges to municipal and county highway and transportation personnel.
The Georgia LTAP is supported by FHWA and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The Georgia Roads Newsletter is one of the LTAP activities. The opinions, findings or recommendations expressed in this newsletter are those of the Georgia LTAP Center and do not necessarily reflect the views of the FHWA nor the Georgia Department of Transportation.
The Georgia Roads Newsletter is distributed free of charge to counties, cities, towns and others with transportation responsibilities.

Editor's Notes
I hope everything is going well with everyone. 2006 was a busy year with changes and challenges in the LTAP program. In 2006 we had 173 training sessions with 5,572 attendees. A variety of topics were covered such as Safety (Chainsaw Safety, Trimmer/ Brushcutter, Zero Turn Mower and Workzone Traffic Control), Maintenance (Welding, Small Engine and Tractor/Mower Operator), Construction (Introduction to Highway Construction, Pavement Recycling, Asphalt Pavement Maintenance and Soil Cement), as well as Design Courses (Road Safety Audits and Roundabouts).
Look for a repeat of many of these courses in 2007 as well as new ones such as Low Cost Safety, Intersection Safety, Surveying, Gravel Road Maintenance, Drainage and many others.
We also have two new employees who can come to your location to provide training upon request. Take a look at page 5 for more information on this.
I look forward to working with everyone this year. Thanks for your interest and support.
Dennis S. Rice LTAP Director 404.656.4664 dennis.rice@dot.state.ga.us

LTAP Advisory Committee
Barbara Bennett Candler Co. Public Works/ Landfill 912.685.2822
Keith Braswell Bibb County Engineering 478.621.6660
Matthew Hicks Association of County Commissioners of Georgia 404.522.5022
Georgene Geary State Materials & Research Engineer, GDOT 404.363.7512
Tom Gehl Georgia Municipal Association 678.686.6247
Charles McGiboney Rockdale Co. Public Works & Engineering 770.785.6908
David Painter FHWA - Georgia Division 404.562.3658
Eric Pitts Asst. State Maintenance Engineer, GDOT 404.635.8734
Jeff Geisen City of Cartersville 770.387.5602
Dan Buckingham R/W and Utilities Pickens County 706.253.8875

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Spring 2007 www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/personnel/training/training_ext/index.shtml

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Safety Spotlight: Douglas County

(h) "Cross Traffic Does Not Stop" signs

A new feature for the

Douglas County is also measuring curves to

LTAP newsletter is the

determine what their safe speeds should be. Curves are

"Spotlight". In this, we

a major concern in Douglas County - many county

introduce certain

roads are former wagon trails that were paved.

individuals and their public

Consequently, the county has many run off the road

works agency in the local

(ROR) crashes. However, Douglas County has seen a

community. This editions

significant reduction in ROR crashes since they have

"spotlight" is Keary Lord,

begun highlighting the curves. They have reduced both

the Assistant Director for

day and nighttime ROR crashes.

the Douglas County

Douglas County is currently performing a curve safety

Department of

action plan with assistance from GDOT through the

Transportation (DCDOT).

SAP program throughout the county at various curve

Douglas County used to

locations to ultimately provide drivers with a clear picture

be a rural county, but it has

of the sharpness of a curve prior to entry, warn drivers

rapidly turned suburban.

of a potentially hazardous situation, and influence

Approximately four years

drivers to reduce their speeds prior to entering the

ago, the county dissolved

curve. The study phase of this project requires the

their old public works

consultant to develop crash reduction factors (CRF) for

department and used

specific treatments to determine the costs and benefits

those resources to create a

of potential alternatives. The consultant will also

Department of

prioritize projects for implementation based on budget

Transportation. Instead of just merely maintaining

and measured CRFs.

existing public works infrastructure, they now are focused While ROR is their major problem, Mr. Lord also said

on the transportation system and the challenges that

they have implemented numerous safety improvements

result from rapid growth.

through GDOT's SAP program and also low cost safety

To accomplish this, they have:

improvements that were presented at the Intersection

1. Created a "County Safety Action Plan" as a take Safety Workshop and additional safety workshops

off from the Georgia Department of

hosted by LTAP held previously.

Transportation's Safety Action Plan Program

These improvements have been made at both

(SAP). They refer to this plan whenever they are signalized and unsignalized intersections.

given opportunities to obtain funding. For

Mr. Lord said that having CRFs has made it easier for

example, this plan is currently being referred to

him to get resources for safety. Having CRF data allows

while the county considers a new potential

him to effectively communicate the benefits of

special purpose tax and as DCDOT goes for

treatments that cost relatively little.

budget requests each year.

