Transportation Association of Canada. Pooled Fund Projects In Progress

Transcription

1 Transportation Association of Canada Pooled Fund Projects In Progress April 2015

2 Table of Contents Table of Contents... 1 Introduction... 2 Funding Partners... 3 Project Timelines... 4 Best Management Practices for Compliance with the Migratory Bird Convention Act and Regulations (Phase I)... 5 Canadian Model Rules of the Road Update... 8 Canadian Roundabout Design Guide Design, Construction, Maintenance and Inspection Guide for Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls Design and Implementation of Public Transit Services: Guidelines for Communities Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads-New Edition Low Volume Roads Load Management Practices Moving Smarter Exploring Solutions for Canadian Cities National Guidelines for Work Zone Safety in Canada Synthesis of Asset Management Best Practices in Canada Traffic Monitoring Practices Guide for Canadian Provinces and Municipalities Urban Transportation Indicators Fifth Survey Wider Pavement Markings for Standard Applications Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

3 Introduction The Transportation Association of Canada provides a fertile environment for the development and conduct of cooperative projects by providing: a variety of fora for transportation professionals to share perspectives and identify projects or issues of mutual interest, a network of leading experts in the transportation sector to contribute to or validate projects, an institutional mechanism for pooling resources, contracting and managing collaborative initiatives, professional staff to manage or undertake projects, and a recognized, credible "name" in the Canadian and international transportation community. Projects conducted through TAC can be designed to exploit some or all of the preceding assets. TAC's role in the project can range from a "full service" approach (including consultant contracting, project management, accounting, production and publication) to a more limited role (eg. assembling and managing pooled funding) for some projects not bearing the TAC name. At any one point in time, TAC has numerous projects in process covering a broad range of topics. Projects are considered to be in development if they have received support in principle from relevant council(s) and are considered by the TAC Board of Directors or its Executive Committee to conform to TAC policies. While in development, funding partners are sought and some preliminary research work may be conducted by TAC secretariat staff. Information about projects in development and seeking funding is available on TAC s website at Projects are considered to be in progress once sufficient funding has been secured to cover all costs associated with the conduct of the project (including consultant assignments, project management and translation of all or part of the project deliverables). As of April 2015, 13 projects, supported by over 40 different funding partners, are in progress. These projects are described in the following pages. More information on the projects can be obtained by referring to the TAC website or by contacting the staff person identified for each project. Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

4 Pooled Fund Projects in Progress TAC Members (Federal) Transport Canada TAC Members (Prov./Terr.) Alberta British Columbia Manitoba New Brunswick Nova Scotia Newfoundland and Labrador Northwest Territories Ontario Prince Edward Island Québec Saskatchewan TAC Members (Municipal) Yukon Calgary Cambridge Edmonton Guelph Halifax Kelowna Mississauga Moncton Montreal Ottawa Region of Peel Ville de Quebec Saskatoon Toronto Vancouver Region of Waterloo TAC Members (Other) Winnipeg York Altlantic Industries LTD. ATS Traffic Group Cdn Society Civil Engineering Cement Association of Canada ICBC Peter Kiewit Infrastructure Co. Other Transoft TransLink Nova Scotia Dept of Energy GDG Reserve Fund Union municipalites Quebec BMPs for Compliance with Migratory Bird Convention Act and Regulations Canadian Model Rules of the Road Update Canadian Roundabout Design Guide Guidelines Communities re Transit Services Funding Partners Geometric Design Guide Rewrite Low Volume Roads - Load Management Practices Total Committed Funds $127,500 $39,000 $182,000 $103,000 $1,223,743 $123,000 $154,000 $11,995 $164,254 $165,500 $157,500 $195,716 $67,500 Moving Smarter - Exploring Solutions MSE Walls National Synthesis of Guidelines for Asset Work Zone Management Safety Practices Traffic Monitoring Practices Guide Urban Transportatio n Indicators 5th Survey Wider Pavement Markings Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

5 Project Timelines Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

6 Best Management Practices for Compliance with the Migratory Bird Convention Act and Regulations (Phase I) Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Environmental Protection Environmental Issues Management Standing Committee / Environmental Advisory and Legislation Standing Committee Environmental Council Start Date: December 2014 Expected Completion: April 2015 Research Agency: TBD Over the past decade, various approaches to applying the provisions of the Migratory Bird Convention Act and Regulations were considered by the federal government. In 2010, it was determined that new permitting provisions in regulation to allow limited take of migratory birds in certain circumstances would not be further considered at this time. Permitting was being considered where avoidance guidelines had been followed and where permit conditions supported