Kuehl, Renae

Base stabilization entails mixing a stabilizing additive into an acceptable base aggregate material, imported with or without recycled material or from reclaimed hot-mix asphalt (HMA), creating a new bound pavement layer. The fundamental value of stabilizing base materials is achieving similar pavement structures more economically. Stabilizing base aggregates can allow pavement designers to develop stronger, deeper pavement structures with reduced subcut depths and thinner surfacing lifts of HMA.

In addition to people walking, people bicycling are our most vulnerable roadway users; they are most at risk of serious injury or death when they are involved in motor vehicle-related crashes. Local, county, regional and state transportation agencies play an important role in providing and maintaining safe and comfortable bicycle facilities. Planners and engineers must consider many factors when choosing and designing an appropriate facility for the roadway and land use context. This Quick Reference Guide was informed by a survey of local agencies’ bicycle facility design practices, questions and concerns. It is intended to demystify common questions about appropriate facility selection and design to help practitioners confidently implement low-stress bicycle transportation networks. The Guide provides information on the variety of bicycle facility selection and design guidance documents available and identifies which to use as primary resources in Minnesota.

What Was the Need? The Temporary Traffic Control Zone Layouts Field Manual is a valuable tool that MnDOT offers to help improve work zone safety for both workers and drivers. The field manual describes appropriate work zone layouts, including the safety devices that are needed, for a wide range of work zones. Users of the manual decide which layout is appropriate for a given situation depending on a variety of factors, including number of lanes, the duration of the work zone, the location of the work, or features such as intersections and grade crossings.

This Implementation Summary pertains to report 2016RIC10, Intersection Safety Technologies Guidebook.

This Guidebook contains information that should be useful to engineers as they consider alternative solutions to traffic safety concerns at side-street STOP controlled intersections. It is the intent of this guide to provide the engineer information to aid in the consideration, selection and deployment of LED STOP signs and ICWS at these intersections. These safety strategies should be included for consideration along with other safety improvements detailed in the TEM and Traffic Safety Fundamentals Handbook such as improving visibility of the intersection with improved signing, pavement marking, and intersection lighting; improving sight distance by providing clear sight triangles on all approaches; selecting appropriate traffic control such as ALL WAY STOP; and reduce conflict points through geometric design such as turn lanes or bypass lanes. Final Report.

The intent of this document is to help local agencies identify the appropriate work zone layout based on the maintenance activity that will be performed. This document focuses on low volume roads only and includes both a rural and urban guide that are intended to be used as supplemental guidance to the Temporary Traffic Control Work Zone Layouts Field Manual (dated January 2014). The information presented here does not replace or override anything within the field manual. Agencies must follow the standards and guidance contained in the Minnesota Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MN MUTCD), including the Field Manual. This document also includes a copy of a letter that was written and submitted to the MUTCD Committee in April 2016, requesting changes for low volume roadways. A summary of training opportunities is included as well.

Recycled Asphalt Pavement (RAP) is encouraged to be used in the construction of new roadways and pavements. Its use reduces cost and environmental impacts of road construction by reusing existing asphalt pavement. In Minnesota existing asphalt pavement material is often crushed and blended with other aggregates to create aggregate base or shouldering materials or transported to an Asphalt plant, crushed, and incorporated into new asphalt material. Both strategies reduce demand for virgin aggregates. Incorporation into new asphalt material has the additional benefit of reducing demand for asphalt binder material. It is recognized that a greater benefit to the environment and economy can be realized when incorporated into new asphalt material. This document was developed as a reference for local agencies that have minimal knowledge of incorporating RAP material into new asphalt and would like to understand more.

Road safety is a consistent and growing concern, and communities throughout the state are focusing on making their roads safer, particularly for young drivers. Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for young people, and drivers between the ages of 15 and 29 are overrepresented in traffic crashes. In Minnesota in 2013, 124 motorists under 29 were killed in traffic crashes and 12,262 were injured. Local transportation engineers are often asked to speak at events about the factors involved in traffic safety: engineering, enforcement, emergency medical services and education. A toolkit of resources was needed to help them effectively educate and engage communities to reduce crashes involving younger drivers.

This Younger Driver Toolkit for Local Agencies is intended to provide Minnesota local city and county transportation and traffic safety engineering staff with the information needed to conduct focused presentations to engage local communities to improve safety for Minnesota's highest risk driving population—younger drivers ages 15-29. The Toolkit is structured to first provide a foundation to understand the "why" behind younger driver severe crashes. Second, the toolkit features ideas and resources to help educate and promote community engagement to reduce younger driver-related traffic deaths and injuries.

More than 50 percent of U.S. roadways are gravel roads, making them a vital part of our transportation system. One of the drawbacks and biggest complaints about gravel roads is the dust they produce when vehicles drive over them. Residents that live on gravel roads deal with the dust that settles on their homes, yards, and parked cars, potentially reducing their quality of life. Dust can also have adverse effects on air quality and the environment and reduce the safety for drivers due to impaired vision. To control the dust on gravel roads, local agencies apply various dust suppressants on their roadways, mainly calcium chloride and magnesium chloride. However, many other dust suppressant options exist. The Minnesota LRRB has developed this document, Dust Control of Aggregate Roads, A Brief Synthesis of Current Practices, to provide local agencies with a summary of research that has been completed on various dust suppressants, their effectiveness, and impacts. Results from two surveys that document dust suppressants that local agencies (within Minnesota and Iowa) use is included as well.