MDOT research receives national recognition : research update.
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Summary
This document is a research update newsletter from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) Research Administration, published in October 2016. It highlights MDOT’s national recognition for transportation research and details the agency’s engagement in national cooperative efforts to improve safety, infrastructure, and mobility. The primary motivation described is MDOT’s sustained commitment to excellence in transportation research, aiming to develop solutions for Michigan’s needs while sharing results nationally to benefit other states. The update centers on MDOT receiving its third “Sweet Sixteen” award in five years from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO). This award recognized a study evaluating the safety impacts and cost-effectiveness of engineering improvements designed to reduce crashes among elderly drivers. The research methodology involved comparing crash data before and after MDOT implemented specific changes in 2004. These changes included using the more readable Clearview font on guide signs, applying more visible fluorescent yellow sheeting to warning signs, and installing arrow-per-lane signing. Additionally, the document outlines MDOT’s broader participation in national research bodies, including the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP), the Transportation Research Board (TRB), and the Transportation Pooled Fund (TPF) Program. Specific initiatives mentioned include leadership in the Toward Zero Deaths (TZD) strategy, implementation of the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), and involvement in the SHRP2 Naturalistic Driving Study, which monitored 3,100 drivers using in-vehicle cameras and radar. The findings from the award-winning study demonstrated significant safety improvements. The use of Clearview fonts and fluorescent yellow sheeting reduced crashes by 24 percent on freeways, 30 percent on urban non-freeways, and 33 percent on rural non-freeways. The combined benefit-cost ratio for these measures ranged from $1,090 to $7,456 for every dollar spent. Arrow-per-lane signing reduced crashes among drivers aged 65 and older by 68 percent, yielding $1,440 in benefits per dollar invested. Pedestrian countdown signals were also found to significantly reduce crashes involving pedestrians. In other areas, MDOT’s participation in TPF-5(247) validated handheld thermographic inspection technologies for detecting concrete delamination, allowing for real-time, non-intrusive bridge assessments. Furthermore, MDOT’s leadership in SHRP2 facilitated the implementation of emergency responder training, and its engagement with other states informed the deployment of Active Traffic Management (ATM) systems on US-23. The significance of these efforts lies in MDOT’s ability to leverage national collaborations to solve shared transportation problems efficiently. By participating in national committees and pooled fund studies, MDOT staff helps determine the direction of national research while gaining early access to implementable results. This approach allows MDOT to adopt best practices from other states, such as ATM strategies from Minnesota and Integrated Corridor Management lessons from San Diego, while contributing its own expertise in areas like carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) bridge structures. The document concludes that this national engagement yields significant results in operational efficiency, maintenance savings, and improved public safety and mobility.
Key finding
Engineering improvements including Clearview fonts, fluorescent yellow sheeting, and arrow-per-lane signing reduced crashes among elderly drivers by 24 to 33 percent on various road types and by 68 percent with arrow-per-lane signing.
Methodology
dataset
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Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-10; verification: verified.
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