migratory bird conservation. Environment Canada (Canadian Wildlife Services) has since sought to encourage proponents responsible for infrastructure and other sectors where a risk of incidental take exists, to develop beneficial management plans (best management practices) in consultation with the Canadian Wildlife Service. The purpose of the first phase is to produce a synthesis of best management practices for compliance with the Migratory Birds Convention Act and Regulations from a wide range of sectors (transportation, utilities, oil and gas, etc.) that would be aligned with direction from the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS). The synthesis is expected to provide the foundation for carrying out the second phase in the project which will involve the development of a national-level transportation sector specific guidance on compliance with the Migratory Birds Convention Act and Regulations. Key tasks in the project will include: To perform research on current and acceptable approaches to meet the intent of the Migratory Bird Convention Act and Regulations used in various jurisdictions in Canada and in the United States as the co-signatory to the Convention; To gather information on common activities across related sectors that affect migratory birds, their eggs and nests and reasonable mitigation measures currently used or considered for future use; To consult with the Canadian Wildlife Service to receive feedback on the proposed practices; To prepare a synthesis of best management practices currently in use in transportation and other operations including rail, forestry, electricity, gas and oil; To develop a national-level approach for implementation of best management plans for dealing with migratory birds, nests and eggs; Testing of the approach by development of a best management plan for one of the following areas of interest: o o Structural maintenance and rehabilitation Land clearing, forestry and vegetation management Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

7 Deliverables for the project will be a synthesis of transportation and related sectors best management practices for protecting migratory birds as well a supporting practical tool for implementing recommended practices. Status: Staff Contact: Consultant selection process is underway. Luay Mustafa Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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9 Canadian Model Rules of the Road Update Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Traffic Operations and Management Road safety Traffic Operations and Management Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: October 2014 Expected Completion: April 2016 Research Agency: TBD In 1996 TAC, with the Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA), published the Canadian Model Rules of the Road. The document serves as a reference guide for professionals who are responsible for preparing the legislation that governs the use of Canadian roadway facilities. The document presents a generic set of traffic rules that a road user must know and observe while using the road system. Among the elements described are traffic control devices, overtaking and passing, use of roadway, lanes, headway, right-of-way, pedestrians, turns, driver signals, special stops, speed restrictions, parking and motorcycles. Since 1996, the emergence of modern roundabouts and traffic calming, the increased popularity of active transportation modes, and changes in traffic control issues particularly with respect to transit, dictate that the Canadian Model Rules of the Road needs to be reviewed and updated. The project objective is to review the Canadian Model Rules of the Road and update the document in accordance with current legislation governing the use of roadways in Canada. The major deliverable of this project will be a revised edition of the Canadian Model Rules of the Road suitable for publication. Related TAC Publications: Status: Staff Contact: Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada Consultant selection process is underway. Sandra Majkic Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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11 Canadian Roundabout Design Guide Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Roundabouts Geometric Design Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: February 2013 Expected Completion: September 2015 Research Agency: Hatch Mott MacDonald In recent years, a proliferation of roundabouts has been observed throughout Canada. To date, there is no single source of guidance about the design, construction, operation, and maintenance of roundabouts that is available for all Canadian practitioners. Each area of the country has chosen to take guidance from a variety of sources including the use of guidelines from other countries. The objective of this project would be to develop a Canadian Roundabout Design Guide as a companion document to the Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads. Work will include: a review of current practices to identify the design, operation and safety guidance being used by jurisdictions across Canada, a review of other applicable sources of design, operation and safety guidance not currently being used in Canada, a review of current research about roundabouts, and compilation of research and practices towards the development of a national roundabout design guide. The major deliverable of this project will be a Canadian Roundabout Design Guide, to be published by TAC in English and French. Related TAC Publications: Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads (1999) Synthesis of North American Roundabout Practice (2008) Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Craig Stackpole Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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13 Design, Construction, Maintenance and Inspection Guide for Mechanically Stabilized Earth Walls Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Structural design, geotechnical design, construction, asset management Structures Standing Committee Soils and Materials Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: December 2014 Expected Completion: September 2016 Research Agency: TBD Several thousand mechanically stabilized earth (MSE) walls have been installed in Canada over the past several decades. There is growing concern among owners of these walls regarding who retains ultimate responsibility of the wall for structural and geotechnical design, material considerations, inspection during construction, asset management and repairs. There is currently no Code authority in Canada which addresses these concerns and owners rely heavily on international resources to assist in guiding them to an end product and beyond. Since most of these systems are of a proprietary nature, there are significant concerns with which agency has ultimate responsibility if significant construction or performance issues or failures arise The objective of this project will be to collaborate with various owners, designers and industry partners to develop a synthesis of the steps required in order to properly guide stakeholders, owners and designers in the selection of backfill materials, requirements for geotechnical investigation and design, structural design, construction inspection, overall asset management and in-service repair procedures. It will also be important to identify the lines of responsibility for fabrication, installation, geotechnical and drainage considerations, long term performance targets, life cycle costs, etc. It may also include information for owners and designers on basic considerations which may have significantly issues. The project will commence with a literature review of existing codes, MSE wall design manuals, guides, best practices and other existing MSE wall information. Surveys will be conducted of MSE wall owners to determine pertinent issues and to develop a synthesis of best and worst practices with relevant illustrations. These results will be combined with guidance from geotechnical experts to identify issues related to geotechnical, surface and sub-surface drainage, and backfill material design. Liaison with industry representatives is also expected to obtain their perspectives related to the issues owners and designers face. The major deliverable for this project will be a synthesis of best practices along with some guidance from geotechnical and structural design experts and industry. Further development of a national MSE wall design and construction guide may follow. Status: Staff Contact: Consultant selection process is underway. Craig Stackpole Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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15 Design and Implementation of Public Transit Services: Guidelines for Communities Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Public transit Urban transportation planning Transportation Planning and Research Standing Committee Urban Transportation Council Start Date: December 2013 Expected Completion: September 2015 Research Agency: Steer Davies Gleave Population growth in municipalities and a recognized need for more sustainable transportation systems has resulted in renewed interest in the introduction of new and expanded public transit services in Canadian communities of all sizes. A community contemplating the introduction of public transit must assess the range of possible service options and select an approach that is most appropriate for the community s existing and future land use patterns, that considers the municipality s financial capacity, and that meets the access and mobility needs of its residents. While a review of approaches and best practices in the design and delivery of public transit services is needed to inform municipal planners, administrators and decision makers, it is important that municipal planning decisions support the development and utilization of public transit investments. Established planning principles such as transit-oriented design and employment land use design (location, density, mix, accessibility) have a direct effect on transportation behaviour. Such planning principles are well defined and illustrated in Transit-Supportive Guidelines (Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 2012), which are generally applicable across Canada and will be complementary to this study. This work will complement efforts of the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) to implement its Transit Vision 2040, in particular those elements related to developing transit services that support sustainable communities. The major deliverable will be a document that could be used by municipalities to: Prepare and implement a plan of transit service development that is most appropriate for the community s existing and future demographics and land use patterns, that considers the municipality s financial capacity, and that meets the access and mobility needs of its residents. Implement planning and land use strategies that support the development and utilization of public transit investments. Tasks will include: Review of current approaches and best practices in the design and delivery of public