Speaking

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) recognized significant deficiencies in two of its cable stay (CS) bridges across the Ohio River. They retained B&N to inspect, perform non-destructive testing (NDT), and generate rehabilitation plans to extend the service life and preservation of the two structures. This case study will share interesting and pertinent details of the project. The William H. Natcher CS Bridge is 4,505 feet long and 67 feet wide. It is supported by 96 stay cables connected to two identical diamond-shaped towers: each 374 feet tall. At the time of its construction in 2002, it was the United States’ longest-cable-supported bridge over an inland waterway. The William H. Harsha Bridge is 2,420 feet long, from abutment to abutment. The superstructure is supported by 80 stay cables connected to two identical H-shaped towers. The project is ongoing. 

The OVRDC is preparing a regional Electric Vehicle (EV) Readiness Plan for 11 counties in southern Ohio, representing 12% of the state’s land area but only 4% of the Ohio population. This plan will identify priority locations for siting EV public charging infrastructure and policy recommendations to support future EV demand in the region. OVRDC is developing this plan to support regional economic development objectives related to supporting growth in the travel and tourism industry.

This presentation will highlight how best practices in EV planning were adapted to help the OVRDC region prepare for future EV demand and support the region’s economic development goals. Attendees will also hear about best practices in regional EV planning, with a focus on some of the challenges specific to developing this type of plan in a rural area.

Approximately 75% of fatal crashes in Hillsborough County, Florida, occur on roads with posted speeds of 40 mph and higher. Selecting an appropriate speed when planning or designing a roadway is critical to balancing safety and mobility. Historically, speed (e.g., posted, design) selection stems from the Federal Highways Administration’s (FHWA) Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) and American Association of State Highways and Transportation Official’s (AASHTO) A Policy on Geometric Design of Highways and Streets (Greenbook) policies that rely heavily on the 85th percentile speed. However, the 85th percentile speed is based on driver behavior and is often much higher than the speed drivers SHOULD be traveling at on the roadway. As a result, both nationally and internationally, researchers and practitioners are attempting to approach speed selection differently, using context-based speed-setting approaches.

The first approach is Target speed, which is the highest speed at which vehicles should operate in a specific context. It reflects the planned or desired goal for the roadway from the long-range plan of the community it serves. Target speed often cannot be achieved in existing conditions but rather in future conditions that leverage multiple projects to achieve a desired speed through changes in roadway design, context/land use updates, and changes in user types.

The second approach is Design Speed, which is the speed at which vehicles can travel safely on the roadway and is influenced by geometric (e.g., functional classification, radii, etc.) conditions. Both speed approaches have limitations in that Target Speed is very subjective, while Design Speed is heavily focused on specific roadway design factors that can yield higher design speed selections. Hillsborough County aims to develop two methodologies to identify Target and Design Speeds for arterials and collectors. The methodologies and tools will help County staff and Practitioners provide less subjectivity when selecting Target Speeds and provide flexibility for selecting lower Design Speeds for projects on both existing and new roadways.

This presentation shares the practice in Hillsborough County to help planners and designers identify Target Speed and Design Speed with less subjectivity. Hillsborough County developed two tools to identify Target Speed and Design Speed for arterials and collectors using context-based speeding setting approaches.