1
00:00:07,330 --> 00:00:10,050
- [Instructor] Work zones
can be confusing places

2
00:00:10,050 --> 00:00:12,590
especially for first-time drivers

3
00:00:12,590 --> 00:00:14,700
of that particular roadway.

4
00:00:14,700 --> 00:00:16,680
And to make things more difficult,

5
00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:19,230
work zones often create conditions

6
00:00:19,230 --> 00:00:22,490
where large guide signs are not feasible.

7
00:00:22,490 --> 00:00:25,450
This project, which
included a driver survey,

8
00:00:25,450 --> 00:00:28,270
is designed to make work zones safer.

9
00:00:28,270 --> 00:00:29,900
- Often the overhead guide signs

10
00:00:29,900 --> 00:00:33,160
are some of the first signs
that are pulled up or taken away

11
00:00:33,160 --> 00:00:35,660
to make room for the construction.

12
00:00:35,660 --> 00:00:38,320
Usually a lane widening
or something like that.

13
00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,160
And bringing that information
onto temporary signs

14
00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:42,850
can be challenging.

15
00:00:42,850 --> 00:00:44,670
When there's permanent
guide signs present,

16
00:00:44,670 --> 00:00:47,920
they usually do a relatively
good job of guiding motorists.

17
00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:49,340
And when those signs come down,

18
00:00:49,340 --> 00:00:52,190
the signs that replace them are
usually pretty well-designed

19
00:00:52,190 --> 00:00:54,990
but often because of a
lack of space or right way

20
00:00:54,990 --> 00:00:56,810
during the construction project,

21
00:00:56,810 --> 00:00:59,300
those signs get moved onto the shoulders.

22
00:00:59,300 --> 00:01:01,650
And so whether or not
people can actually see

23
00:01:01,650 --> 00:01:04,750
all the signs they need to see,
that's really wasn't known.

24
00:01:04,750 --> 00:01:07,110
And that's part of what we
looked at in this project.

25
00:01:07,110 --> 00:01:09,680
- The guide signs are for
the unfamiliar motorists.

26
00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:12,280
So if somebody's driving
that roadway every day,

27
00:01:12,280 --> 00:01:14,220
they'd take that route to work,

28
00:01:14,220 --> 00:01:15,750
that's not gonna be an issue for them.

29
00:01:15,750 --> 00:01:18,330
But it's the unfamiliar motorist.

30
00:01:18,330 --> 00:01:21,980
We have specific
requirements for guide signs

31
00:01:21,980 --> 00:01:25,530
in terms of where they are
in proximity to the exit,

32
00:01:25,530 --> 00:01:29,264
how far in advance, the type of font,

33
00:01:29,264 --> 00:01:30,411
the size of the font,

34
00:01:30,411 --> 00:01:32,560
the amount of legend that
goes on the guide signs.

35
00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:37,010
And there's limited guidance
on temporary guide signs

36
00:01:37,010 --> 00:01:39,370
in work zones or in construction zones.

37
00:01:39,370 --> 00:01:41,380
- We visited over 20 work zones,

38
00:01:41,380 --> 00:01:44,660
and we did positive guidance
assessments in each work zone

39
00:01:44,660 --> 00:01:47,430
to check and make sure
all the necessary signs

40
00:01:47,430 --> 00:01:49,050
that are described

41
00:01:49,050 --> 00:01:51,980
in the Manual for Uniform
traffic Control Devices.

42
00:01:51,980 --> 00:01:54,000
Did they conform with those guidelines?

43
00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:55,860
Did they help people to find their way

44
00:01:55,860 --> 00:01:58,190
to the exit that they wanted to get to?

45
00:01:58,190 --> 00:02:01,360
And we developed a survey
to gather information

46
00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:02,540
from motorists.

47
00:02:02,540 --> 00:02:05,460
So all of that information
was taken into account

48
00:02:05,460 --> 00:02:09,150
to sort of bullet list
problems that we saw

49
00:02:09,150 --> 00:02:11,230
or things that needed to be investigated

50
00:02:11,230 --> 00:02:12,730
in the second part of the research.

51
00:02:12,730 --> 00:02:16,300
- I think the way we're
gonna move forward with this,

52
00:02:16,300 --> 00:02:20,570
is we do have a document, a work zone,

53
00:02:20,570 --> 00:02:23,050
safety and mobility plan.

54
00:02:23,050 --> 00:02:28,050
And we're looking at
adding some if not all

55
00:02:28,290 --> 00:02:30,650
the recommendations from
this research report

56
00:02:30,650 --> 00:02:32,610
to that document.

57
00:02:32,610 --> 00:02:33,700
- [Instructor] For more information

58
00:02:33,700 --> 00:02:36,270
and to find the publications
for this project,

59
00:02:36,270 --> 00:02:39,130
please visit the textile research library

60
00:02:39,130 --> 00:02:40,653
at the link shown below.