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Federal Highway Administration
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) is a division of the United States Department of Transportation that specializes in highway transportation. The agency's major activities are grouped into two programs, the Federal-aid Highway Program and the Federal Lands Highway Program. Its role had previously been performed by the Office of Road Inquiry, Office of Public Roads and the Bureau of Public Roads. History Background With the coming of the bicycle in the 1890s, interest grew regarding the improvement of streets and roads in America. The traditional method of putting the burden on maintaining roads on local landowners was increasingly inadequate. In 1893, the federal Office of Road Inquiry (ORI) was founded; in 1905, it was renamed the Office of Public Roads (OPR) and made a division of the United States Department of Agriculture. Demands grew for local and state government to take charge. With the coming of the automobile, urgent efforts were made to upgrade and moderniz ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Federal Government Of The United States
The Federal Government of the United States of America (U.S. federal government or U.S. government) is the Federation#Federal governments, national government of the United States. The U.S. federal government is composed of three distinct branches: United States Congress, legislative, President of the United States, executive, and Federal judiciary of the United States, judicial. Powers of these three branches are defined and vested by the Constitution of the United States, U.S. Constitution, which has been in continuous effect since May 4, 1789. The powers and duties of these branches are further defined by Act of Congress, Acts of Congress, including the creation of United States federal executive departments, executive departments and courts subordinate to the Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Supreme Court. In the Federalism in the United States, federal division of power, the federal government shares sovereignty with each of the 50 states in their respective t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rapid Bridge Replacement
Rapid bridge replacement or accelerated bridge construction (ABC) is a technique that allows bridges to be replaced with minimum disruption to traffic. The replacement bridge is constructed on a site near the bridge to be replaced. When it is completed, the old bridge is cut away and removed using self-propelled modular transporters (SPMTs). Then the SPMTs lift the new bridge, transfer it to the work site and put it in place. Often the highway or railroad carried by the bridge is closed for just one weekend. Conventional techniques typically replace half a bridge at a time, with all highway traffic redirected under the other bridge half, often for a year or more, while construction progresses. Accelerated bridge construction (ABC) alternatives consist of ABC components and ABC techniques. Components can be categorized into prefabricated bridge elements (e.g. beams, bridge decks, footings, columns, pier caps, abutments etc.) or prefabricated bridge systems (e.g. bridge modules with ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Alternative Intersection
An intersection or an at-grade junction is a junction where two or more roads converge, diverge, meet or cross at the same height, as opposed to an interchange, which uses bridges or tunnels to separate different roads. Major intersections are often delineated by gores and may be classified by road segments, traffic controls and lane design. This article primarily reflects practice in jurisdictions where vehicles are driven on the right. If not otherwise specified, "right" and "left" can be reversed to reflect jurisdictions where vehicles are driven on the left. Types Road segments One way to classify intersections is by the number of road segments (arms) that are involved. * A three-way intersection is a junction between three road segments (arms): a T junction when two arms form one road, or a Y junction, the latter also known as a fork if approached from the stem of the Y. * A four-way intersection, or crossroads, usually involves a crossing over of two streets or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Travel Time Reliability
Travel is the movement of people between distant geographical locations. Travel can be done by foot, bicycle, automobile, train, boat, bus, airplane, ship or other means, with or without luggage, and can be one way or round trip. Travel can also include relatively short stays between successive movements, as in the case of tourism. Etymology The origin of the word "travel" is most likely lost to history. The term "travel" may originate from the Old French word ''travail'', which means 'work'. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the first known use of the word ''travel'' was in the 14th century. It also states that the word comes from Middle English , (which means to torment, labor, strive, journey) and earlier from Old French (which means to work strenuously, toil). In English, people still occasionally use the words , which means struggle. According to Simon Winchester in his book ''The Best Travelers' Tales (2004)'', the words ''travel'' and ''travail'' both ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fuel Consumption
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but has since also been applied to other sources of heat energy, such as nuclear energy (via nuclear fission and nuclear fusion). The heat energy released by reactions of fuels can be converted into mechanical energy via a heat engine. Other times, the heat itself is valued for warmth, cooking, or industrial processes, as well as the illumination that accompanies combustion. Fuels are also used in the cells of organisms in a process known as cellular respiration, where organic molecules are oxidized to release usable energy. Hydrocarbons and related organic molecules are by far the most common source of fuel used by humans, but other substances, including radioactive metals, are also utilized. Fuels are contrasted with other substances or de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adaptive Traffic Control