This CRF knowledge allows him to describe

2. Began identifying high crash locations and

proposed projects in safety terms, such as "systematic

addressing those locations with low cost safety

safety improvements" instead of "signage upgrades". It

improvements such as:

also allows the County to prioritize safety improvement

(a) Dual "Stop" Signs

projects. Describing these upgrade projects in terms of

(b) Dual "Stop Ahead" Signs

safety causes those projects to get an entirely different

(c) Rumble Strips

look.

(d) Chevrons on curves

Before joining Douglas County, Mr. Lord worked as a

(e) "Curve Ahead" signs with advisory speed

traffic engineering consultant where he had a whole set

plates

of different duties and was focused more on traffic

(f) "Hill Blocks View" signs

analysis and traffic engineering design for new

(g) "Intersection Ahead" signs with street name

construction related projects.

blades

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Resources
Videos:
1) HighwaySafety&Trees... TheDelicate Balance 2) Electrical Safety, Beware the Bite!
DVDs
1) "Bucket Trucks, Extending Your Safety" 2) "Municipal Stormwater Pollution Prevention,
Storm Watch" 3)" Good Practices: Incorporating Safety into
Resurfacing and Restoration Projects"
Compact Discs:
1) "Guidelines for the Selection of W-Beam Barrier Terminals"
2) "Pedestrian/Bicycle Safety" Resource Set 3) "Highway Safety & Trees... The Delicate
Balance"
Publications: 1) Recycling Hot-Mix Asphalt Pavements 2) NCHRPSynthesis321,RoadwaySafetyTools
for Local Agencies 3) Traffic Signal Preemption for Emergency
Vehicles, A Cross-Cutting Study 4) Signalized Intersections: Informational Guide 5) Low-Cost Treatment for Horizontal Curve
Safety - Pub. # FHWA-SA-07-002 6) Guidelines for Using Prime and Tack Coats -
Pub. # FHWA-CFL/TD-05-002 7) Context Sensitive Roadway Surfacing
Selection Guide - Pub. # FHWA-CFL/TD-05004

cont from. page 1
safety? A roundabout is a one-way, circular intersection in which traffic flows around a center island. Roundabouts are designed to meet the needs of all road users--drivers, pedestrians, pedestrians with disabilities, and bicyclists. A roundabout eliminates some of the conflicting traffic, such as left turns, which cause crashes at traditional intersections. Because roundabout traffic enters or exits only through right turns, the occurrence of severe crashes is substantially reduced. Small angle collisions that may occur as a result of a righthand turn are typically less severe than other types of collisions.
Not all circular intersections are roundabouts. Many existing traffic circles or rotaries operate under different traffic rules and have experienced operational and safety problems.
The three safety design features of a roundabout are yield control of entering traffic; channelized approaches that deflect traffic into the proper one-way, counterclockwise flow; and geometric curvature of the circular road and angles of entry to slow the speed of vehicles. These three features are critical to the success of a roundabout because they effectively decrease driving speed to typically 48 kilometers (30 miles) per hour or less.
Successful Applications: There are increasing numbers of examples of roundabouts demonstrating success in reducing crashes. A 2000 study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and several other organizations evaluated 24 intersections in California, Colorado, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, South Carolina, and Vermont before and after construction of roundabouts. The study revealed a 39-percent decrease in crashes, a 76-percent decrease in injury crashes, and a 90-percent reduction in crashes involving fatal or incapacitating injuries.
A December 2002 study of 15 single-lane roundabouts in Maryland showed a 60-percent decrease in total crash rates, an 82percent reduction in injury crash rates, a 100-percent decrease in the fatal crash rate, and a 27-percent reduction in property-damage-only (PDO) crash rates. In addition, a soon-to-be-published study by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program found that the installation of roundabouts led to a 35-percent reduction in total crashes and a 76-percent reduction in crashes causing injuries or fatalities. These are but a few examples of the safety benefits of roundabouts. There also are operational benefits from roundabouts, such as less delay and increased traffic capacity.
GaDOT Resources Please visit www.dot.state.ga.us/topps/ss/chengr/4a-2.htm for the state DOT's policy on roundabouts Additional Resources FHWA has published a comprehensive guide called Roundabouts: An Informational Guide (FHWA-RD-00-067). To order a copy of the guide, send a request to report.center@fhwa.dot.gov or visit www.tfhrc.gov/safety/ 00068.htm.

