In January 2012, fog and smoke took over Interstate 75 outside of Gainesville, leading to a 19-vehicle pile-up, 11 fatalities, and 18 hospitalizations. Low-visibility road conditions due to fog and/or smoke are a major concern in Florida, as this crash was not the first or last incident to occur. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration … Continue reading Investigating Low-Visibility Crashes in Florida
Tag: Traffic Engineering and Operations
Florida Department of Transportation ranks safety as a top priority for the state, and it is listed as one of FDOT’s Vital Few focus areas. Despite the vision of having fatality-free roadways, crashes are still a reality today. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles noted an increase of total annual traffic crashes … Continue reading Smart Safety: Using Apps and Eye-Tracking Technology to Evaluate School Zone Beacon and Bicycle Detection
In 2018, Florida was ranked as having the third-highest pedestrian fatality rate in the United States, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Pedestrian safety is a nationwide issue, and it is a top priority in Florida being tackled by adding more safety features and improving facilities. Unfortunately, finding solutions is not as simple … Continue reading Now You See Me, Now You Don’t: Automatic Pedestrian Detection at Signalized Intersections and Midblock Crossings
You are cruising down the highway, the kids sitting in the back and plugged into their devices. You are enjoying a rare moment of quiet when you see the overhead sign on the freeway displaying “Crash Ahead – Use Caution.” You start slowing down, become more attentive, and see FDOT Road Rangers attending to a … Continue reading Safer, Faster, Smarter: FDOT Proves the Safety and Mobility Benefits of TSM&O Strategies
Most drivers have encountered this situation: you are waiting to turn left at a traffic light for what seems like minutes before the arrow finally turns green and allows you to make a protected left turn. A few times while waiting for the green arrow, a gap opens in oncoming traffic, and you wish that … Continue reading Can I Make this Gap? Safety and Efficiency in Dynamic Flashing Yellow Arrows
With road trip planned and route map in hand, three Florida A&M University (FAMU)-Florida State University (FSU) College of Engineering researchers made their first stop at a familiar intersection. A two-lane minor street intersected four lanes of free-flowing traffic with a divided median. Identified as a high-crash location, residents and commuters had become wary of … Continue reading RCUTs: An Innovative Approach to Solving Complexities in Safety and Operations in Florida
The future of transportation is … complicated. Connected and automated vehicles, collectively termed CAVs, are making up an increasing share of the vehicles on the road. Fully-autonomous vehicles have already hit the streets in Gainesville. Domino’s Pizza promises a self-driving delivery fleet in the Houston area by the end of 2019. That said, a Jetsons-esque … Continue reading What Do Connected Traffic Signals Do With Unconnected Vehicles?
Over the road truckers have a lot to worry about. Their prime concern has always been to deliver goods on time, of course, but today’s drivers face many new challenges, including increased demand for freight transportation coupled with a growing commercial driver shortage and unpredictable drive times from main trunk lines to distribution centers, among … Continue reading Parking with Precision: Evaluating Commercial Truck Parking Detection Technologies
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) recently announced its annual “Sweet Sixteen” most high-value transportation research projects in the country, and FDOT was in the mix. The winning projects were chosen by the AASHTO Research Advisory Committee and comprise four high-value research projects from each of the four AASHTO regions. The … Continue reading FDOT Pedestrian Project Named to AASHTO’s Sweet 16 Most Valuable Research
It is a nightmare scenario, a driver makes a right turn but ends up in the wrong place – on railroad tracks. Cars can easily become stuck on the tracks leading to serious injuries and sometimes death. That is why the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) teamed up with the Center for Urban Transportation Research … Continue reading Tricks to Avoid the Tracks
Florida Department of Transportation Research Showcase 