Author: Brian Casey

A Clear Roads project has earned top honors among research presented by U.S. authors at the PIARC 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress, which was held last month in Calgary. The project, Defensive Driving for Snowplow Operators, was the subject of an award-winning paper presented at the conference by a Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI) research team led by principal investigator Matthew Camden.

PIARC’s U.S. National Committee selected the VTTI paper as the top entry by a U.S. author in the winter service category. The paper describes the team’s work in developing two new modules for Clear Roads’ snowplow operator training series: defensive driving and safe driving. Free for any public agency to download and customize, these training materials help operators learn to anticipate and prevent situations that can lead to snowplow crashes.

The study’s project champion, Doug McBroom of the Montana Department of Transportation, recently chatted about the project with Snow and Ice Pooled Fund Cooperative Program (SICOP) Coordinator Rick Nelson, host of AASHTO’s SICOP Talks Winter Ops podcast. Listen to their conversation on Episode 57 of the podcast.

Access the training modules: Clear Roads Training Resources

Clear Roads has prepared a listing of technical sessions and posters related to winter maintenance that were presented at the 2022 Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting. The list includes more than 15 papers and posters, with links to abstracts and presentation materials. The sessions covered a wide range of winter maintenance topics, including materials, equipment, technology and weather.

Download the list: Winter Maintenance at the 2022 TRB Annual Meeting

Note: TRB requires a login to access full papers and presentation materials. If you are having trouble accessing these materials, check with your DOT or other transportation library.

Using snowplow route optimization programs can reduce an agency’s winter maintenance costs by facilitating more efficient use of staff, equipment and materials. Developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for optimization services can be challenging and time-consuming, however.

To help expedite this process, a recently completed Clear Roads research project developed guidance on the technical requirements and key considerations for undertaking a plow route optimization program, including a contracting language template to help agencies build route optimization RFPs.

Download the final report and two-page brief: Synthesis of Technical Requirements and Considerations for Automated Snowplow Route Optimization, October 2021.

Image source: Missouri DOT

AASHTO’s SICOP Talks Winter Ops podcast recently posted several new episodes. The latest looks at how agencies manage extreme weather events:

• Winter Operations Is More than Salt and Snowplows (Episode 56): Wilf Nixon of the Professional Snowfighters Association discusses operating a roadway network in the face of a severe winter event. Topics include traffic incident management, traveler information, preemptively holding traffic, and disaster exercises. January 2022. Podcast.

Two recent podcast episodes preview the PIARC 16th World Winter Service and Road Resilience Congress, which will be held virtually next week (February 7 to 11):

• 16th World Winter Service Congress Is Coming to Calgary in 2022 (Episode 52): An event preview from conference Project Manager Nadia Lappa. October 2021. Podcast.
• Calgary 2022: What’s in It for Me? The Technical Program (Episode 55): Members of the organizing committee discuss the conference’s technical program. January 2022. Podcast.

Finally, two episodes spotlight winter maintenance in the conference’s host city of Calgary, Alberta, Canada:

• Winter Maintenance in the Chinook City—Calgary (Episode 53): Chris Hewitt, the city’s Manager of Roads Maintenance, discusses the city’s approach to winter operations in a large urban environment with unique winter weather conditions. December 2021. Podcast.
• Calgary—Adapting to Winter Service Challenges (Episode 54): A conversation with Troy McLeod, the city’s Director of Roads, about how the city has adapted to challenges including changing weather patterns, changes in mobility needs, and new travel patterns brought on by the pandemic. December 2021. Podcast.

Image source: City of Calgary, Alberta

Clear Roads has published its seventh Annual Survey of State Winter Maintenance Data, which compiles data on winter resources, materials and costs from 36 states for the 2020-2021 winter season. The interactive spreadsheet-based tool includes a United States map that displays many of these metrics.

New this year is the inclusion of statewide averages for winter severity. The tool includes seven years of data, and displays averages and changes across winter seasons. See the project page.

For many transportation agencies, a new federal rule will mean changes to the way they train equipment operators who need to obtain or upgrade a commercial driver’s license (CDL). To help agencies comply with the new requirements, Clear Roads has developed entry-level CDL training materials for instructor-led classroom and behind-the-wheel training.

Available as a free download for any state or local public agency, the training materials focus on operators who are obtaining an initial Class B CDL, upgrading from a Class B CDL to a Class A CDL, or obtaining the hazardous materials endorsement for the first time. The materials include a fact sheet and timeline to help agencies achieve compliance by the February 2022 deadline.

For more information and to request the free materials, see the project page.

Image source: Indiana DOT

As temperatures drop, industry magazines are turning their focus to winter maintenance. Clear Roads research features prominently in two of them this fall:

• “Steering Clear of Crashes“: Clear Roads’ safe and defensive driving training materials are featured in the October issue of APWA Reporter.
• “Can You Hold the Salt?“: Clear Roads research on alternative methods for deicing is spotlighted in the September issue of Roads & Bridges.

In preparation for the season, winter maintenance crews from across the country demonstrated their skills at the annual National Snow Roadeo in September, with a four-person team from the Idaho Transportation Department taking home the national team title. Congrats to all the winners!

Finding and keeping skilled, dedicated highway maintenance workers has become increasingly challenging for state and local transportation agencies.

To help agencies navigate today’s employment landscape, a recently completed Clear Roads research project created a comprehensive guide of innovative, practical strategies for attracting and retaining new winter maintenance employees. Case studies cover recruitment programs, retention strategies, recruiting younger workers and those from underrepresented groups, and program improvements.