transit services for different sizes of communities, varying mobility needs (people with disabilities, seniors, parents with young children, etc.) and for different land use patterns and development densities within communities (rural, suburban, urban). Identification and definition of the range of transit service operation models and their most appropriate applications to meet the full range of mobility needs of the community (i.e. specialized demand-responsive door-to-door service, hybrid community buses (customized fixed-routes with diversions), conventional fixed-route service, customized services for specific destinations (e.g. schools, colleges, major employment centres) or some form of higher-order transit, such as service with on-street transit priority measures or a form of bus rapid transit. Identification of the range of operational and administrative functions required to implement and Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

16 operate transit (i.e. fare collection, passenger information, stops/stations, vehicle maintenance, options for operations, management structure governance, etc.). Guidelines for estimating capital and operating costs for typical approaches and service levels, including potential sources of capital and operating funding. A method to identify the most appropriate transit service models for different combinations of community size and development density. The final product is intended for use by planners, decision makers and other stakeholders in communities that either have public transportation in place or are contemplating public transportation for the first time. Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Luay Mustafa Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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18 Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads-New Edition Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Geometric Design Geometric Design Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: February 2013 Expected Completion: September 2016 Research Agency: MMM Group with Stantec Consulting TAC s Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads (the Guide) is a fundamental reference document for roadway design practitioners in Canada. First released in 1963, the Guide has contributed to the consistent and safe development and expansion of regional, provincial, and national roadway and highway systems in Canada. These systems were pivotal as modern society adopted automobiles as a mode of transportation. As demand for the automobile grew so did the demand for systems to effectively respond to increasing demands. This shift was also evident as goods and services began to shift and grow from railway systems to trucks. Since then, development in Canada has continued to evolve with dramatic shifts towards urban centres where roadway systems are increasingly constrained and serve multiple modes of transportation (vehicles, pedestrians, cyclists, transit vehicles, etc.). Geometric design practices in Canada continue to rapidly evolve as the body of knowledge continues to advance nationally and internationally (e.g., new design consistency models, roadside barrier warrants, etc.). These new trends and technical issues are the subject of ongoing discussion amongst Canadian practitioners who continue to identify issues and topics to be included or considered for inclusion in the Guide. Beyond these tightly focused technical issues, emerging issues have been constantly monitored and the need to address these issues as well as provide the adequate guidance to practitioners has been identified. Those include, but are not limited to: context sensitive design, active transportation modes, increasing use of modern roundabouts, contribution of human factor science, advances in vehicle technologies allowing more automation of the driving task up to and including self-driving vehicles, continuing trend towards larger and longer truck-trailer combinations and other large loads etc. The objective of this project is to prepare a new edition of the TAC Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads. It is intended that the new Guide will be a practical, easy to read document that can be used on a regular basis by practitioners that are designing, building, rehabilitating and managing roads. The 1999 Guide will serve as a base for the work to be undertaken and will be revised, updated and supplemented with new information as required. Related TAC Publications: Geometric Design Guide for Canadian Roads (1999) Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Sandra Majkic Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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20 Low Volume Roads Load Management Practices Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Pavement design and load management Pavements Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: August 2014 Expected Completion: April 2016 Research Agency: Tetra Tech EBA Almost all Canadian provinces restrict truck axle weights to varying extents during the spring thaw period. This results in an extra hauling cost for the trucking industry. The extra energy consumption also results in environmental pollution. On the other hand, several provinces allow trucks to carry extra weight during the winter months. The weight limit, methods used to trigger the start, end and duration of the spring load restriction and winter premium periods vary among Canadian jurisdictions. The varying load limits and durations may hinder the route and load management for interprovincial truck traffic. The TAC Pavements