Transportation Engineering and Safety Conference 2024

Several jurisdictions in Pennsylvania have benefited from the unprecedented safety funding available from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) program. This session will explore how a variety of Pennsylvania jurisdictions - a larger city, a smaller community, and a region - are using SS4A funding to develop safety action plans and seek opportunities for implementation.

Topic 1: An Introduction to Safe Streets and Roads for All
Speaker: Jeff Riegner

Topic 2: Safety Action Planning in a Larger City
Speaker: LeAnn Parmenter

Topic 3: Safety Action Planning in a Smaller Community
Speaker: Betsy Kramer

Topic 4: Safety Action Planning at the Regional Level
Speaker: Ben Warner

This session offers a comprehensive exploration of how law enforcement professionals handle vehicle crash investigations. The discussion will delve into the methodologies, techniques, and technologies employed to analyze the scene, collect evidence, and reconstruct the events leading to the crash. Additionally, it will cover fatal crash reconstructions and the key components required for a successful prosecution.

Topic 1: Tactical Intelligence Section Commander
Speaker: Lt. Charles N Burkhardt

As the capabilities of traffic signals expand, the needs for the communication networks these signals operate on expand as well. This session will explore the changes to communication occurring at the street level, PennDOT’s Vision for a unified signal network, and what network requirements designers, contractors, and operators need to know. 
 
Topic 1:  Practical Field Communication Applications
Speaker: Mike Post
Mike of Drive Engineering will discuss real-life examples of communication successes and challenges and practical maintenance outcomes.

Topic 2: PennDOT’s Vision for Traffic Signals
Speaker: Mike Centi
Mike of PennDOT Central Office will describe the Department’s vision for connecting traffic signals, explain why PennDOT is doing this and how we get the signals on the Department’s network, and explain costs associated with various connection methods.

Topic 3: PennDOT Traffic Signal Networking
Speaker: Sean Dean
Sean of Skyline IT Services will discuss the networking requirements traffic signal designers and operators need to know who work within the PennDOT system.

Since 2017, we’ve been hosting this session, which I believe is the 8th consecutive and 10th overall Innovative Session, here at TESC. The session is Innovative Alternative Intersections and Interchanges that will focus on innovative solutions, current best practices, and lessons learned.

Topic 1: A Culture of Innovative Intersections and Interchanges in Virginia
Speaker: Gilbert Chlewicki, PE
The Virginia Department of Transportation is a national leader in Innovative Intersections and Interchanges. This leadership came to be with an understanding of the great operational, safety, and cost saving benefits that these designs provide and a willingness to develop policies, processes, and tools to develop the best alternatives no matter how “non-traditional” the design may be. VDOT has designed and/or built roundabouts, diverging diamond interchanges, continuous flow intersections, J-Turns, superstreets, thru-cuts, quadrant roadway intersections, bowties, and hybrid designs. This presentation will show the evolution of innovative intersections and interchanges in Virginia, how Virginia is getting so many designs built, and some of the struggles that VDOT is still facing to get more implemented.

Topic 2:  When Grade Separation is the Answer
Speaker: Smith Siromaskul, PE
 When looking at improving overcapacity intersections, a typical approach involves adding through lanes or turn lanes and then considering grade separated interchange options. With the growing acceptance of innovative intersection treatments such as restricted crossing u-turns, continuous flow intersections, and a myriad of mix and match combinations of at-grade innovative elements, practitioners have far more options to add capacity without grade separations. These treatments vary significantly in footprint, capacity, friendliness to active transportation modes, maintainability, and applicability to any given location. Even with innovative options in hand, there are times when at-grade options simply aren’t enough.
The traditional approach once at-grade options are exhausted is to go to a fully grade separated interchange with at least one of the two intersecting roadways becoming free flow with ramps providing access to and from the intersecting roadway. These interchanges can create their own problems when neither roadway is a fully access-controlled facility such as merging and weaving issues with adjacent intersections or driveways. Free-flowing high-volume treatments can also be challenging for active transportation users and often require significant compromises to accommodate transit stops. Additionally, conversion of an at-grade intersection to a traditional interchange, even one with a small footprint such as a tight diamond or single-point urban interchange, can be cost-prohibitive or overly impactful in a built urban environment.
This presentation will cover partially grade-separated options that involve less structure, smaller footprints, and blend elements from at-grade innovative treatments to create site-specific solutions that do not require creating a freeway “feel” and the subsequent multimodal challenges associated with free=flowing traffic.
One of the case studies that will be covered includes an echelon intersection which grade separates half of the movements at an intersection. The presentation will discuss the what, why, and where to use this particular intersection type using the Okeechobee Road at Hialeah Gardens Drive intersection in Hialeah Gardens, Florida, the 2nd echelon intersection built in the US. Lessons learned will include alternatives analysis, concept development, traffic analysis, and construction staging.
The second case study will cover the intersection of John Young Parkway and Pleasant Hill Road in Kissimmee, Florida, an intersection that includes a grade separation of just one through movement and utilizes a blend of at-grade intersection treatments to fix a highly constrained, high-volume intersection that currently creates nearly a half-hour of delay per vehicle today. The proposed improvement is entering the final design phase and provides the needed capacity while doing so with minimal widening and right-of-way impacts by blending the single-direction grade separation with a displaced left turn and median U-turns. Lessons learned will cover the thought process behind the development of the concept that can be applied at other locations.