Adaptive traffic control system (ATCS) is a Transportation demand management, traffic management strategy in which Traffic light, traffic signal timing changes, or adapts, based on actual traffic demand. This is accomplished using an adaptive traffic control system consisting of both hardware and software. Every Day Counts initiative The U.S. Federal Highway Administration, through its Every Day Counts initiative, is working to accelerate the adoption of adaptive signal control technologies in the U.S. Its website states, "Real-time management of traffic systems is proven to work, yet these systems have been deployed on less than 1 percent of existing traffic signals. FHWA is now working to bring these technologies to the rest of the country." Examples InSync adaptive traffic control system is a real-time adaptive traffic control system that enables traffic signals to immediately adapt to traffic demand. MASSTR (Meadowlands Adaptive Signal System for Traffic Reduction) located ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LTPP
Long-Term Pavement Performance Program, known as LTPP, is a research project supported by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) to collect and analyze pavement data in the United States and Canada. Currently, the LTPP acquires the largest road performance database. History The LTPP was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Research Council (NRC) in the early 1980s. The FHWA with the cooperation of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sponsored the program. The program was focusing on examining the deterioration of the nation’s highway and bridge infrastructure system. In the early 1980s, TRB and NRC suggested that a "Strategic Highway Research Program (SHRP)" should be started to concentrate on research and development activities that would majorly contribute to highway transportation improvement. Later in 1986, the detailed programs were published entitled "Strategic Highway Research Program—Resea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
LTPP International Data Analysis Contest
The LTPP International Data Analysis Contest or the LTPP Data Analysis Contest is an annual international data analysis contest held by the American Society of Civil Engineers and Federal Highway Administration. As the name suggests, the participants are supposed to use the LTPP data in their analysis. The winners of this data analysis contest are announced in early January during the Transportation Research Board annual meeting. History The LTPP database contains the data of more than 2,500 road sections across the US and Canada. The FHWA and ASCE launched a joint effort to encourage researchers around the world to use the LTPP data. The contest was first introduced in 1998 by the Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the LTPP of FHWA. The goal of the contest is to encourage consultants, academics and data scientists around the world to use the LTPP database for generating knowledge about the behaviour of pavements and ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Association Of State Highway And Transportation Officials
The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) is a standards setting body which publishes specifications, test protocols, and guidelines that are used in highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It includes not just major roads, but also other public roads and rights of way. In the United States, it is also used as an equivalent term to controlled-access highway, or ... design and construction throughout the United States. Despite its name, the association represents not only highways but air, rail, water, and public transportation as well. Although AASHTO sets transportation standards and policy for the United States as a whole, AASHTO is not an agency of the federal government; rather it is an organization of the states themselves. Policies of AASHTO are not federal laws or policies, but rather are ways to coordinate state laws and policies in the field of transportation. Purpose The American Ass ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
National Research Council (United States)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), also known as the National Academies, is a congressionally chartered organization that serves as the collective scientific national academy of the United States. The name is used interchangeably in two senses: (1) as an umbrella term or parent organization for its three sub-divisions that operate as quasi-independent honorific learned society member organizations known as the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM); and (2) as the brand for studies and reports issued by the unified operating arm of the three academies originally known as the National Research Council (NRC). The National Academies also serve as public policy advisors, research institutes, think tanks, and public administration consultants on issues of public importance or on request by the government. The National Research Council, National Academy of Engineeri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Road Surface Marking
Road surface marking is any kind of device or material that is used on a road surface in order to convey official information; they are commonly placed with road marking machines (also referred to as road marking equipment or pavement marking equipment). They can also be applied in other facilities used by vehicles to mark parking spaces or designate areas for other uses. In some countries and areas (France, Italy, Czech Republic, Slovakia etc.), road markings are conceived as horizontal traffic signs, as opposed to vertical traffic signs placed on posts. Road surface markings are used on paved roadways to provide guidance and information to drivers and pedestrians. Uniformity of the markings is an important factor in minimising confusion and uncertainty about their meaning, and efforts exist to standardise such markings across borders. However, countries and areas categorise and specify road surface markings in different ways—white lines are called white lines mechanical, non ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