and Soils and Materials Standing Committees have identified issues including a lack of pavement design procedures that specifically address very low truck volume roads, continued industry pressure for variations to weights and tire configurations, the lack of a robust mechanistic-based analysis procedure for identifying the need for weight restrictions, the impacts of varying weights on such roads, and others. A brief survey of low volume road pavement design and load management practices in Canada was conducted at the end of 2011 to determine the current state of practices. The survey indicated that there is a need for a load management best practice guide. Accordingly, this project is intended to synthesize the state of practice in transportation agencies and provide guidance for possible enhancements. Future work could examine the potential for harmonization of load management practices among Canadian jurisdictions. The project will involve review and assessment of the current practices and research to: Manage seasonal weights including the selection of roads, weight limits, methods used to determine dates of the spring restrictions and winter weight premiums. Provide recommendations to identify a pavement structure as requiring spring load restrictions. Summarize the mechanistic responses of weak pavements including the seasonal variation and the impact on pavement service life. Recommend how pavement designs can be adjusted to optimize the economic aspect of weight restrictions and premiums. Synthesize relevant technology that is available to manage the seasonal loadings. Project deliverables will include a final report in English and in French. Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Luay Mustafa Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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22 Moving Smarter Exploring Solutions for Canadian Cities Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Environmental quality, greenhouse gases Sustainable Transportation Standing Committee Urban Transportation Council Start Date: February 2014 Expected Completion: September 2015 Research Agency: AECOM Over the past decade, many governments in Canada have identified ambitious targets for reducing energy use and/or greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Since transportation accounts for about one-third of all energy consumed in Canada, significant changes to transportation behavior, modal shares and technology are necessary to achieve the targets. This project aims to help municipalities understand the available options for reducing energy consumed for transportation and the associated GHG emissions. The following are objectives of this project: - Help participating municipalities identify locally relevant best practices, measures and approaches to reduce energy consumption, GHG emissions and mitigate congestion from urban transportation. - Provide a framework whereby municipalities can explore the benefits and costs of innovative transportation options that could enhance the regional and municipal planning processes aimed at reducing GHG emissions as well as achieving broader sustainability and efficiency goals - Inventory data gaps that need to be filled in order to better evaluate options to reduce energy use from transportation - Provide recommendations on collaborative solutions to improve measurement and data collection methods of the municipal transportation planning process. - Share and leverage the technical knowledge that many cities are already undertaking in the areas of climate change mitigation and transportation energy efficiency planning. The project will examine all major modes of urban transportation addressed through government planning processes, focusing on passenger cars and light trucks, public transit, active transportation, and truck traffic. Other modes such as rail, air and marine can also be addressed to give a more complete picture of the overall energy use. The project will exclude the international movement of both passengers and freight. This is a unique project that would solicit participation from about 15 municipalities across Canada representing a variety of geographies and sizes of urban areas. The project will be conducted in both official languages and all relevant materials will be made available in both English and French. Participating agencies would be expected to actively represent their urban area and commit to the following: - Help develop the overall project framework - Participate in a few focused webinars and one in-person workshop that will be facilitated by the consultant - Assemble necessary data - Provide staff resources to develop and quantify locally- specific strategies - Agree to releasing jurisdictional-specific results for presentation in an overall summary report A consultant team will be responsible for the following tasks: Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