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Page 5

LTAPs New "Tailgate" Trainers

Upcoming Events

The Georgia Department of Transportation has a new program to share with local agencies.
Two new employees have been hired to provide training/technical assistance upon request at your location.
Some of the types of training that can be offered is Pavement Patching, Pavement Evaluation, Workzone Traffic Control, Low Cost Safety Improvements and others.
The new employees are James W. Markham and Wayne Swinford.
James W. Markham is a retired State of Georgia DOT employee. He has worked in Construction and Maintenance throughout his time with the Department and has experience in all aspects of asphalt paving, asphalt plants , pavement evaluation (PACES), signs and many other aspects on public works.
Wayne Swinford is also a retired State of Georgia DOT employee. He has worked in Construction and Maintenance throughout his career with experience in construction, bridge maintenance, permits and concrete construction.
Both these individuals will be available to help local agencies with questions and concerns with public works. They will be an invaluable asset to LTAP.
They have presently participated in several classes this year. They also have helped several agencies with training in pavement patching and pavement evaluation. They will also be available to teach Workzone Traffic Control, Low-Cost Safety Improvements and Intersection Safety upon request.
Be sure to welcome these two new employees to the Local Technical Assistance Program when you see them this year.

The 11th Annual Southeast Local Roads Conference is scheduled for May 13-15 at the Perdido Beach Resort in Orange Beach Alabama.
The registration fee is $150.00. You can register online at www.engce.auburn.edu/
Make plans to attend the 2007 GMA annual convention at the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center, June 2326. Register online at www.gmanet.com
Make your plans now to attend the 2007 APWA Annual Meeting July 11-15 at the Sea Palms Resort! Register online at www.georgia.apwa.net

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cont. from previous page www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/personnel/training/training_ext/index.shtml Spring 2007

Building Foundations of Highly Effective Teams

By Beverly Fontenot
A workshop, based on Steven Covey's best selling business book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, is now being offered. The workshop is designed to provide participants with the skills and training to recognize leadership characteristics, and apply success principles to business. During this two-day workshop you'll learn how to develop stronger, more satisfying relationships based on trust, communicate more effectively with others, become a more influential leader, improve overall workforce productivity and improve working relationships across functions, teams and departments.
Character is a collection of habits, and habits have a powerful role in our lives. The workshop examines 7 powerful, yet simple sets of rules for life. For many people, attending this workshop has increased their productivity and changed their life.
The seven habits consist of:
Habit 1: Be Pro-active - Principles of Personal Vision Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind - Principles of Personal Leadership Habit 3: Put First Things First - Principles of Personal Leadership Habit 4: Think Win/Win - Principles of Interpersonal Leadership Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood - Principles
of Emphatic Communication Habit 6: Synergive - Principles of Creative Cooperation Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw - Principle of Balanced Self-Renewal
This course has been offered to management in the State Department of Transportation and will be offered in Macon during the month of May this year to local agencies.
Take a look at the Calendar of Events on the next page for the dates of this course and be on the lookout for this course in other locations as well later this year. If interested, contact Beverly Fontenot at 404.463.7886 for more information.
There will be a $75.00 registration fee for this program. Upon completion of the course, 12 Professional Development Hours (pdh) will be granted.

Call LTAP at 1.800.573.6445 for information

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cont. next page Spring 2007 www.dot.state.ga.us/dot/personnel/training/training_ext/index.shtml

Page 7

Event

Calendar of Events

Sponsor/Contact

Date

Locations

Traffic Engineering
Asphalt Maintenance
Chain Saw Safety
"Hands On" Chain Saw Safety Southeast Local Roads Conference 7 Habits

LTAP/Beverly Fontenot 404.463.7886
LTAP/Beverly Fontenot 404.463.7886
LTAP/Dennis S. Rice 404.656.4664
LTAP/Dennis S. Rice 404.656.4664
LTAP/Dennis S. Rice 404.656.4664
LTAP/Beverly Fontenot

Tractor/Mower Operator
GMA Annual Convention
APWA Georgia Chapter Annual Meeting

LTAP/Beverly Fontenot 404.463.7886
LTAP/Dennis S. Rice 404.656.4664
LTAP/Dennis S. Rice 404.656.4664

May 1-2

Atlanta

May 3

Macon

May 7 May 9 May 10
May 8

Camden County Thomas County Gwinnett County
Camden County

May 13-15

Orange Beach AL

May 15-16 August 14-15 October 16-17
June 12 June 14
June 23-26

Macon Georgia TBD TBD
Forest Park Macon
Savannah

July 11-15

Sea Island

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Georgia Department of Transportation Local Technical Assistance Program 276 Memorial Drive Atlanta, GA 30303
Sponsors: Georgia Department of Transportation U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
Georgia Roads
is a technical newsletter about local roads published by the Georgia Department of Transportation Local Technical Assistance Program. It is written for Georgia's municipal and county employees who are responsible for planning and managing rural roads. All of your comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome. Please call us toll free at 1.800.573.6445.