20 Years of Creative Problem Solving

Merrefield, Clark; Johnson, Judith · 2018 · ROSA P / United States. Federal Highway Administration

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Summary

This document is a feature article from the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) *Public Roads* magazine, titled "20 Years of Creative Problem Solving." It does not present original empirical research, experimental data, or theoretical analysis. Instead, it serves as an informational overview of the FHWA Resource Center’s history, operational scope, and specific contributions to transportation infrastructure projects over two decades. Consequently, it lacks the standard components of a research paper, such as a defined research question, methodology, or statistical results. The text outlines the Resource Center’s multidisciplinary expertise, listing capabilities across civil rights, finance, construction management, environmental compliance, safety, engineering, pavement materials, operations, structures, and freight management. It highlights several specific applications of this expertise. For instance, the center supported the rollout of "Jason’s Law" by analyzing supply chain issues affecting trucker safety and proposing solutions like a mobile app for parking space compatibility. During hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Nate in 2017, teams provided emergency traffic management support to FEMA, assessing flow volumes and road closures. At the state level, the center assisted California with intersection control evaluations using quantitative safety analysis, trained Florida law enforcement to identify road engineering issues, and supported a $1.45 billion project for nine new interchanges along I-69 in Indiana through safety analyses and simulation modeling. Additionally, the center conducted Americans with Disabilities Act compliance training in Alaska, using immersive exercises to improve infrastructure design for pedestrians with disabilities. The article also describes organizational innovations, noting a successful pilot program in 2015 that extended full-time remote work to technical specialists, enhancing the center’s ability to provide rapid, location-independent assistance. The authors, Clark Merrefield and Judith Johnson, emphasize the center’s evolution toward a holistic, cross-functional approach to solving transportation challenges. The document concludes by directing readers to the "Federal-aid Essentials" website, a resource created in 2012 to help local agencies navigate federal-aid policies. Because this text is a descriptive report and promotional overview rather than a scientific study, it does not contain findings derived from controlled experiments or data analysis. It reports on completed activities and services provided by the FHWA Resource Center. Therefore, it does not meet the criteria for summarizing academic research findings, methods, or implications in the traditional sense. It is a factual account of administrative and technical support services. SKIP

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• regulatory evaluation

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• Applied Guidance: countermeasure evaluation