23 - Develop a project work plan, schedule and recommendations for municipalities on their internal team structures and related required resources - Discuss the issues around energy consumption and GHG emissions from the municipal perspective - Conduct a detailed literature review - Provide a high-level and illustrative back casting perspective on GHG emissions and energy consumption of the transportation sector for Assemble baseline contextual data and appropriate targets - Research and identify available supporting tools that could be used to help evaluate the GHG potential of initiatives. Identify the purpose of such model(s) and data requirements that are necessary to use the model. - Provide technical assistance to participating municipalities in the area of energy and GHG emissions impact analysis with the goal of promoting consistency in assumptions and approaches by cities At the conclusion of the project, the consultant will assemble a report summarizing the webinar and workshop discussions and outcomes and identify key strategies that emerged. Finally, a briefing, intended for practitioners and decision-makers, based on the project will be prepared and presented during a TAC annual conference. Related TAC Publications: Highway Asset Management Systems: A Primer (1999) Measuring and Reporting Highway Asset Value, Condition and Performance (2001) Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Craig Stackpole Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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25 National Guidelines for Work Zone Safety in Canada Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Work Zone Safety Road Safety Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: August 2014 Expected Completion: April 2016 Research Agency: MORR Transportation Consulting Road user expectations and workload play a significant role in work zone safety performance. However, current work zone safety policies, regulations, and practices vary by jurisdiction across Canada. Although many jurisdictions have developed internal guidelines for addressing work zone safety concerns, these guidelines were not developed in accordance with any national platform due to the lack of national guidelines in Canada. Further, issues specific to vulnerable road users (i.e., pedestrians, cyclists, motorcyclists, etc.) are often neglected or not fully addressed. In general, work zones experience an increase in collision frequency, rate, and severity. The goal of this project would be to develop guidelines to promote and facilitate consistent work zone practice across Canada for different environments (rural/urban/suburban, summer/winter, day/night, etc.), road classes, both typical operating speeds (without the work zone) and desired operating speeds (during the work zone with and without workers on site), traffic volumes and composition (i.e., motorcycles, commercial vehicles, etc.), user age groups, adjacent land use, temporary/variable pavement conditions (e.g., tire friction and contact area with different surfaces for automobiles, scooters, motorcycles, etc.), and length and duration of the work zone. Road user (including motorists and vulnerable road users) workload and expectations will be integral parts of the guidelines. The main two tasks of this project would be to: a) identify and address gaps in practice in Canada; and b) develop a resource to promote and facilitate national consistency concerning traffic and vulnerable road users, management planning, incident management and documentation, work zone safety audits (preand during work zone), and access management/detours (including accommodation of vulnerable road users). Major deliverables of this project will be the development of a stand-alone document, National Guidelines for Work Zone Safety in Canada. Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Craig Stackpole Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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27 Synthesis of Asset Management Best Practices in Canada Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Asset Management Asset Management Task Force Chief Engineers Council Start Date: October 2013 Expected Completion: September 2015 Research Agency ARA/GHD Over the past ten to fifteen years, the implementation of asset management practices among transportation agencies has become widespread. Many resources have been published that describe the benefits of asset management principles and tools to optimize the investments of an owner when managing assets. While general asset management guidelines and steps to take have been identified, a description of the most practical suggestions to achieve success and avoid pitfalls, from a Canadian point of view, would be a practical resource. The objective of this project is to develop a synthesis of asset management best practices in Canada. Building on a recent survey of transportation asset management in Canadian provinces and municipalities using the Infrastructure Management Maturity Model (IM 3 ), the synthesis will share asset management information for each stage of implementation. The IM 3 is a tool which measures an organization s capability in asset management against industry practices according to six different stages. The Canadian focus of this synthesis will provide agencies with information from others who share similar funding, climatic, and economic constraints which may differ from agencies in other countries. Sharing successes and challenges with transportation asset management may enhance practices in agencies that are more mature in asset management and will be of significant benefit to those agencies with less experience to develop asset management practices more quickly and successfully. A major focus of this project will be identifying the transportation asset management practices that are actively being used by Canadian jurisdictions, as well as their experiences, lessons learned and effectiveness. This information will provide the basis for recommendations about best practices to move forward and improve the effectiveness of asset management in Canadian agencies. The final project deliverable will be a synthesis of asset management best practices in Canada, published in English and French. Related TAC Publications: Highway Asset