Background
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Work Zone Safety Grant Program was established in 2005 through Section 1409 of the Safe Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU). This initial 4-year, $20 million program provided funds to nonprofit and not-for-profit organizations to develop guidelines and provide training to prevent and reduce work zone injuries and fatalities. In years since, and most recently under 2016’s Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, additional funds have been allocated to continue the Grant Program, totaling more than $40 million as of 2017. The three grant emphasis areas include:
- (Area 1) Training for construction workers;
- (Area 2) Development of guidelines to help improve work zone safety; and
- (Area 3) Training for State and local governments, transportation agencies, and other groups implementing the guidelines.
Grant recipients are competitively selected and conduct activities under one or more of the three emphasis areas. To date, nine organizations have received funding under the Grant Program:
| Grant Year | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 2011 | 2013 | 2016 | |
|
American Traffic Safety Services Administration (ATSSA) |
● | ● | ● | ● |
|
American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) |
● | ● | ● | ● |
|
Wayne State University (WSU) |
● | ● | ● | ● |
|
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) |
● | |||
|
University of Texas, Arlington (UTA) |
● | |||
|
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) |
● | ● | ||
|
University of Wisconsin, Madison (UWM) |
● | ● | ||
|
Oklahoma State University (OSU) |
● | |||
| Iowa State University (ISU) | ● | |||
To help identify specific needs, information from various sources were used, including:
- Grant team industry knowledge brainstorming sessions
- Practitioner panel-facilitated sessions that included FHWA, State DOTs, consultants, and academia
- Feedback from a series of practitioner workshops
- Practitioner surveys to prioritize identified topics
Each grant recipient identified topics and subject areas for development; FHWA also provided input on final topic areas to better coordinate between Grantees. In some instances, topics addressed within products are similar, but tailored for a specific audience or developed in alternative formats.
Results to Date
To date the Work Zone Safety Grant Program has generated a wealth of products, publications, and training resources for roadway construction industry practitioners. As of 2017, more than 101,000 practitioners and craft workers have received training through more than 3,800 courses. More than 55 guideline publications, 95 training modules, and an entire learning program have been developed to date. The development of new products is scheduled to continue through 2022, with some product topics still being planned. These guidelines, training, and other resources are expected to provide benefits and positive impacts for years to come.
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