Topic 3:  Construction of a Roundabout in South Philadelphia
Speakers: Tyler Barile, & Trevor Booz

The Pennsylvania Safety Transportation and Research Track is a state-of-the-art facility that will benefit emergency responders, transportation organizations, and research institutions.  The session will provide an update on efforts underway at the PennSTART facility.

Topic 1:  PennSTART Partners
Speaker: Joseph W. Sutor

Topic 2:  PennSTART Facilities      
Speaker: Kelsey Kanspedos

Topic 3:  PennSTART Technologies          
Speaker: Karen Lightman

Topic 4: PennSTART Master Plan
Speaker: Jim Katsafanas, PE, PTOE

This session will highlight innovative urban infrastructure solutions that have had a major impact on their communities. The three presentation address modern challenges in transportation and community design. We will discuss:

• A unique tunnel rehabilitation in Pittsburgh highlighting the importance of enhancing safety and accessibility for all users.
• A visionary concept in Philadelphia that introduces improvements along the Delaware River waterfront to create a new vibrant landscaped public space.
• An ambitious modernization program aimed a revitalizing infrastructure through smart technology.

Together, these presentations will provide a view on how modern design efforts can transform urban environments.

Topic 1:  Urban Motor Vehicle and Pedestrian Tunnel Rehabilitation:  Armstrong Tunnel
Speakers: Jason Molinero & Jon McHugh   

Topic 2: I 95 Penn’s Landing CAP
Speaker: Debbie Ferraro  

Topic 3: Tampa Bay Next Interstate Modernization Program – I-275 Pinellas Corridor 
Speaker: Christina Boulnois

In an era marked by rapid technological advances and shifting paradigms, the landscape of challenges we face is continually evolving. "New Age, New Solutions 5" is a dynamic session dedicated to exploring how innovative technologies provide powerful answers not only to emerging challenges but also to longstanding issues that have impacted our transportation industries for decades. This session delves into the latest technological advancement and strategic approaches that are shaping solutions. Participants will gain insights into how these cutting-edge technologies can be leveraged to develop creative, effective solutions, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness in tackling both new and existing challenges. Join us to discover how embracing modern solutions can drive success in this new age.
 
Topic 1: PennDOT V2X Implementation
Speaker: Derrick Herrmann & Vijay Varadarajan

Topic 2: PA Smart Grant: V2X Data Exchange Vehicle Integration
Speakers: Gunnar Rhone & Vijay Varadarajan

Topic 3: Verizon’s Cellular V2X Applications
Speaker: Jimmy Kim

Poor nighttime visibility can pose a challenge at intersections, but crashes can be reduced with well-designed lighting. With 76 percent of pedestrian fatalities occurring in hours of darkness we need to ensure that pedestrians and other vulnerable users can see and be seen, especially at crosswalks and in other high pedestrian activity areas. Crosswalk visibility enhancements are being promoted by the Nighttime Visibility for Safety initiative to help reduce pedestrian fatalities and serious injuries. These enhancements include three separate improvements: high-visibility crosswalks, lighting, and signing and pavement markings. These improvements help make crosswalks and the people that use them more visible to drivers. Agencies can implement these features as standalone or in combination.

Topic 1: Nighttime Visibility for Safety                   
Speaker: Joseph Cheung

Topic 2: Enhancing Pedestrian Visibility at Crosswalks
Speaker: Kathryn Fink

Topic 3: Campus Lighting and Pedestrian Visibility
Speaker: Jonathan Walker