Management Systems: A Primer (1999) Measuring and Reporting Highway Asset Value, Condition and Performance (2001) Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Luay Mustafa Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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29 Traffic Monitoring Practices Guide for Canadian Provinces and Municipalities Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Asset management, traffic monitoring Asset Management Task Force Chief Engineers Council Start Date: December 2013 Expected Completion: October 2016 Research Agency: MORR Transportation Consulting Provincial and municipal transportation agencies implement traffic monitoring programs to provide information to support transportation planning, engineering, and management. In addition, it serves the traffic information needs of engineering consultants, private enterprises, the police, and members of the general public. Traffic monitoring programs provide fundamental inputs for: designing and managing road infrastructure (pavements and bridges); analyzing and improving road safety performance; designing road geometry and analyzing traffic operations; measuring the efficiency of the transport system as a whole, and improving the productivity of components within the system; road network planning and asset management through strategic investments, construction programming, and maintenance activities; understanding the energy, fuel, and emissions impacts of transportation; defining regulations for the use of the road system and the enforcement of those regulations; enhancing the modal diversity of freight and passenger transport; providing equitable access to the transportation system, particularly concerning citizens and businesses in northern or remote communities; and establishing charges and fees for the use of road infrastructure. The need for consistent, reliable, and increasingly detailed traffic information to support a wide range of transportation decisions will continue to grow as analytical methods and technologies improve to enable more comprehensive monitoring capabilities. There is a growing need to integrate data from a variety of sources, including traditional traffic monitoring technologies (e.g., manual counts, tube counts, loop counts, classification technologies, and weigh-in-motion devices), on-board monitoring technologies (i.e., GPS) that provide information on travel patterns for passenger vehicles and trucks, traffic sensors used to support real-time incident management, and manual surveys which broaden the understanding of road user demographics. The breadth of transportation analyses and decision-making undertaken by transportation agencies demands more detailed information about truck movements (particularly to support infrastructure design and management) and the travel patterns of active transportation users (especially pedestrians and cyclists). Transportation agencies increasingly use performance measurement programs to guide decisions and promote responsibility and accountability. Typically, traffic data (e.g., annual average daily traffic, vehicle-kilometres travelled) are fundamental parameters required by these programs, and insofar as performance indicators are used for cross-jurisdictional comparisons (province to province or Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

30 municipality to province), consistency and transparency in the methods used to generate traffic information are imperative. As agencies adapt to these and other demands, there is benefit in synthesizing traffic monitoring best practices from a uniquely Canadian perspective. This will assist agencies with upgrading their traffic monitoring programs, and may ultimately culminate in more consistent, nationally-relevant guidance for monitoring traffic. Major tasks of this project are to: Conducting a comprehensive review of literature in the field of traffic monitoring, including major guidance documents currently being used in North America, any relevant guidance currently available from Canadian provinces or municipalities and references from scientific and engineering journals and conferences. The review should focus on documents published since (e.g., the newly-updated U.S. Traffic Monitoring Guide, guidelines published by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials); Surveying Canadian provincial, territorial and urban municipalities concerning their current traffic monitoring practices. The survey to include but not limited to (1) details of the current data collection procedures (e.g., equipment inventory, network coverage, data elements, classification algorithms); (2) details about data processing methods (e.g., screening techniques, quality assurance/quality control practices, software use); (3) details about data analysis methods (e.g., development and use of expansion factors, traffic pattern groups, classification data); and (4) details about data dissemination (e.g., users needs, reporting frequency, dissemination methods). Developing a detailed inventory and characterization of conventional and emerging technologies used for traffic monitoring in rural and urban areas. This task will draw on the findings of the literature review and jurisdictional survey, and should be supplemented with information gained through targeted interviews with leading equipment vendors in North America. Synthesizing the findings from the literature review, jurisdictional survey, and technology inventory towards the development of a national traffic monitoring practices guide, highlighting successful experiences and lessons learned. The final deliverable of this project will be a traffic monitoring practices guide for Canadian provinces and municipalities. The guide is expected to provide national-level guidance on traffic monitoring. Status: Staff Contact: Work is in progress. Luay Mustafa Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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32 Urban Transportation Indicators Fifth Survey Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Urban transportation planning Transportation Planning and Research Standing Committee Urban Transportation Council Start Date: January 2013 Expected Completion: September 2015 Research Agency: David Kriger Consultants The fifth Urban Transportation Indicators (UTI) Survey will be the latest in a series of surveys that have, individually and collectively, provided an important picture of transportation behaviour and trends in Canadian urban areas. The overall goal of this survey program is to build a consistent and reliable database about urban transportation and develop indicators for Canadian municipalities and transportation stakeholders. This project will build on TAC s four previous UTI surveys, conducted in 1995, 1999, 2003 and The fifth survey will be based on reference year 2011, based upon the data collected during the 2011 Canadian Census and National Household Survey. Prior to conducting the fifth survey, a first phase of this project will be a comprehensive review of the linkages between indicators and source data to ensure the survey methodology, level of effort required by study participants and the results obtained are consistent with the various stakeholders expectations and can be sustained over the longer term planning horizon for the survey. In conducting the fifth UTI survey, collaboration of representatives of each of the 33 Canadian census metropolitan areas (CMAs) will be critical to success. Work led by the consultant and project steering committee will include the following steps: Establish key geography for all metropolitan areas. Examine issues associated with CMAs and urban units having changing boundaries over time. Investigate ways to better account for the geographic variability that exists for many transportation indicators within the largest CMAs. Obtain and process all the higher level data and commercial sourced data as needed for the UTI study. Develop and issue surveys to participating municipalities and manage data collection. In larger urban areas, coordination across many municipalities, agencies and levels of jurisdiction will also be necessary to ensure data quality and consistency. Process and analyse all the data, including under a time-series perspective of the new streamlined indicators. A major deliverable of this project will be the UTI Survey Database, which will integrate data from the fifth survey as well as previous surveys. A technical report will be published, in English and French, to accompany the database. A briefing will also be prepared that provides an overview of the project and the survey results. Related TAC Publications: Status: Staff Contact: Urban Transportation Indicators Survey series Work is in progress. Craig Stackpole Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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34 Wider Pavement Markings for Standard Applications Research Area: Responsible Committee: Responsible Council: Traffic management Road safety Traffic Operations and Management Standing Committee Chief Engineers Council Start Date: June 2011 Expected Completion: September 2017 Research Agency: De Leur Consulting Ltd It is suggested that visibility of longitudinal pavement markings may be enhanced if jurisdictions used the upper line width limit of 150 mm. Providing an increased longitudinal pavement marking area (and thus greater visibility) will likely be of particular benefit to aging drivers. Therefore, there is a need to investigate whether the longitudinal line visibility would be increased if minimum line width was 150mm. The major objective of this project would be to investigate the applicability and potential benefits of using wider longitudinal pavement markings and determine if 150 mm would be an appropriate minimum line width for centerlines and/or edge lines. Based on the findings, national guidelines for the application of wider longitudinal pavement markings in Canada will be developed and amendments to the MUTCDC will be prepared as necessary. Tasks will include: Review of existing research studies on the use of wider longitudinal pavement markings to evaluate their usage for standard applications. Survey on existing practices and experiences from jurisdictions in Canada and selected North American jurisdictions where wider pavement markings are used. Development of a strategy/framework and conduct of a pilot before and after study for wider pavement applications. Formulating a set of detailed guidelines that should be used when applying wider longitudinal pavement markings in Canadian jurisdictions, including such considerations as: minimum line lengths, use of wider line for all pavement markings on a given section, etc. Identifying and preparing the necessary changes to the MUTCDC. Major deliverables of this project will be guidelines for applying wider longitudinal pavement markings in Canada and recommended revisions to the MUTCDC to reflect those guidelines. Related TAC Publications: Status: Staff Contact: Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Canada Work is in progress. Sandra Majkic Pooled Fund Projects in Progress, April

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